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College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Spanish and Portuguese Studies

Information for International Applicants

Requirements for International Students applying to the Spanish Graduate Program (MA or PhD)

For other details on the application process, including deadlines, please see the main Graduate Studies page.

General Requirements

1. A degree in Spanish or a closely related field in the Humanities or Social Sciences, with a GPA of 3.0 or better.

  • Candidates holding a BA (equivalent to a “Licenciatura”) may apply to the MA program only.
  • At the discretion of the Department, candidates with MAs in disciplines other than Spanish may be granted conditional admission to the PhD program.

2. Spanish Proficiency

  • All students must demonstrate oral and written proficiency in Spanish at a level that is commensurate with their intended degree.
  • Class instruction and most assignments (including examinations, thesis and dissertations) are conducted in Spanish.
  • Meeting this requirement is of particular importance for those candidates applying for teaching assistantships.

3. English Proficiency

  • This language requirement also applies to candidates from Puerto Rico. For more information, visit the English proficiency section of the Graduate School’s International Admissions page.
  • Exemptions: International applicants who have been enrolled for one year in a degree-seeking program at an accredited university in the U.S. or a country where English is the official language, are exempt from submitting English proficiency scores. Also, applicants from a number of countries are exempted: for a complete list see the English proficiency section of the Graduate School’s International Admissions page.
  • TOEFL Scores (UF code: 5812). Every international student applying to the Graduate School must demonstrate a good command of academic English by submitting TOEFL scores (Test of English as a Foreign Language). Information about this test is available at http://www.ets.org. Please bear in mind that TOEFL scores submitted to the UF Office of Admissions must be official.
    • Minimum TOEFL scores required: 80 (internet); 213 (computer); 550 (paper).
    • Additionally, international students applying for a teaching assistantship must also demonstrate a good command of spoken English by submitting TOEFL iBT scores (minimum: 23) or by taking the SPEAK test (minimum: 45) at the UF campus before the beginning of classes.
  • IELTS Scores. UF is registered to receive IELTS scores using the IELTS Results Service E-Delivery. Scores should be sent to the University of Florida, which only accepts scores from this E-delivery service. UF does not accept paper Test Report Forms or unofficial copies of IELTS Test Report Forms from students. Applicants should contact the IELTS test center where they took the IELTS to request their official test results be sent to our account name: The University of Florida. An institution code is not required.
    • Minimum IELTS Academic Score required: 6.0.
    • Address associated with IELTS Results service:

The University of Florida
201 Criser Hall
Gainesville, FL 32611
United States 

  • GRE Scores are not required

Application Materials

Applying to the Spanish Graduate Program at the University of Florida is a twofold process that involves both the UF Office of Admissions and the Department of Spanish and Portuguese Studies.

Please download this checklist for your records.

1. Application to the UF Office of Admissions.

Submit your online application to the Office of Admissions. (Review the International section of the page before starting your application.)

Important tips:

  • Make sure you apply to the appropriate degree (MA in Spanish or PhD in Romance Languages – Spanish) and term (fall of the following year).
  • Include information about your intended field of specialization: literature or linguistics.
  • The Graduate School recommends that international applicants submit official transcripts (along with English translations) as part of their application. If you send unofficial documents or photocopies, the review of your application might be delayed.
    • Unofficial diplomas or photocopies (along with English translations) are acceptable at the time of the application, but official documents must be produced upon admission to the program.
  • It is recommended not to exit your application session until all necessary materials have been uploaded.
  • Should you need to mail any hard copies of documents to the Office of Admissions, the address is:
    • 201 Criser Hall, PO Box 114000, Gainesville, FL 32611-4000
  • Upon admission to the program, the UF International Center will contact prospective students in order to make visa arrangements and to gather necessary information for the Certification of Financial Responsibility and Proof of Funds.

For more information on the application process please visit the following webpage:

Materials to be Included with your Online Application

  • A Statement of Purpose in English explaining:
    • The degree (MA or PhD) and field (Spanish or Spanish-American Literature/Culture or Hispanic Linguistics) you are applying to.
    • Your academic and non-academic background, describing how it relates to the intended field of study.
    • Goals for graduate study and your professional future.
    • For PhD applicants, specific topics of interest and likely faculty members who might supervise your work.
    • Any other factor that you consider relevant to your application.
  • A Curriculum Vitae listing degrees received, publications, participation in professional meetings, and any other pertinent information.
  • Official transcripts from each postsecondary institution attended. (Make arrangements to have them sent to the UF Office of Admissions.)
    • Important: If you send unofficial transcripts or photocopies, your application will not be processed.
    • Unofficial diplomas or photocopies can be submitted as a temporary document.
  • English proficiency scores if applicable (see above for requirements). Make arrangements to have them sent to the UF Office of Admissions.
  • Make arrangements for three letters of recommendation to be submitted on your behalf.
    • Letter writers should be faculty members from the last academic institution attended, familiar with your academic work and/or your teaching.
    • As you include the full information of your references in the online application, evaluation forms and letter requests will be generated by the system so that your references can submit their documents confidentially.

2. Materials to be submitted to the SPS Department (via email to grad-coord@spanish.ufl.edu)

  • A sample of academic writing (preferably in Spanish). This may be a term paper or a thesis chapter, and it should be related to the intended field of study.
  • Graduate Fellowship or Assistantship application form (pdf) along with a statement on qualifications, if you want to be considered for either appointment.
  • If Spanish is not your native language: a 5-minute audio recording in mp3 format in which you speak extemporaneously in Spanish–you should not read from a written script. On this recording, you should talk about the following topics:
    • Relevant aspects of your experiences learning Spanish (including any stays in Spanish-speaking countries), if applicable.
    • Your reasons for applying to our program, and your academic goals at UF.
    • Professional goals after obtaining your graduate degree.

Additional Fellowship Opportunities

Women pursuing full-time graduate or postdoctoral study in the United States who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents can apply to the American Association of University Women (AAUW) International Fellowship Program.

For more information, visit AAUW .

Questions? Contact the Graduate Coordinator: grad-coord@spanish.ufl.edu