Ensembles of quantum chaotic systems are expected to exhibit random matrix universality in their energy spectrum. The presence of this universality can be diagnosed by looking for a linear in time 'ramp' in the spectral form factor, but for realistic systems this feature is typically only visible after a sufficiently long time. Given the wide prevalence of this random matrix behavior, it is natural to ask for an effective field theory which predicts the ramp and computes corrections to it arising from physical constraints. I will present such an effective theory based on fluctuating hydrodynamics. The theory can also be adapted to describe the effects of spontaneous symmetry breaking on spectral correlations. [for zoom link please contact jung-wook(dot)kim(at)qmul(dot)ac(dot)uk]