Overview

The graduate program in Hispanic languages and literatures at the University of Pittsburgh offers a five-year Doctor of Philosophy with an en route Master of Arts degree and a terminal Master of Arts degree. All graduate students specialize in Latin American literature and elect a minor field in Peninsular or Brazilian literature or cultural studies.

We encourage interdisciplinary perspectives; many students supplement their HLL studies in Hispanic languages and literatures by pursuing related work in other Pitt programs and departments. These include the Center for Latin American Studies and Pitt programs in Cultural Studies, Women's Studies, Film Studies, West European Studies and Hispanic Linguistics.

Faculty interests and areas of specialization span a range of topics: as noted, collectively the department’s strengths are in the areas of Latin American literature, cultural theory, and cultural studies, with special depth in race, ethnicity, and post-colonial studies. The department has become noted in recent years for its international conferences on Latin American cultural studies, which have brought to the campus some of the most prominent figures in this emerging interdisciplinary field.