Master of Arts Program in Latin American and Caribbean Studies

Degree Requirements: Eight courses (32 points) are required for this degree. The student must receive grades of B or better in courses totaling at least 20 points and must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better. The student must take two core, integrating courses, LATC-GA 1001 and LATC-GA 2001 (8 points total), offered by the Center each fall and spring, respectively. Four courses (16 points) are taken in a particular field designed to prepare students for interdisciplinary research. These fields refer neither to a region or discipline, but to a broad set of thematic concerns grouped together under rubrics such as development; social movements; democratic transitions; inter-American relations; violence and conflict resolution; gender and sexuality; immigration; ethnic studies; tourism; sports; and arts, museum, media, culture industry, and cultural policy studies. Students may also elect a specialization in business by enrolling in courses offered through the Langone Program at the Leonard N. Stern School of Business. (Students should contact Stern and CLACS for more information.) The remaining two courses (8 points) are distributive or elective, taken outside of the specialization. These may include courses in other departments of the Graduate School of Arts and Science that are related to Latin American and Caribbean studies and, on occasion, graduate courses offered by other schools that pertain directly to the student’s educational and career goals, and that are unavailable through GSAS, all subject to the director’s approval.

Another requirement for the Master of Arts degree is the completion of a major project. An expanded and revised research paper in the student’s area of specialization or in an integrating course may satisfy this requirement. Students must complete the degree within five years.

Language competency in Spanish, French, Portuguese, or Quechua must be proven through either the Foreign Language Proficiency Exam or course work.

The M.A. degree in Latin American and Caribbean studies with a concentration in museum studies is awarded after satisfactory completion of 36 points (20 in CLACS including the two required courses and 16 in museum studies), a major project, and a full summer internship in a museum or cultural institution. This concentration is aimed primarily at those who are or will be museum professionals in Latin America and the Caribbean or are specializing in collections from these areas in U.S. museums. The concentration provides professional skills and internship opportunities in museum studies, as well as substantive academic knowledge of Latin America and the Caribbean. Students who wish to pursue an Advanced Certificate in Museum Studies alongside the M.A. in Latin American Studies should consult that department’s section for more information and requirements.