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This archived information is dated to the 2008-09 academic year only and may no longer be current.

For currently applicable policies and information, see the current Stanford Bulletin.

Master of Arts in Latin American Studies

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Graduate Programs in Latin American Studies

The Master of Arts in Latin American Studies is an interdisciplinary program. The curriculum consists of a core set of courses surveying the history, politics, society, and culture of the region, advanced language training, and in-depth course work. In consultation with a faculty adviser, students select a course of study suited to their individual interests.

JOINT DEGREE PROGRAM IN LATIN AMERICAN STUDIES AND LAW

This joint degree program grants an M.A. degree in Latin American Studies and a Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D.) degree. It is designed to train students interested in a career in teaching, research, or the practice of law related to Latin American legal affairs. Students must apply separately to the Latin American Studies M.A. program and to the Stanford School of Law and be accepted by both. Enrollment in the JDP allows students to pursue an M.A. degree concurrently with the law degree and to count a defined number of units toward both degrees. Completing this combined course of study requires approximately four academic years, depending on the student's background and level of language training. Up to 11.25 quarter units of Law School courses with Latin American Studies content may be counted toward the M.A. degree. For more information, see the "Joint Degree Programs" section of this bulletin and consult with the program offices for the two programs.

DUAL MASTER'S DEGREE WITH MEDICINE AND BUSINESS

These dual degree programs grant an M.A. degree in Latin American Studies and a Master of Business Administration degree or a Medical Doctor degree. Students must apply separately to the Latin American Studies M.A. program and the Graduate School of Business or School of Medicine and be accepted by both.

DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

University requirements for the master's degree are described in the "Graduate Degrees" section of this bulletin.

A description of the M.A. program is also available online at http://www.stanford.edu/group/las/programs/MA.html.

The program requires completion of a minimum of 45 graduate units. Upon entering, each student is assigned a faculty adviser who works with the student to develop a customized program of study.

To receive the M.A. in Latin American Studies, students must complete the following:

  1. Core courses (15 units): one core five-unit course in each of three fields of specialization:
    1. Culture and Society (CulSoc)—LATINAM 201/301, Social Change in Latin America Since 1900
    2. Environment and Ecology (Eco)—ANTHRO 162/262, Indigenous Peoples and Environmental Problems
    3. Political Economy (PolEcon)—POLISCI 248S, Latin American Politics.

      These fields (CulSoc, Eco, and PolEcon) are not declared on Axess; they do not appear on the transcript or the diploma.

  2. Cognate courses (15 units): three courses, one from each of the three fields of specialization listed in '1' above. See "Latin American Studies Cognate Courses" following. See http://www.stanford.edu/group/las/programs/MA_cognate_curriculum.html for more information.
  3. Elective courses (10-15 units): three elective courses in one of the three fields of specialization (see '1' above) from across the University's offerings.
  4. Language requirement: at least 3 units of course work on a second Latin American language. Students must take either an advanced third-year language course if they have both Spanish and Portuguese, or take a basic course in the language in which they do not possess competence.
  5. Seminar requirement: enroll each quarter in LATINAM 200, a 1-unit seminar on Contemporary Issues in Latin American Studies, where guest scholars present analyses of major Latin American themes and topics.
  6. Thesis option: students may elect to write a master's thesis; they may register for LATINAM 398 for up to 10 units of thesis research under the guidance of an Academic Council faculty member. Thesis units may be counted toward the elective field unit requirements.
  7. Grade requirements: courses to be counted toward the degree, except LATINAM 200, must be taken for a letter grade and receive a grade of 'B' or higher.

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