Fully Funded PhD in Spanish and Portuguese at Northwestern University

About PhD Program,

The graduate program in Spanish and Portuguese at Northwestern focuses on the diverse Latin American, Iberian, and U.S. Latino literary and cultural traditions. The program seeks to instill in its students a strong knowledge of multiple approaches to research and scholarship both within Latin American and Peninsular literatures and across the Humanities.

To that end, the Ph.D. program encourages students to engage in research extending across departmental and disciplinary borders and to traverse regional and chronological boundaries. In addition to the fields of specialty represented by the faculty in Spanish and Portuguese, students can connect with faculty in departments included but not limited to Anthropology, History, and Performance Studies, and with programs such as Comparative Literary Studies, Latin American and Caribbean Studies, Latino Studies, African Studies, and with the Interdisciplinary Ph.D. in Theatre and Drama, and the Ph.D. in Screen Cultures. Through the interdisciplinary cluster program, academic certificate programs and the traveling scholars program, we encourage our students to enhance their studies across a variety of disciplines.

PhD Program Degree Eligibility with GPA,   

The course requirements reflect the Department’s desire to provide its graduate students with a firm grounding in Latin American, Iberian, and U.S. Latino literatures and cultures. The course requirements contain both mandatory courses that provide essential tools for scholarly investigation as well as a high degree of flexibility that allows students to specialize in particular subfields and to undertake interdisciplinary investigations.

Students are required to take a total of 18 courses: 9 courses in each of the first two years of study. During the second year, when typically students hold teaching assistantships, the program’s flexibility will also allow students to take independent study classes. The time to degree will typically be five years. If newly-admitted students are not already fluent in both Spanish and Portuguese, language study during the summer prior to matriculation is encouraged. More information regarding languages can be found on the following pages:

• Milestones
• Courses and Langauages
• Proposal and Prospectus
• Qualifying Exam and Dissertation

  PhD Funding Coverage,

Students will receive guaranteed Graduate School support for 5 years in the form of two years of fellowship and three years of teaching assistantships during years 1 through 5; students will have additional fellowship support for four summers.

Students may apply for research fellowships and dissertation fellowships available from Northwestern as well as funding from external foundations and organizations during years 4 and 5. After year 5, students are expected to compete for external funding (e.g., Fulbright IIE, Fulbright-Hays, Social Science Research Council International Dissertation Field Research Fellowship, Charlotte W. Newcombe Doctoral Dissertation Fellowships, Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation Humanities Program, Josephine De Karman Fellowship, AAUW American Fellowships, etc.).

Students needing additional funds to pay for their education may wish to apply for loans. Only U.S. citizens and permanent residents who are enrolled at least half-time are eligible for federal loans. There are alternative loan options for part-time students and for international students.

Application Requirement,

• A. or M.A.(or an international degree equivalent), preferably in Spanish and/or Portuguese
• Preparationin a related discipline, literary tradition, and/or literary theory and criticism desirable
• Fluency in English and in either Spanish or Portuguese (both desirable)
• Applicants must provide unofficial transcripts, detailing all academic work, from each educational institution they have attended. Official transcripts are only required for applicants that have been admitted and have chosen to enroll at Northwestern. If the originals are not in English, a literal English translation must be supplied as well.
• Writing Sample(15-20 pages, may be in English, Spanish, or Portuguese).
• Two recommendationsfrom professors familiar with the student’s academic qualifications.  Letters may be written in English, Spanish or Portuguese.
• Current CV
• Academic statement: write a statement that answers the following questions (1,000 words max):
• What are your academic interests, and why do you wish to pursue graduate studies in this specific program?
• How has your academic and professional background prepared you for graduate study? (Please include any research, training, or educational experiences that align with the program you are applying to.)
• How will our program help you achieve your intellectual and professional goals?
• (For research-focused programs) Please make sure to address any scholarly questions you wish to explore in the program and name any specific faculty members in this program whose research interests align with your own.
• Personal statement:write a statement that addresses the following prompt (500 words max):
• The Graduate School values diverse backgrounds, approaches, and perspectives, understanding them as essential ingredients for true academic excellence. As a Northwestern graduate student, how could you contribute to an intellectual community that prioritizes equity, inclusion, belonging, and cultural humility? Your answer may draw upon past or present experiences, whether in academic work, extracurricular or community activities, or everyday life.
• English Language Proficiency: all applicants must provide proof of English language proficiency.  There are two ways this may be done:
  1. Submit Scores– Provide official IELTS Academic, Michigan English Test or TOEFL iBT test scores.
  2. Request a Waiver – Applicants may request a waiver if they earned an undergraduate or graduate degree from an institution that instructs primarily in English. Documentation may be requested, and waiver approval is at the discretion of your program and The Graduate School.
• Test Score Guidelines: TOEFL(minimum scores: 550 on paper-based test, 213 on computer-based test, or 90 on the internet-based test),  IELTS (minimum score: 7.0), or MET (minimum score: 61). Please note that the GRE is NOT required for admission to this program.

Students admitted to PhD programs will also be required to fulfill The Graduate School’s English proficiency requirement to become eligible for funding as a teaching or graduate assistants.  Please see the Graduate and Teaching Assistantships page for details.

Application Deadline,

Dec 31, 2024

Application Fee,

To apply for admission, the application fee is $95 and is non-refundable.