西班牙语的博士课程具有面向论文的设计，其依据是以下原则：博士学位不是满足一系列要求，而是成功撰写和辩护有助于研究领域的相关论文，并将博士学位放在首位。该领域和学术工作市场的候选人。在ND居住的头两年，学生将参加一系列针对性的研讨会，如果没有在第五学期之前，他们将开始撰写论文。
The PhD in Spanish is a highly selective program that teaches and trains students working in the field of Spanish and Latin American Literatures and Cultures. The program offers a flexible curriculum tailored to each student's interests and background and has a dissertation-oriented design that leads to the successful writing and defense of a relevant dissertation that contributes to the candidate's area of study and that successfully places the candidate in the field and in the academic job market. Students take a set of focused seminars during the first two years of residence at ND and start working on a dissertation by the fifth semester if not before.