Distinguished Majors Program Spanish Studies
Please note: Per university policy, "The information contained on this website is for informational purposes only. The Undergraduate Record and Graduate Record represent the official repository for academic program requirements. These publications may be found at http://www.virginia.edu/registrar/."
The Distinguished Major Program (DMP) in Spanish is intended for Spanish majors of exceptional ability and dedication. It enables qualified students to pursue advanced study of Hispanic literature, language, and culture through upper-level coursework and a thesis written in Spanish.
1. Academic Requirements
Distinguished Majors must complete twelve courses after high school:
- Ten courses in the Spanish major (30 credits).
- Two additional DMP courses devoted to thesis research and writing (6 credits).
Course-level requirement. The ten major courses must be at the 3000 level or above. At least three must be 4000-level seminars or, with approval from the DMP Coordinator, 5000-level courses.
Credits that do not count. AP credit does not count toward the twelve-course requirement. SPAN 2020 also does not count toward this requirement.
2. Fourth-Year Course Sequence
|
Semester |
Course |
Credits |
Grading |
Instructor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Fall, fourth year |
SPAN 4980 DMP Colloquium |
3 |
Credit / No Credit |
DMP Advisor or DMP Coordinator |
|
Spring, fourth year |
SPAN 4989 DMP Thesis |
3 |
Graded Option |
Thesis advisor |
Fall Semester: SPAN 4980, DMP Colloquium
In the fall semester of the fourth year, DMP students enroll in SPAN 4980, a three-credit Credit/No Credit course taught by the DMP Advisor or DMP Coordinator. Students meet regularly to:
- Develop the thesis topic and define its scope.
- Discuss research strategies.
- Establish intermediate goals and deadlines.
- Share ideas and progress with other DMP students.
Spring Semester: SPAN 4989, DMP Thesis
In the spring semester of the fourth year, DMP students enroll in SPAN 4989, a three-credit graded course taught by the student’s thesis advisor. Students meet regularly with a faculty advisor and receive individual guidance in:
- Advanced research methods.
- Critical thinking and argument development.
- Thesis organization and revision.
- Effective academic writing in Spanish.
The three credits for SPAN 4989 are awarded upon successful completion of the thesis.
3. Thesis and Final Presentation
The thesis is a year-long research project written in Spanish. At the end of the fourth year, students present their research results in Spanish to faculty, graduate students, fellow DMP students, and invited guests.
4. Benefits of the DMP
The Distinguished Major Program gives students the opportunity to:
- Receive priority enrollment in fourth-year seminars.
- Research a topic of interest in depth over the course of an academic year.
- Work individually with a faculty member.
- Receive guidance in advanced research techniques, critical thinking, and academic writing.
- Exchange ideas and enthusiasm with other exceptional Spanish majors in a regular colloquium.
- Present research results in Spanish at the end of the fourth year.
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Eligibility
Spanish Majors possessing a GPA close to a 3.4 are eligible, but GPA alone will not bring automatic admission. Interest, dedication and past record will be taken into account. The last semester of the fourth year, a 3.4 cumulative GPA in all courses is an unconditional requirement in order to graduate with any level distinction.
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When to Apply
Students should begin planning for a DMP application at the end of the first semester of the third year, as the deadline is March 14, 2026 for 2027 graduates. Please read all material on this page carefully before soliciting advice from a perspective thesis advisor. Admission will be granted by the DMP Coordinator.
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How to Apply
Students must fill out an application form plus secure a written recommendation from a departmental faculty member, and present both to the DMP Coordinator. Application deadline for 2026 graduates: Monday, March 12, 2027. To download the Distinguished Majors Program application, please click here (PDF document).
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Program Requirements
DMP Coursework
Distinguished Major Program students must take at least nine (9) hours of undergraduate seminars in Spanish. A seminar is defined as a student-centered course (i.e., more discussion than lecture) with 25 or fewer students and with a total writing requirement of at least 3,000 words. Please consult the DMP Coordinator to find out which courses qualify.
