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Spanish Language and Latin-American Studies, Master's, 2 years

Spanish Language and Latin American studies will teach you the Spanish Language, but it also seeks to provide you with a better understanding of the historical processes that led to the huge differences we can see between rich and poor in Latin America today. 
  • TuitionFor non eu/eea citizens
  • Years2 Years
  • Grade requirementsMinimum C
  • LanguageEnglish, Spanish
  • ECTS120
  • StartAutumn

Main content

Close to five hundred million people have Spanish as their native language. It is the second-most spoken language in the world and the third most used language on the internet. Norway also has strong ties and interests in Latin America both through investments but also by working towards democratization and Human rights. 

Important issues we examine are:  

  • How can historical processes explain the enormous differences between the poor and the rich in Latin America today?  
  • In which way does the literature represent a fusion of the rich diversity of cultures and ethnic groups on the continent?  
  • How does the Spanish language develop in an increasingly globalised world? 

As a master’s student at the Department of Foreign Languages, you will be welcomed in an international and vibrant environment. 

More information below

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Career 

The master’s degree in Spanish and Latin American Studies will qualify you for work in both public and private sector.  

Our graduates work in translation, export industry, public administration, humanitarian organisations and teaching - both abroad and in Norway. 

72 % of alumni with a master’s degree from the Faculty of Humanities say that they have found relevant work within two years of graduating.   

A master’s degree is a qualification for continued research, for instance by pursuing a PhD.  

Structure

The programme covers two academic years (four semesters) and starts in the autumn.  

In your first and second semester, you follow courses worth a total of 60 ECTS in 

  • Linguistics  
  • Literary theory and methodology  
  • Theory and methodology in Latin American history  
  • Project design 
  • Specialisation  

In your third and fourth semester, you write your master’s thesis (worth 60 ECTS). 

Full list of courses in this study programme ( lenke til side med alle tilhørende kurs) 

See full list of courses

Student life

The Department of foreign languages is situated in the Humanities building in the University’s city centre campus. Here, you will work side by side with master’s students of nine different languages.  

All master’s students get their own desk in our reading rooms, so you will be integrated in an active environment with students and staff members from all over the world. The relationship between students and staff is informal, and the atmosphere is friendly.  

If you are interested in having a say in the development of this study programme, you can represent the students by acting as a student representative in the programme committee of Spanish and Latin American studies, or you can arrange social and academic gatherings as part of the student council for Spanish. 

Teaching

The teaching is done via seminars and lectures, sometimes movie screenings. We strongly recommend that you attend the lectures, usually three per week.  

You must be able to work independently, as this study programme also requires quite a lot of reading, research and academic writing. But remember that you will always have your fellow students and your supervisor and other staff to talk to when you feel stuck or need input. 

The programme consists of five course modules pertaining to one of the following fields:  

  • language 
  • literature 
  • cultural studies 

There are no elective courses in the programme. It is however possible to go on an exchange and find courses abroad which can replace the courses offered at UiB. 

Master thesis

You will spend the second year of the programme writing your master’s thesis (worth 60 ECTS). You will receive individual guidance during the research and writing process. 

The thesis is an individual research project on a subject of your own choice taken from one of the three main disciplines in the course:  

  • Spanish linguistics 
  • Latin American literature  
  • Latin American history and cultural knowledge 

The thesis must be written in Spanish and must be between 70 and 100 pages.   

What you will learn

The Master's Programme in Spanish Language and Latin American studies is a course that deals with a geographical area in addition to being a traditional language course. The focus is on Latin America, and cultural knowledge is an important part of the research that takes place at the department, in addition to language and literature. Good writing skills are also a trademark of our students. 

  • You will learn about Spanish linguistics and Latin-American literature, history and culture.  
  • You will develop your linguistic and analytical competence and abilities to handle inquiries and research work. 
  • You will have the ability to think critically and independently.  
  • You will develop your cultural competences and be good at handling and structuring information.  

Full list of learning outcomes.

Study period abroad 

You can spend your second semester as an exchange student at one of our partner universities in Mexico, Cuba, Peru, Argentina, Spain or Chile. 

Many of our students also go on a fieldtrip for a couple of months while working on their thesis. 

See list of recommended exchange agreements

How to apply

Follow these links to find the general entry requirements and guidelines on how to apply:

You will also have to meet the programme specific entry requirements.

All applicants with citizenship from outside EU/EEA must pay tuition fees.