
About the M.A. in Spanish
The Master of Arts in Spanish program at the University of St. Thomas offers a solid foundation in the intellectual and cultural history of Latin America, Spain and the United States while developing your verbal and written abilities in Spanish.
We offer a flexible program that you can design in consultation with your graduate adviser with evening and summer courses, as well as traditional, hybrid and online course formats. You will be prepared for a diverse range of careers in fields such as college-level teaching, business, law, social services and medicine.

Classes that Accommodate
Get a feel for the program
The M.A. in Spanish is a flexible program designed to prepare students for careers in teaching, business, law, government and more. Our curriculum fits your busy schedule with:
- Evening courses
- Summer courses
- Hybrid and online courses

Featured Course
Topics in World Languages Teaching
This course presents how current second language acquisition theory informs the teaching of Spanish at the college level. Through the observation of language instructors, the discussion of course readings, and the development of a teaching portfolio, among other activities, students will gain a working knowledge of adult second language acquisition theory and become familiar with a variety of instructional approaches. The main goal of the course is to equip students with the theoretical background and practical skills to teach Spanish at the college level.
Monday/Wednesday 5:30-7:15 p.m.: In-Person
3 Credits
Instructor: Dan Tight
Classes and Curriculum
Degree Overview
Degree Requirements (30 Credits)
At least one course in each of the following areas (9 credits):
- Hispanic Culture and Civilization
- Hispanic Literature
- Hispanic Linguistics and World Languages Teaching
PLUS: Six additional courses (18 credits) chosen from the above areas and the following area, in consultation with the graduate advisor:
- Spanish for the Professions
Capstone course: GSPA 699 – Master’s Project (3 credits)
Note: Students may not repeat a cross-listed course for graduate credit if the class has already been taken for undergraduate credit at St. Thomas.
Hispanic Culture and Civilization Courses
Course offerings include:
- GSPA 515 - Hispanic Cinema Studies (cross-listed with SPAN 415) (3)
- GSPA 523 - Hispanic Visual Culture and Literature (3)
- GSPA 524 - Hispanics in Minnesota and the U.S. (3)
- GSPA 530 - Exile and Migration in Contemporary Spain (3)
Hispanic Literature Courses
Courses offerings include:
- GSPA 512 – Chicano and U.S. Latino Literature(s) and Culture(s) (cross-listed with SPAN 412) (3)
- GSPA 522 - Mexican Literature and Society (3)
- GSPA 525 - Caribbean Literature and Cultures (3)
- GSPA 540 - Topics in Hispanic Culture and Literature (cross-listed with SPAN 489 Topics) (3)
Hispanic Linguistics Courses
Course offerings include:
- GSPA 510 Topics in World Languages Teaching (3)
- GSPA 517 Spanish Phonetics and Phonology for Teachers (3)
- GSPA 519 Spanish Sociolinguistics (3)
- GSPA 550 Topics in Hispanic Linguistics (cross-listed with SPAN 490 Topics) (3)
Spanish for the Professions Course
Course offerings include:
- GSPA 518 Spanish Translation Workshop (3)
- GSPA 541 Topics in Spanish for the Professions (3)
- GSPA 620 Advanced Spanish Professional Writing (3)
Degree Overview
Degree Requirements (30 Credits)
At least one course in each of the following areas (9 credits):
- Hispanic Culture and Civilization
- Hispanic Literature
- Hispanic Linguistics and World Languages Teaching
PLUS: Six additional courses (18 credits) chosen from the above areas and the following area, in consultation with the graduate advisor:
- Spanish for the Professions
Capstone course: GSPA 699 – Master’s Project (3 credits)
Note: Students may not repeat a cross-listed course for graduate credit if the class has already been taken for undergraduate credit at St. Thomas.
Hispanic Culture and Civilization Courses
Course offerings include:
- GSPA 515 - Hispanic Cinema Studies (cross-listed with SPAN 415) (3)
- GSPA 523 - Hispanic Visual Culture and Literature (3)
- GSPA 524 - Hispanics in Minnesota and the U.S. (3)
- GSPA 530 - Exile and Migration in Contemporary Spain (3)
Hispanic Literature Courses
Courses offerings include:
- GSPA 512 – Chicano and U.S. Latino Literature(s) and Culture(s) (cross-listed with SPAN 412) (3)
- GSPA 522 - Mexican Literature and Society (3)
- GSPA 525 - Caribbean Literature and Cultures (3)
- GSPA 540 - Topics in Hispanic Culture and Literature (cross-listed with SPAN 489 Topics) (3)
Hispanic Linguistics Courses
Course offerings include:
- GSPA 510 Topics in World Languages Teaching (3)
- GSPA 517 Spanish Phonetics and Phonology for Teachers (3)
- GSPA 519 Spanish Sociolinguistics (3)
- GSPA 550 Topics in Hispanic Linguistics (cross-listed with SPAN 490 Topics) (3)
Spanish for the Professions Course
Course offerings include:
- GSPA 518 Spanish Translation Workshop (3)
- GSPA 541 Topics in Spanish for the Professions (3)
- GSPA 620 Advanced Spanish Professional Writing (3)
Faculty


Dr. Donny Vigil
Dr. Donny A. Vigil has taught Spanish since 1999. His areas of interest include Hispanic language and linguistics: phonetics, phonology and dialectology of Spanish and Portuguese, sociolinguistics, history of the Spanish language, language contact, language variation and change, New Mexico Spanish, pragmatics, discourse analysis and translation.