With the approval of the DMP Coordinator, students may substitute a master’s level linguistics or literature course or a 4000/5000-level culture and civilization course for one of these seminars. These seminars and courses will be included in the 30 credits for the Spanish major.
DMP Thesis
At the end of the second semester of their third year, students will select a thesis topic in coordination with the member of the faculty who will become their thesis advisor. (Students who are studying abroad in the spring semester of the third year should select their thesis topic before the end of the summer before their fourth year.)
In the first semester of their fourth year, students will take Span 4980, “Distinguished Majors Colloquium,” for three credits [credit/no credit], meeting periodically with the DMP Coordinator and other DMPs to develop research strategies and goals. It is expected that significant work on the thesis will be completed in this semester. During their final semester, students will take Span 4989, “Distinguished Major in Spanish Thesis,” for three credits [grade option] and complete work on their thesis. DMPs will present their research at a departmental colloquium in the spring of their final year.
Theses will be read by the thesis director, a second reader, and the DMP Coordinator, who together will decide on levels of distinction. Details about the format of the final project should be discussed with the DMP Coordinator. A bound copy of the thesis will remain on file in the department’s Del Greco Library.
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Levels of Distinction
A departmental committee determines different levels of distinction -- Distinction, High Distinction, and Highest Distinction -- based on the quality of the student’s thesis, the student’s overall work in the major field of study, and the student’s overall college record. Please note that the minimum GPA is a 3.4.
The departmental recommendation for Distinction, High Distinction, and Highest Distinction will be based on:
- The quality of the student’s thesis.
- The student’s overall work in the DMP.
- The student’s overall work in the major field of study.
- The student’s overall college record (minimum GPA of 3.4).
For more information, please contact the DMP Coordinator.
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Past DMP Projects (2006-present)
Distinguished Majors in Spanish 2006-2025
2026
Ariana Byrd, High Distinction: Cosmovisión y salud: la medicina maya hoy
Kylie Holzman, Highest Distinction: El orden detrás del caos: Botánica del caos en traducción
Audrey Lee, Highest Distinction: Traducir la sonrisa, reinventar la sombra: Legados culturales y traducción colaborativa en "La sombra tras la sonrisa"
Christopher Rogers Highest Distinction, Highest Distinction: De Puerto a Puelto y la asimetría en la neutralización de líquidas: un análisis histórico-sociolingüístico de la realización /ɾ/ → [l] en el español de Puerto Rico
Bella Rowan, High Distinction: Herencias coloniales y desigualdad sanitaria: Acceso a la salud indígena en Perú y Bolivia
Tara Sury, Highest Distinction: Che, ¿cómo suena eso? : un estudio sobre la variedad rioplatense en la percepción peninsular
2025
Charlotte Baker:Teoría, cultura y comedia: traduciendo "Antinomia" por Rubén Mosquera
Bliss Bodawala: Arabismos, mestizaje léxico y herencias silenciadas: de la presencia morisca a la influencia gitana en la identidad lingüística de la España moderna
Erin Gaul: El cerebro de la ciudad: poder espacial y memoria cultural en la Alhambra
Helena Harris: Quién, cómo, y por qué: la ética de la traducción un caso práctico: Emilia Pardo Bazán
Moises Luna Tubbs: Fragilidad: símbolos naturales y dualidades en la poesía de Amalia Moreno Restrepo
Cristina Racanelli: La visibilidad del fondo y el cuerpo femenino en la filmografía de Alfonso Cuarón
Madeline Snyder: La química y sociedad nahua: Una aproximación a la historia de la ciencia y farmacología del México precolombino
2024
Asher Friedman-Rosen: "Resistencia compleja: Yana Lema y su poesía"
Analie Grosch: "Por qué la traducción importa en Nada de Carmen Laforet"
Melody Linville: "Found in Translation"
Alyssa Spar: "Feminismo y erotismo: Una exploración de los temas tabú en las obras de Alfonsina Storni"
2023
Mary-Dryden Maio: "La extranjerización el feminismo, y la teoría 'queer', en la traducción de Jardin Transparente de Camila Peña Abril"
2022
Andrew Fansler: "Identidad y visibilidad: el síndrome de Down en el cine español"
Sophia Kirmani: "Síndromes culturales: el papel de la cultura en la configuración de la enfermedad"
Safa Samimi "El bilingüismo y la reducción de los róticos en judeoespañol"
2021
Colin P. Cantwell: "Los cómies como forma representativa del desencanto español entre 1975 y 1981 Reacciones a democratización y la Transición"
Matt F. Pieri: "Identidad, masculinidad, y memoria: el cuerpo queer en la obra de Pedro Almodovar"
2018
Anne Glenney: "Intervenciones estadounidenses en la política de Chile."
