The University of Pittsburgh's graduate program in Hispanic Languages and Literatures is one of the top graduate programs in Latin American literature and cultural studies in the United States. The Department's Latin American specialization has existed for more than 25 years and offers a five-year Doctor of Philosophy with an en route Master of Arts degree. Each year, the program consistently attracts a diverse, international, and highly competitive applicant pool.
Students admitted to the program benefit from a multi-layered, team-based advising system that secures a rich and meaningful graduate experience while at the same time encouraging the development of their own research interests. We support related work in other Pitt programs, centers, and departments. These include the Center for Latin American Studies, the Global Studies Center, the Humanities Center, and Pitt programs in Cultural Studies; Film Studies; Gender, Sexuality, & Women's Studies; Hispanic Linguistics; and West European Studies.
Our Eduardo Lozano Latin American Collection, a robust library collection devoted to Latin America and internationally known as one of the world’s major centers for teaching and research on Latin America, provides our Ph.D students with a unique environment to conduct independent and innovative research. In addition, the presence at Pitt of the Revista Iberoamericana, the Borges Center, the Bolivian Studies Journal, LASA, and a strong Center for Latin American Studies, contribute to enhance the graduate student experience and the training of future generations of Latin Americanists.
The breadth of fields covered by our faculty span a vast array of topics, genres, regions, approaches, and historical periods. The department’s strengths are in the areas of Latin American literature and cultural theory, with special depth in race, ethnicity, gender, post-colonial studies, performance studies, transpacific/transatlantic studies, feminism, film, and genetic criticism. Additionally, our teaching and research interests cover select aspects of the literature and cultural production of the Iberian Peninsula, and of the former colonies of Spain and Portugal in Africa. The department has become noted in recent years for its international conferences, symposia, and workshops, which promote discussion of issues and questions involving cultural diversity, cross-disciplinary encounters, and critical thinking as a basis for research.
Admissions
Thank you for your interest in our graduate program. Please note that students pursuing a Ph.D. must have earned a BA, MA or equivalent degree in Latin American literatures, cultural studies, or Latin American-focused major or MA specialization. The following links will guide you through a step by step approach to how to apply, fellowships and teaching assistantships, and grant opportunities.
If you are ready to start the application process, please click here.
PhD Degree
The University of Pittsburgh's Department of Hispanic Languages & Literatures has a distinctive record of placing PhD Degree graduates in U.S. and Latin American colleges or research universities.
Graduate Courses
HLL Department graduate courses can range from literature to teaching to seminars to Don Quixote, all of which can fulfill MA and PhD degree program requirements.
National Grad Student Conference
Each October, the HLL Department plans and hosts a graduate student conference that attracts participants from throughout the United States.