Latin American Studies

http://clas.stanford.edu

Courses offered by the Interdisciplinary Program in Latin American Studies are listed under the subject code LATINAM on the Stanford Bulletin's ExploreCourses web site.

The Center for Latin American Studies (CLAS) supports research and teaching in all fields of study as they relate to Latin America. Academic programs encourage interdisciplinary approaches and draw on the expertise of nearly sixty active affiliated faculty members representing Stanford's various schools and departments. Stanford University Libraries' substantial Latin American collections are valuable resources for students, faculty, and visiting researchers alike. Each year CLAS hosts a number of Tinker Visiting Professors, highly distinguished Latin American and Iberian scholars who come to Stanford to teach a course in their field of specialization. The Center for Latin American Studies maintains a highly active public events calendar and provides funding to students and faculty for a variety of research, teaching, internship, and conference activities. The Center is a U.S. Department of Education Title VI National Resource Center for Latin America.

The program offers two academic programs in Latin American Studies: an undergraduate minor and a master of arts degree.

Undergraduate Programs in Latin American Studies

Stanford Global Studies offers a minor with a Latin American Studies Specialization. Although there is no undergraduate major in Latin American Studies, students may concentrate on Latin America through other departmental and interdisciplinary degree programs, such as Anthropology, History, Political Science, Iberian and Latin American Cultures, or International Relations. Interested students should consult the relevant departmental web sites and sections of this bulletin for further information.

Undergraduates can obtain a coterminal M.A. degree in Latin American Studies while concurrently working on their undergraduate major by applying during the regular admissions cycle no later than their senior year.

Financial Aid

Each summer, CLAS awards grants to a small number of undergraduates to complete internships in Latin America. Applications include a proposal, academic transcript, and letters of recommendation. Students from any department are eligible to apply. See Funding section in the Center for Latin American Studies website.

Students in undergraduate programs who plan to enroll in Portuguese, Quechua, or Nahuatl language and area or international studies courses may be eligible for Academic Year and Summer Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) fellowships. Recipients of FLAS fellowships must be American citizens or permanent residents. For detailed program information and eligibility, see the Center for Latin American Studies website.

Graduate Programs in Latin American Studies

The one-year master's program in Latin American Studies is designed for students who have experience working, living, or studying in Latin America or Iberia and little prior course work on Latin America.

Stanford University does not offer a Ph.D. program in Latin American Studies; however, doctoral candidates may concentrate on Latin America through other departmental programs, such as Anthropology, History, Political Science, or Iberian and Latin American Cultures. Interested applicants should consult the relevant departmental web sites and sections of this bulletin for admissions information and further details.

Learning Outcomes (Graduate)

The purpose of the master's program is to further develop knowledge and skills in Latin American Studies and to prepare students for a professional career or doctoral studies. This is achieved through completion of courses, in the primary field as well as related areas, and experience with independent work and specialization.

Admission

The application deadline for the 2018-19 academic year is December 5, 2017. Applicants submit an online application, including a 500-word statement of purpose, resumé, 10-15 page double-spaced academic writing sample, and three letters of recommendation. In addition, all applicants must submit official transcripts and GRE general test scores. TOEFL scores are required of applicants whose first language is not English or who did not earn a degree from an undergraduate institution where English is the primary language of instruction. For information on university graduate admissions and to access the online application, visit the Office of Graduate Admissions website.

Applicants must meet the University admission requirements, have a working knowledge of Spanish or Portuguese at the university third-year level or higher, and have experience working, living, or studying in Latin America or Iberia prior to admission.

CLAS takes a broad approach to evaluating applications for admission. As important as GRE scores and grades are the applicant's essay, letters of recommendation, academic writing sample, and the experiences and goals conveyed through the personal statement and resume.

Students interested in pursuing the joint degree program in Latin American Studies and Law (J.D.) or a dual degree in Latin American Studies and Business (M.B.A.) or Medicine (M.D.) must apply to each program separately and be accepted by both. Details about the joint and dual degree programs can be found in the "Master's" tab in this section.

Financial Aid

The Center for Latin American Studies provides several graduate fellowships as well as limited course assistantships with the Tinker Visiting Professors each quarter. US and international MA in Latin American Studies applicants are encouraged to apply. See Funding section in the Center for Latin American Studies website.

