SPPT Graduate Admissions Rubric 2025-26 Cycle

	A	B	C	D	E
1	SPPT Graduate Admissions Rubric for 2025-26 Cycle		3 points	2 points	1 point
2	Category	Where to find evidence	Fully Meets Requirements for Entrance into the Program	Somewhat Meets Requirements for Entrance into the Program	Does Not Meet Requirements for Entrance into the Program
3	Engagement in research	research statement, letters of recommendation, CV, and writing sample	clearly articulates research interests that the candidate has pursued or plans to pursue in detail (details about research may include theoretical frameworks, engagement with other scholars who have written on the topic, definitions of key words, geographic location(s), relevant dates, or further information about the objects/themes analyzed); and has a writing sample with strong analysis about an engaging topic and an appropriate bibliography or otherwise demonstrates strong research potential	in a somewhat clear and detailed way, candidate explained the research interests they plan to pursue or have pursued, has a writing sample with some good analysis about a somewhat engaging topic with a bibliography or otherwise demonstrates research potential; candidates in this category who are not accepted may be encouraged to reapply	candidate does not sufficiently articulate research interests they have pursued or plan to pursue and has a writing sample with insufficient analysis that does not demonstrate research potential
4	Readiness for the program	research statement, transcript, letters of recommendation, writing sample, and diversity statement	candidate's research interests align with faculty; candidate explicitly states which faculty they want to work with and why, demonstrates knowledge of the University of Minnesota's resources that could benefit them professionally, states their career goals, shows ability to manage a demanding schedule, provides evidence for their ability to and interest in teaching Spanish language courses, provides evidence of their ability to work independently and complete demanding projects, and strong grounding (coursework or other experiences) in the field(s) they propose to study or related fields	candidate has grounding (coursework or other experiences) in the field(s) they propose to study or related fields, candidate explicitly states at least one faculty member they want to work with; showed perseverance	candidate insufficienty demonstrates preparation for PhD coursework and research
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