Latin-American Studies, M.A.

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The master’s degree in Latin American Studies is an interdisciplinary program that highlights the histories, econ-omies, politics, societies, and cultural diversity of Latin America as well as its relations to other parts of the world and to Latin American populations in diaspora. The program allows students to tailor their studies to their interests and professional needs, and provides training in research skills and opportunities to work with community organizations. The degree affords students a wide range of career opportunities in the U.S. and abroad, including in policy-making and advocacy, the nonprofit sector, research, teaching in community colleges, or pursuing Ph.D. study.

Admission to the MA Program

Applicants must complete the application process for both the university and the program. Visit https://www2.calstate.edu/apply for admission requirements and materials for the university. Applicants must adhere to all deadlines for the application to the university and submit one copy of official transcripts to the university ad-missions office. Contact the Latin American Studies Program for program application materials or go to: http://www.calstatela.edu/academic/las/applicationinformation.php for more information. All applications to the department must include: program application form, statement of purpose (1-2 pages), two letters of recommendation, and unofficial transcripts.

Master of Arts Program Requirements

A minimum of 15 semester units in upper division Latin American content courses is prerequisite to the pro-gram; LAS 4970 and LAS 4971 are corequisites for students who do not have a BA in Latin American Studies. Students who have not met these requirements through courses taken as an undergraduate must take courses in post baccalaureate standing as corequisites to program requirements.

Requirements for the Degree (minimum 30 units)

A minimum of 30 units is required for students taking the comprehensive exam and completing the thesis with at least 18 in 5000-level courses. Courses may be chosen from a wide range of disciplines in consultation with the adviser. Students have the option of passing a comprehensive examination or writing a thesis as the final phase culminating experience of the degree program.

Required Core Courses (18 units)

Latin American Studies Seminars (6 units)

Research Methods (3 units)

Select one course from the following:

Seminars on Latin America (9 units)

Select 3 seminars from at least two different disciplines:

Electives in Latin American Studies (3 units)

LAS 4080 - The Central American Experience in the US (3) also listed as
CLS 4080 - The Central American Experience in the US (3)
LAS 4250 - Latin American Responses to Imperialism and Globalization (3)
CLS 4280 - Migration, Identity, and Religion (3) also listed as
LAS 4280 - Migration, Identity, and Religion (3) and
RELS 4230 - Migration, Identity, and Religion (3)
LAS 4300 - Cuba and the World (3)
LAS 4350 - Philosophy and Praxis of Liberation in Latin America (3)
LAS 4400 - Indigenous Movements in Latin America (3)
LAS 4490 - Anthropology of Race and Racism (3) also listed as
AAAS 4491 - Anthropology of Race and Racism (3) and
ANTH 4490 - Anthropology of Race and Racism (3) and
CLS 4490 - Anthropology of Race and Racism (3)
LAS 4500 - Special Studies in Latin American Studies (1-3)
LAS 4600 - Food Justice in Latin America (3)
LAS 4650 - Gender, Sexuality, and Transnational Migration (3) also listed as
WGSS 4650 - Gender, Sexuality, and Transnational Migration (3)
LAS 4700 - Labor and Social Movements in the Americas (3)
LAS 4800 - Afro-Latin America (3) also listed as
PAS 4800 - Afro-Latin America; Afro-Latin America (3)
LAS 4820 - Latin American Women’s Movements (3) also listed as
WGSS 4820 - Latin American Women’s Movements (3)
LAS 4850 - Anti-colonial Movements (3) also listed as
AAAS 4850 - Anti-colonial Movements (3) and
PAS 4850 - Anti-colonial Movements (3)
LAS 5980 - Graduate Directed Study (1-3)

Electives (6-9 units)

Students completing the thesis or project will take a minimum of 6 units of electives; students completing the comprehensive examination will take a minimum of 9 units of electives. Electives may be chosen from the following 4000-level and 5000 level courses.