Jack Brake: "La convivencia como “receptividad cultural”: Una interpretación de las iglesias visigóticas de Al-Andalus."
2017
Victoria Thomas: “Tipología sociolingüística del español medieval.”
Mitchell Wellman: “Transferencia lingüística en EEUU y Barcelona: interacciones bilingües inglés-español vs. catalán-español.”
2016
Blake Selph: “De nocte a noche: la evolución fonética del latín -CT- y -ULT- al español ch en Iberia.”
William Bravante: “La influencia literaria y política de Nietzsche en España.”
2015
Nicholas Radulescu: “Creando monstruos: traducción y perversión en la obra de Leopoldo María Panero.”
Megan Lubash: “Los efectos de los lazos débiles en las redes sociales de la España medieval: la influencia lingüística de los sefardim.”
Mathilda Shephard: “La televisión iraní en castellano: HispanTV, los 'desheredados' del mundo y la exportación de la revolución a España.”
Yurim Kim: “¿Quién soy yo? La identidad personal en Borges.”
Adam Cohn: “L'estat d'esperit de Catalunya davant la gran gesta madrilenya: El tratamiento de Cataluña en El Mono Azul.”
2014
Rachel Dobbs: “El cine español y la enfermedad: Una manera eficaz para diseminar la información.”
Edy Ndem: “La España trágica de García Lorca.”
Audrey Birner: “Fervor de Buenos Aires: desarrollo metafeorico de la obra de Jorge Luis Borges.”
Mac Wilkerson: “España, la Guerra Civil, Franco y mi familia: una historia personal
Andrea Wen: “Acción Poética: Sin poesía no hay ciudad.”
2012
Logan Cochran: "Schopenhauer, España y existencialismo.”
Ilona De Zamaroczy: “Su Alteza Real: Manifestaciones y manipulaciones de la princesa en el cine y la literatura española.”
Corey Steinhouse: “La innovación y el desarrollo de los tiempo perfectos compuestos en el castellano.”
2011
Marguerite McNeal: “La ley de servicios de comunicación audiovisual: el primer paso hacia la democratización latinoamericana.”
2010
Malerie Ma: “Gustavo Becquer and the Libro de los gorriones.”
Kristina Wolf: “Francisco Franco y su influencia duradera en la práctica del catolicismo en España.”
Julia McLaughlin: “El camino de Santiago: la peregrinación, la communitas, y las identidades españolas.”
Carlos Cueto: “Estudio comparativo de las dos últimas décadas de Francisco Franco y Fidel Castro: ¿una transición en progreso?”
2009
Jennifer Barlow: “La deconstrucción de la masculinidad hegemónica en El celoso extremeño de Cervantes y “Tristana” de Buñuel.”
Kristen C. Holmes: “Dialectos en contacto: la nivelación léxica en la comunidad hispanohablante en Richmond, Virginia.”
2008
Kristy Klare: “Enfrentándose con Richard Rodriguez: Una expresión chicana de la educación bilingüe.”
Allison Martin: “Soldados de Salamina por Javier Cercas: una traducción.”
Teresa Daniels: “Discursos de legitimidad en la literatura indigenista y la política peruana contemporánea.”
Margaret Sessa-Hawkins: “La poesía de Dionisio Ridruejo.”
2006
Andry Gray: “Dialogue and Discipline in Cervantes’s Don Quijote Part I and Avellaneda’s Apochryphal Continuation.”
Kristin Barth: “La retórica de la persecución: ‘Tratado acerca de los moriscos de España’ y ‘La execración de los judíos.’”