Admission Requirements

Students will be admitted in an annual cycle in time for each year's Summer program courses. Students may begin program courses at any time on a provisional basis. Up to 10 approved units at the graduate level or Junior or Senior undergraduate level may be completed before entering the program. These units cannot be part of a Bachelor's degree unless they have been taken in the last semester of study and designated for Provisional Graduate Credit.

To be admitted, an applicant shall:

1. Have completed a four-year college course of study and hold an acceptable baccalaureate degree from an institution accredited by a regional accrediting association, or shall have completed equivalent academic preparation as determined by appropriate campus authorities. This degree (or equivalent) must have been awarded by the Fall semester/Winter quarter preceding enrollment in the Spanish program.
2. Be in good academic standing at the last institution attended.
3. Have attained a grade point average of at least 2.5 (A = 4.0) in the last 60 semester (90 quarter) units attempted.
4. Have completed appropriate academic preparation as outlined below.
5. Satisfactorily meet the professional, personal, scholastic, and other standards for graduate study as determined by the Spanish Program Graduate Admissions Committee.

All graduate and post-baccalaureate applicants, regardless of citizenship, whose native language is not English must demonstrate competence in English. This can be accomplished by:

1. Having had at least 3 years of instruction at the high-school or higher level through the medium of English;
2. Receiving a score of 80 (iBT) or 550 (PBT) or above on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL); or
3. Receiving a band score of 6.5 or above on the IELTS

Academic Preparation Required for Admission

To be considered for admission, candidates must meet one of the following three options:

1. Hold a Bachelor's degree in Spanish.
2. Hold a Bachelor's degree in another discipline and have completed the following SSU courses (or their equivalents):
   • SPAN 301: Advanced Composition and Conversation
   • SPAN 304: Introduction to Spanish Linguistics
   • SPAN 305: Introduction to Literature
   • SPAN 306: Cultures of Spain
   • SPAN 307: Cultures of Latin America
   • SPAN 400: Special Topics in Linguistics
   • SPAN 401: Peninsular Literature
   • SPAN 402: Latin American Literature
3. Hold a Bachelor's degree in another discipline from an institution where Spanish is the primary language of instruction and have completed the following SSU courses (or their equivalents):
   • SPAN 400: Special Topics in Linguistics
   • SPAN 401: Peninsular Literature
   • SPAN 402: Latin American Literature

Courses used to fulfill admission requirements may not be counted toward the MA in Spanish program requirements (e.g. if a student takes SPAN 401 prior to being admitted to the graduate program, it may not be counted toward the MA unless it is repeated with a different topic).

In some cases, one or more courses required for admission to the program may be waived based on demonstrable professional or academic experience. Consult with the Graduate Advisor for details.

Application Process

• The application process is now online through Cal State Apply.
• Please visit our Graduate Application page before applying. This page includes:
  • Pointers on how to use the Cal State Apply site
  • Important dates and deadlines
  • Information about Financial Aid
  • Information for international applicants

Please work closely with Dr. Parissa Tadrissi, the Faculty Coordinator, tadrissi@sonoma.edu.

Supporting Materials

Your application materials will be assessed by both Sonoma State Admissions and by the department to determine your eligibility. Early application is encouraged in order to take advantage of financial aid opportunities and to allow time for assessment of your application, and for international students, to follow visa processing guidelines.

You will need to gather the following supporting materials:

1. One official sealed transcript no later than 2 years old showing the most recent 60 semester (90 quarter) units you have attempted, including award of the Bachelor's degree and any other work you have completed since. See Admissions Office Transcript Instructions for details.
2. A written Statement of Purpose, in Spanish, regarding your professional experience and academic interests as related to the Spanish M.A. Program (maximum 500 words)
3. A sound file of an oral description of your experience as a learner/speaker of Spanish
   spoken by you in Spanish (maximum of four minutes).
   • On CD or flash drive, mail to address below.
   • An .mp3 or other sound file can be e-mailed to Dr. Parissa Tadrissi, the Faculty Coordinator, tadrissi@sonoma.edu

Hard copies of these supporting materials may be mailed to:

SSU Spanish Department
Attn: Dr. Parissa Tadrissi
1801 East Cotati Avenue
Rohnert Park, CA 94928-3609