AAAS 4080 - Comparative Diaspora Studies (3)
AAAS 4491 - Anthropology of Race and Racism (3) also listed as
ANTH 4490 - Anthropology of Race and Racism (3) and
CLS 4490 - Anthropology of Race and Racism (3) and
LAS 4490 - Anthropology of Race and Racism (3)
AAAS 4850 - Anti-colonial Movements (3) also listed as
LAS 4850 - Anti-colonial Movements (3) and
PAS 4850 - Anti-colonial Movements (3)
ANTH 4040 - Peoples of South America (3)
ANTH 4080 - Peoples of Mesoamerica (3)
ANTH 4280 - Civilizations of Western Mesoamerica (3)
ANTH 4290 - Maya Civilization (3)
ANTH 4540 - Special Topics in Anthropology (1-5) **
ANTH 5940 - Seminar: Problems in Anthropology (3)
ART 4460 - Art of Latin America (3)
ART 4470 - The Art of Mesoamerica and the Southwest (3)
ART 4500 - The Colonial Art of Mexico and Guatemala (3)
ART 4530 - Aztec Art and Culture (3)
ART 4541 - Special Topics in Art (1-3) **
ART 4560 - Art of the Ancient Andes (3)
ART 4570 - Mexican Muralists and Frida Kahlo (3)
ART 5540 - Special Topics in Art (1-3) **
CLS 4010 - Chicana/o Latina/o Culture and Media (3)
CLS 4080 - The Central American Experience in the US (3) also listed as
LAS 4080 - The Central American Experience in the US (3)
CLS 4100 - Latina/o Communities in U.S. Society (3)
CLS 4110 - Chicanas/os, Latinas/os and Immigration Policy (3)
CLS 4240 - Exploring Afro-Latino/a Identities (3)
CLS 4250 - Chicanas & Latinas: Social Movements in the Americas (3)
CLS 4255 - Latinas/os and Social Justice Movements (3)
CLS 4280 - Migration, Identity, and Religion (3) also listed as
LAS 4280 - Migration, Identity, and Religion (3) and
RELS 4230 - Migration, Identity, and Religion (3)
CLS 4290 - Chicana Feminisms: History, Theory, Praxis (3)
CLS 4300 - Research on Chicana/o Community Problems (3)
CLS 4660 - Colonial Mexico (3) also listed as
HIST 4660 - Colonial Mexico (3)
CLS 4665 - Modern Mexico (3) also listed as
HIST 4665 - Modern Mexico (3)
CLS 5010 - Chicana/o Studies and Contemporary Theory (3)
CLS 5050 - Interdisiplinary Seminar in Chicana/o and Latina/o Studies (3)
ECON 4600 - Economics of Developing Countries (3)
ECON 4650 - Current Issues in Latin American Economies (3)
ECON 5600 - Seminar: Current Issues in Economic Development (3)
ECON 5610 - Seminar: International Economics (3)
EDFN 5060 - Seminar in Comparative and International Education (3)
EDFN 5070 - Seminar in History of Education (3)
EDFN 5080 - Seminar in Philosophy of Education (3)
EDFN 5111 - Seminar in Anthropology of Education (3)
EDFN 5250 - Seminar in Sociology of Education (3)
ENGL 4692 - U.S. Latino/a Literature (3)
ENGL 4780 - Latin American Literature in Translation (3)
HIST 4000 - Special Lectures in History (1-3)
HIST 4090 - Sexuality in the Americas (3)
HIST 4600 - The Chicano Movement (3)
HIST 4610 - Early Latin America: Conquest to 1850s (3)
HIST 4620 - Modern Latin America: 1860s to the present (3)
HIST 4640 - History of Central America and the Caribbean (3)
HIST 4650 - Brazil (3)
HIST 4670 - Modern Mexico and the Chicano People (3) also listed as
CLS 4270 - Modern Mexico and the Chicano People (3)
HIST 4690 - Indigenous Peoples of the Americas (3)
HIST 5600 - History of Colonial Latin America (3)
HIST 5610 - History of Modern Latin America (3)
HIST 5650 - Seminar: History of Mexico (3)
LAS 4150 - Mass Incarceration (3)
LAS 4250 - Latin American Responses to Imperialism and Globalization (3)
LAS 4300 - Cuba and the World (3)
LAS 4350 - Philosophy and Praxis of Liberation in Latin America (3)
LAS 4400 - Indigenous Movements in Latin America (3)
LAS 4500 - Special Studies in Latin American Studies (1-3)
LAS 4600 - Food Justice in Latin America (3)
LAS 4650 - Gender, Sexuality, and Transnational Migration (3) also listed as
WGSS 4650 - Gender, Sexuality, and Transnational Migration (3)
LAS 4700 - Labor and Social Movements in the Americas (3)
LAS 4800 - Afro-Latin America (3) also listed as
PAS 4800 - Afro-Latin America; Afro-Latin America (3)
LAS 4820 - Latin American Women’s Movements (3) also listed as
WGSS 4820 - Latin American Women’s Movements (3)
LAS 5080 - Seminar: Latin American Social Systems (3)
LAS 5900 - Interdisciplinary Seminar: Latin American Studies (3)
LAS 5980 - Graduate Directed Study (1-3)
LAS 4990 - Undergraduate Directed Study (1-3)
ML 4100 - Chicana and Mexican Women Writers (3) also listed as
WGSS 4100 - Chicana and Mexican Women Writers (3)
MUS 4580 - Music of Latin America (3)
MUS 5570 - Seminar: Afro-Latin Music (3)
MUS 5580 - Histories and Literature of Afro-Latin Music (3)
PAS 4120 - Third World Women and Development (3)
PAS 4160 - Pan Africanism and World Politics (3)
PAS 4560 - Politics of the Caribbean and Central America (3)
PHIL 4330 - Latin American Philosophy (3)
POLS 4510 - Latin American Politics (3)
POLS 4540 - Selected Topics in Global Politics (3) **
POLS 5310 - Seminar: Latin American Government (3)
SOC 4230 - Sociology of Globalization and Resistance (3)
SOC 4830 - Sociology of Human Rights (3)
SPAN 4110 - Spanish-American Literature I (3)
SPAN 4130 - Spanish-American Literature II (3)
SPAN 4170 - Spanish-American Short Story (3)
SPAN 4210 - Mexican Literature of Twentieth Century (3)
SPAN 4310 - Spanish-American Testimony (3)
SPAN 4441 - Masterworks of Spanish American Literature (3)
SPAN 4541 - Special Topics - Latin America (1-3)
SPAN 4750 - Spanish American Theater (3)
SPAN 4830 - Intellectuals and Ideas in Latin America (3)
SPAN 4850 - Southern Cone Fiction (3)
SPAN 5450 - Seminar: Contemporary Spanish-American Poetry After Ruben Dario (3)
SPAN 5750 - Seminar: Hispanic Literature (3)
SPAN 5830 - Seminar: Contemporary Hispanic Prose (3)
WGSS 4840 - Chicana/Latina Narratives and Community History (3)
*May be repeated for credit if topic different (up to 9 units)
**When topic is Latin America

