Course details

Summary

In the world today, Spanish speakers are as numerous as native speakers of English. The largest concentrations are in Spain, Central and Latin America, and the USA. In travel, culture, trade, cyberspace and sport, the Spanish language is a major player.

The Hispanic world is unified by its main official language, but it also represents a rich, complex and heterogeneous space with significant ethnic, cultural, linguistic, political and religious practices. Studying Spanish will give you an insight into this mix of old and new traditions which form the tapestry of Hispanic culture. It will also put you in a position to understand and participate in the economic and political transformations that connect even the remotest places in Latin America with our increasingly global environment.

This postgraduate diploma is ideal for graduates wishing to undertake advanced study in a humanities or social science specialisation. Like its sister programme, the Postgraduate Certificate in Arts, the PGDipArts is very flexible; students can choose between a number of course combinations, and it offers a convenient taught pathway to other postgraduate study opportunities.

A graduate with a Postgraduate Diploma in Arts will have an advanced level of knowledge in one discipline or area of specialisation cultivated over a full year of study or equivalent. During this time they will have developed such skills as:

• the ability to analyse and evaluate academic literature in that area
• the ability to synthesize information and communicate their findings in both oral and written form
• self-directed learning and intellectual independence.

Qualification structure and duration

A student must complete at least 120 points from taught courses, as approved by the Head of Department and the Dean of Arts.

Further study

Postgraduate Diploma in Arts graduates are well positioned to continue their studies. Subject to the approval of the Dean of Arts (and provided the courses fall within the time limits for the higher award), a student may transfer PGDipArts courses passed with a B grade or higher to:

the Bachelor of Arts with Honours

the coursework section of a master's degree (there are a number of taught master's operated by the College of Arts).

UC also offers a research-based Master of Arts and the Doctor of Philosophy.

Career opportunities

Spanish graduates find employment in a wide range of careers including teaching, translation, research, journalism, diplomacy and international law. Government and international organisations as well as research institutions welcome such language skills.

Spanish will also benefit students majoring in a science who wish to work or do further studies in Spain, the USA or Latin America.

Entry criteria

Candidates must have qualified for a Bachelor of Arts or an equivalent degree and satisfied the prerequisites for the subject concerned. Prerequisites vary between departments, but normally good grades in 300-level courses in that subject are required.

Other English language requirements: TOEFL PBT with a minimum score of 575 and TWE with a minimum score of 4.5; CCEL EAP Level 2 with a minimum B+ grade; CAE or CPE score of 176 with a minimum of 169 in reading, writing, listening and speaking; Pearson Test of English (Academic) - PTE with an overall score of 64 and no PTE communicative skills score below 58.