The scholarly profession has become very competitive in recent years. The Spanish department has created a series of initiatives geared towards facilitating the transition of graduate students to professional life by exposing them to some of the most important skills in a contemporary teacher and researcher.
Professionalization seminar. This seminar seeks to introduce students to the aspects of professional life that are indispensable in order to become a successful member of our profession. You can access a sample syllabus from a previous seminar here. Be aware, however, that the content and format of each seminar vary depending on the faculty member who conducts it.
DECADE is a UCI award that aims to increase the number of minorities and women who receive doctoral degrees in disciplines where they are underrepresented. To accomplish this, the Graduate Division and UCI ADVANCE have partnered to deliver a multifaceted program that involves faculty, students and administration and fosters collaborative efforts between faculty and graduate students in working to improve climate, access and inclusion.
The Department of Spanish and Portuguese has won the Decade Mentor Graduate Diversity Award in each of the last two years (2013-14 and 2014-15). With these funds, the department’s faculty mentors have organized a variety of activities designed to improve professionalization and enhance student diversity through discussion groups and workshops on a variety of topics. The funding has also supported the Diversity Alumni Lecture, in which former alumni are invited to have a conversation about their experiences in academia and also to deliver a talk. Graduate students who participate in professionalization workshops receive a stipend.
For information about DECADE, please check go to: https://inclusion.uci.edu/core-programs/decade/
Pre and post MLA activities. Students going to the job market can benefit from mock interviews. Students who have secured a campus visit are invited to perform a job talk.
Students are encouraged to attend professional conferences in the latter years of their career. The School of Humanities offers travel grants for national and international conferences. Subject to budgetary conditions, the department is often able to supplement stipends for students attending professional conferences.
Latin American Studies Emphasis core course. Organized as a workshop, the LAS Emphasis core course offers all students the chance to participate in a series of workshops in different expository capacities.