MA in Latin American Studies applicants  who plan to enroll in Portuguese, Quechua, or Nahuatl language and area or international studies courses may be eligible for Academic Year and Summer Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) fellowships, sponsored by the US Department of Education. Recipients of FLAS fellowships must be American citizens or permanent residents. Applicants to the M.A. program who can demonstrate financial need have priority in the FLAS fellowship competition; in recent years CLAS has also awarded FLAS fellowships to students enrolled in the Professional Schools. For detailed program information and eligibility, see Funding section in the Center for Latin American Studies website.

CLAS awards Working Group grants to graduate students across the University who wish to organize events such as lectures, speaker series, symposia, exchange of working papers, and collaborative research efforts. For detailed program information and eligibility, see Funding section in the Center for Latin American Studies website.

CLAS has a limited number of travel awards for graduate students to conduct field research work in Latin America or to present their Latin American related research in a conference. Please see Funding section in the Center for Latin American Studies website

The Knight-Hennessy Scholars program awards full funding to pursue a graduate education at Stanford to students from all disciplines, with additional opportunities for leadership training and collaboration across fields.

Apply to Knight-Hennessy Scholars by September 27, 2017, and to the Latin American Studies MA Program by November 15, 2017.

Minor in Global Studies with Latin American Studies Specialization

The minor in Global Studies, Latin American Studies (LAS) specialization, consists of a core set of courses surveying the history, politics, society, ecology, and culture of the Latin American region; advanced language training; and in-depth course work.

Students from any major interested in applying for admission to the minor in Global Studies, Latin American Studies (LAS) specialization, should consult Stanford Global Studies and the Center for Latin American Studies (CLAS). Students who wish to complete the minor must declare online (through Axess) and submit a proposal of course work no later than the second quarter of the junior year. The minor must be completed by the second quarter of the senior year. Units taken for a student's major cannot be double-counted towards the minor.

Students consult with their minor adviser to develop individual programs. The minor is especially well-suited for undergraduates who plan to make service, research, or study abroad in Latin America a part of their Stanford experience.

The Global Studies Minor with Specialization in Latin American Studies is open to students in any major.

Upon completion of all requirements, final certification of the minor is made by the Center for Latin American Studies subcommittee on undergraduate programs. The minor and the specialization appear on the transcript but they do not appear on the diploma.

Declaring the Global Studies Minor with Latin American Studies Specialization

To declare the Global Studies minor with Latin American Studies specialization, students must:

1. Set up an appointment with the CLAS associate director to discuss your academic plan. 
2. Declare the Global Studies minor in Axess.
3. Complete the Declaration or Change of Undergraduate Major, Minor, Honors, or Degree Program form in order to declare the Latin American Studies specialization. Submit the form to the minor adviser Elizabeth Saenz-Ackermann in Bolivar House, 582 Alvarado Row.

Requirements

1. Students may not double-count courses for completing major and minor requirements. Completion of 28 units as follows: 
   1. GLOBAL 101 Critical Issues in Global Affairs (3 units)
   2. A 5-unit course surveying Latin America, either ILAC 131 Introduction to Latin America: Cultural Perspectives or an approved substitute.  For further information contact a CLAS undergraduate adviser at latinamerica@stanford.edu.
   3. 20 additional units in courses which together comprise a coherent focus on a theoretical problem or issue of the region, such as but not limited to
      1. culture and identity
      2. political economy
      3. sustainable development.
   4. At least 15 of the 28 units must be completed at Stanford. 
   5. All courses to be counted toward the minor must be taken for a letter grade.
2. Foreign Language Requirement. The minimum requirement for completion of the minor in Global Studies with Latin American Studies Specialization is advanced proficiency in Spanish or Portuguese by one of the following:
   1. Completion of seven quarters of college-level study of Spanish or Portuguese.
   2. Completion of a course taught in Spanish or Portuguese at the 100-level or higher, with a letter grade of 'B' or higher. This may be a course on Spanish or Portuguese language or literature, or some other subject.
   3. Achievement of the advanced proficiency level on the ACTFL scale in a test administered by the Stanford Language Center. Contact the Stanford Language Center for test dates and procedures.
3. Recommended: experience in Latin America such as study abroad, field research, or an internship.
   • Students might present their work in an end-of-year capstone seminar with other SGS minors and led by SGS faculty.

Course List

For a representative, rather than comprehensive, list of courses that count towards the minor, see the Related Courses tab in this section of the Bulletin. Other courses may also fulfill the requirements; students should consult their Latin American Studies minor adviser concerning which courses might fulfill minor requirements.

Master of Arts 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, ecology, and culture of the Latin American 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.