Comprehensive Examinations or Thesis or Project (0-3 units)

Students must successfully complete either the comprehensive examinations, a thesis, or a project.

Comprehensive Examinations (0 units)

Comprehensive written examinations about Latin America must be passed successfully in two fields approved by the graduate advisor or program director.

Students should expect to take the comprehensive examinations (LAS 5960 ) no earlier than the semester they complete all course work on their program and must comply with college and program requirements. Students must submit a comprehensive examination form to the Director of Latin American Studies.
Immediately following completion of the comprehensive examinations, students must pass an oral examination conducted by a two member faculty committee.

Thesis (LAS 5990) or Project (LAS 5995) (3 units)

Instead of the comprehensive examinations, students may choose to write an interdisciplinary thesis under the guidance of a three-member faculty committee selected in consultation with a thesis adviser. Students who make this choice must enroll in LAS 5990 , for 3 units. An oral defense of the thesis is required.

Instead of the comprehensive examinations, students may choose to produce an interdisciplinary project and project report under the guidance of a three-member faculty committee selected in consultation with a project advisor, who will serve as chair of the committee. Students who choose the project must enroll in LAS 5995 for 3 units. All students must submit an electronic copy of the thesis or project report according to the university guidelines and deadlines as indicated on the Office of Graduate Studies Office website - http://www.calstatela.edu/graduatestudies

Thesis
Students will write their thesis under the guidance of a three-member faculty committee selected in consultation with a thesis adviser, who will serve as chair of the committee. The thesis will be a systematic study of a significant problem. It will identify the problem, state the major assumptions, explain the significance of the undertaking, set forth the sources for and methods of gathering information, analyze data, and offer a conclusion or recommendation. The finished product will evidence originality, critical and independent thinking, appropriate organization and format, and thorough documentation. An oral defense of the thesis will be required.

Project
Students will develop their project under the guidance of a three-member faculty committee selected in consultation with a project advisor, who will serve as chair of the committee. It will be a significant undertaking (portfolio, exhibition, performance, documentary, or other format) appropriate to a relevant professional field or the fine and applied arts. It must have a specific focus, have appropriate form and organization, show a high level of original thought, and require in-depth research. Prior to the project’s undertaking, students will develop a project proposal with bibliography that specifies why the art form, media, or other chosen format is appropriate to the project’s goals, and how the project relates to the area of Latin American Studies. The final project must include a written report that states the project’s significance, objectives, methodology and conclusion(s), and addresses any changes from the initial proposal. It may also include visual documentation (CD, DVD, USB Flash drive). An oral defense of the project will be required.

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