PhD in Spanish and Latin American in Cambridge United States | Harvard University

The Spanish and Latin American Literatures Ph.D. Program leverages the expertise of a varied faculty with research spanning Spain and the Americas, covering periods from Medieval multiculturalism to postmodern trends. Our focus areas encompass Renaissance humanism, transatlantic Baroque traditions, 19th-century national identity formation, and modern intersections of culture with politics—including gender and Latino studies. Literary analysis centers on language, with faculty teaching texts primarily in Spanish and Portuguese, while also incorporating other languages (Arabic, Catalan, French, Galician, Hebrew, Mapuche, Quechua, etc.). Doctoral courses feature intimate seminars and discussion groups, some specialized and others offering broad perspectives. RLL graduate students enjoy a dynamic academic environment that fosters innovative, rigorous scholarship, inviting both traditional literary analysis and interdisciplinary exploration across the university. Many students create course clusters within the Department for Romance language comparisons, while others connect with related fields like philosophy, film studies, political science, gender studies, or African and African American Studies.