Coterminal Master's Degrees in Latin American Studies

Undergraduates at Stanford may apply for admission to the coterminal master's program in Latin American Studies when they have earned a minimum of 120 units toward graduation, including advanced placement and transfer credit, and no later than the quarter prior to the expected completion of their undergraduate degree. The application deadline for the 2018-19 academic year is December 5, 2017. Prospective students who are applying to the Knight-Hennessy Scholars program must apply to the scholars program by September 27, 2017, and to the Latin American Studies MA Program by November 15, 2017.

Coterminal applicants must submit:

• the Coterminal Online Application
• a 500-word statement of purpose
• a resumé
• a 10-15 page double-spaced academic writing sample
• three letters of recommendation
• a Stanford transcript
• GRE general test scores

Coterminal applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5 and a working knowledge of Spanish or Portuguese at a university third-year level or higher.

University Coterminal Requirements

Coterminal master’s degree candidates are expected to complete all master’s degree requirements as described in this bulletin. University requirements for the coterminal master’s degree are described in the “Coterminal Master’s Program” section. University requirements for the master’s degree are described in the "Graduate Degrees" section of this bulletin.

After accepting admission to this coterminal master’s degree program, students may request transfer of courses from the undergraduate to the graduate career to satisfy requirements for the master’s degree. Transfer of courses to the graduate career requires review and approval of both the undergraduate and graduate programs on a case by case basis.

In this master’s program, courses taken three quarters prior to the first graduate quarter, or later, are eligible for consideration for transfer to the graduate career. No courses taken prior to the first quarter of the sophomore year may be used to meet master’s degree requirements.

Course transfers are not possible after the bachelor’s degree has been conferred.

The University requires that the graduate adviser be assigned in the student’s first graduate quarter even though the undergraduate career may still be open. The University also requires that the Master’s Degree Program Proposal be completed by the student and approved by the department by the end of the student’s first graduate quarter.

Degree Requirements

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

The program requires completion of a minimum of 45 graduate units. Each student is assigned a faculty adviser who works with the student to develop a customized program of study. All courses for the M.A. degree must be at the 100-level or higher, with at least half being at the 200-level or higher.

Candidates to the M.A. in Latin American Studies must complete the following:

1. Core courses (15 units): one core 5-unit course in each of three fields of specialization: Culture and Society; Political Economy; and Environment, Ecology, and Sustainability. See above for courses offered this year.
2. Related courses (15 units): three courses (5 units each) from the fields of specialization listed in '1' above. For approved courses, see the "Related Courses" tab in this section.
3. Elective courses (10-15 units): three elective courses (3-5 units each) from across the University's offerings, selected with guidance and approval from the faculty adviser.
4. Language requirement: at least 3 units of course work on a second Latin American language. Students proficient in both Spanish and Portuguese might take either an advanced fourth-year language course in either Spanish or Portuguese or a first-year indigenous language of Latin America (i.e. Quechua or Nahuatl); students proficient in only Spanish or only Portuguese must take a basic course a second Latin American spoken language in which they are not already proficient. Up to 6 units of foreign language coursework may be applied toward the M.A. degree. All foreign language coursework must be taken at the 100-level or higher. English as a Foreign Language (EFS) courses do not count towards the language requirement, nor towards the total amount of required units.
5. Seminar requirement: 3 units (1 per quarter) of LATINAM 200 Seminar on Contemporary Issues in Latin American Studies.
6. Final Research Paper or Thesis: students may elect to write a master's level research paper or a thesis;  for the latter they may register for LATINAM 398 Master's Thesis 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 (requirement number 3, above).
7. Grade requirements: All courses to be counted toward the M.A. must be taken for a letter grade and earn a 'B-' or better. M.A. candidates must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher. The only exceptions are LATINAM 200, Law School Courses, and courses in the Graduate School of Business (GSB).

Joint Degree Program in Latin American Studies and Law

The joint degree program in Latin American Studies and Law allows students to pursue the M.A. degree in Latin American Studies concurrently with the Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D.) degree, with a significant number of courses that may apply to both degrees. 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. Completing this combined course of study requires approximately four academic years, depending on the student's background and level of language training. 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 or Business

Stanford offers dual degree programs that 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 and be accepted by both the Latin American Studies M.A. program and the Graduate School of Business or School of Medicine.

For further information, contact a CLAS adviser at latinamerica@stanford.edu

Director of the Center: Alberto Díaz-Cayeros

Associate Director: Elizabeth Sáenz-Ackermann

Tinker Visiting Professors:  Carlos Eduardo Areces (Spring), Rodrigo Cádiz (Spring), Florencia Garramuño (Winter), Claudia Leal (Winter, Autumn), Carlos Pereira (Fall), Enrique Seira (Spring).

Affiliated Faculty and Staff:

Anthropology: George Collier (emeritus), Lisa Curran, Carolyn Duffey, William Durham, James Fox, Angela Garcia, John Rick

Art and Art History: Enrique Chagoya

Biology: Gretchen Daily, Rodolfo Dirzo, Judith Frydman, Harold Mooney (emeritus), Peter Vitousek, Virginia Walbot

BOSP Santiago: Ivan Jaksic

Business, Graduate School of: Saumitra Jha, Ken Shotts

Carnegie Institution for Science: Gregory Asner

Comparative Literature: Roland Greene, Hans Ulrich Gumbrecht, José David Saldívar, Ramón Saldívar (also English)

Earth Sciences, School of: Rob Dunbar, Pamela Matson

Economics: Roger Noll (emeritus), Frank Wolak

Education, Graduate School of: Paulo Blikstein, Martin Carnoy, Amado Padilla, Guadalupe Valdés

Engineering, School of: Jenna Davis, Héctor García-Molina, Leonard Ortolano

English: Paula Moya, Ramón Saldívar (also Comparative Literature)

Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies: Francis Fukuyama, Rosamond Naylor

History: Zephyr Frank, Ana Raquel Minian Andjel, Mikael Wolfe

Hoover Institute: Herbert Klein

Human Biology: Anne Firth Murray

Iberian and Latin American Cultures: Héctor Hoyos, Marília Librandi Rocha, Michael Predmore, Joan Ramon Resina, Jorge Ruffinelli, Lisa Surwillo, Yvonne Yarbro-Bejarano

Language Center: Alice Miano, Marisol Necochea, Ana Sierra, Agripino Silveira, Lyris Wiedemann

Law, School of: James Cavallaro, Jonathan Greenberg, Thomas Heller (emeritus)

Linguistics: John Rickford

Medicine, School of: Jason Andrews, Michele Barry, Gabriel Garcia, Grant Miller, Paul Wise

Political Science: Bruce Cain, Alberto Díaz-Cayeros, Stephen Haber, Terry Karl (emerita), Beatriz Magaloni, Robert Packenham (emeritus), Michael Tomz

Religious Studies: Thomas Sheehan

Sociology: David Grusky, Tomás Jiménez, Michael Rosenfeld, Florencia Torché

Stanford University Libraries: Adán Griego, Vanessa Kam, Sergio Stone, Robert Trujillo

Latin American Studies Related Courses

The following courses may be used to satisfy requirements for the M.A in Latin American Studies or minor in Stanford Global Studies, Latin American Studies specialization. Consult the Stanford Bulletin's ExploreCourses web site for full course descriptions and class schedules. 

Not all of these courses are offered every year.

When selecting courses from this list, note the following:

1. Overseas Studies courses, denoted by the subject code OSPSANTG, apply only to the undergraduate minor program and are not options for M.A. students.
2. Courses with numbers ending in the letter N or Q are Introductory Seminars for undergraduates and are not options for M.A. students. Courses ending in N give preference to freshmen; courses ending in Q give preference to sophomores.
3. All courses to be counted toward the master's must be taken at the 100-level or higher.
4. All courses to be counted toward the master's must be taken for a letter grade.
5. For the M.A. degree, related courses must be taken for 5 units each. M.A. elective courses may be taken for 3-5 units each.
6. Some courses have prerequisites or special enrollment requirements. Students are responsible for making sure they have completed any prerequisites and/or secured an instructor's permission, as needed.

Culture and Society

Courses related to the Culture and Society field of specialization include:

Environment, Ecology, and Sustainability

Courses related to the Environment, Ecology, and Sustainability field of specialization include:

Political Economy

Courses related to the Political Economy field of specialization include:

Overseas Studies Courses in Latin American Studies

The Bing Overseas Studies Program manages Stanford study abroad programs for Stanford undergraduates. Students should consult their department or program's student services office for applicability of Overseas Studies courses to a major or minor program.

The Bing Overseas Studies course search site displays courses, locations, and quarters relevant to specific majors.

For course descriptions and additional offerings, see the listings in the Stanford Bulletin's ExploreCourses or Bing Overseas Studies.