Master of Arts in Latin American Studies (MALAS)

The Master of Arts in Latin American Studies at SFS is designed for students pursuing careers in government, business, and international organizations in the U.S. and abroad as well as those who contemplate additional post-graduate work in the humanities or social sciences. M.A. students typically focus their studies in one of the following concentration areas: Governance and Leadership; Development and Political Economy, History, Culture and Society.

While most students complete the degree in two years on a full-time basis, part-time and accelerated options are available as well.

In addition to the MA in Latin American Studies, CLAS also offers an undergraduate minor in Latin American Studies, a joint MA/PhD program with the Department of Government, a joint MA/JD program with the Georgetown University Law Center, and an accelerated BAorBS/MA program. Also, cooperative degree agreements with 17 colleges and universities allow undergraduates from these schools to pursue an accelerated masters degree in Latin American Studies at CLAS.

The Center sponsors three summer graduate programs located in Brazil, Chile, and Colombia and encourages individual summer research and professional internships throughout the hemisphere.

Learning Goals

Mastery in Latin and inter-American affairs in hemispheric, transatlantic, and/or global context through:

• Differentiating social, cultural, political, and economic developments in a historical context;
• Illustrating changing and contested constructions of identities and belief systems among the diverse peoples of the region;
• Analyzing relations between political and governmental structures and changing social and cultural formations;
• Synthesizing the interplay between economics and politics, focusing on production, profit, exchange, distribution and welfare, and their relations with political power.
• Demonstrating oral proficiency in Spanish or Portuguese with a basis of grammar, vocabulary, accent, and fluency.
• Developing skills of analytical and integrative thinking to communicate effectively for different audiences and purposes through writing and speaking.
• Illustrating basic and advanced qualitative and quantitative research skills, including fluency with relevant print and virtual bibliographic and research guides.

Degree Requirements

There are three major degree requirements for the MA degree:

• 36 credit hours of graduate coursework with a minimum grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale OR the completion of 33 credit hours of graduate coursework and the successful defense of an MA thesis.
• Language proficiency in either Spanish or Portuguese.
• Completion of the Master's Capstone project.

Independent Study

CLAS students have the opportunity to arrange independent studies for academic credit. Independent study programs must include the development of an original research project on a topic related to the student’s coursework or thesis. Individual mentors must be obtained to oversee the independent study, and the program must be approved by the MA program director.

The Thesis Option

Students who wish to complete a thesis must identify a research topic and a thesis adviser by the end of their first semester. Students choose two faculty members to guide their thesis process: a thesis advisor and a second reader. It is strongly suggested that the thesis adviser be a member of the CLAS faculty. Second readers may be either full-time Georgetown University professors or adjunct faculty.

Coursework

Each MA candidate is required to take one Research Methods course relevant to their chosen concentration and take four courses that count toward the core requirements; seven courses in their chosen concentration; and two elective courses. Selection of courses is done in consultation with the Associate Director, the M.A. Program Director, and the student's faculty advisor(s).

Students planning concentrations in Government, Political Economy, or any other course of study requiring work in Economics must have completed introductory courses in microeconomics and macroeconomics prior to enrollment. No prerequisite courses (including those in language or economics) can be waived and none will count towards the 42 graduate credits required for completion of the MA.

Core Courses

• LASP-501 Latin America Origins/Transformation
• LASP-503 States & Societies: Latin America
• LASP-603 Quant Methods in Practice

ANTHROPOLOGY

• ANTH-358 Doing Anthropology Fieldwork
• CONFLICT RESOLUTION AND HUMAN RIGHTS
• GOVT-562 Conflict and Democracy
• GOVT-570 Gender & Conflict Resolution
• GOVT-573 Human Rights & Conflict Resolution
• GOVT-581 Intro to Conflict Resolution Skills
• GOVT-587 Transitional Justice
• GOVT-647 Global Justice
• INAF-648 Intl Migration & Development
• INAF-687 Refugee Law & Policy
• INAF-698 Intro to Humanitarian Crises
• LASP-421 Violence & Political Change: Andes
• LASP-579 Peace Process & Post-Conflict: LA
• LASP-580 Citizen Security & Democracy: Latin America

DEVELOPMENT

• INAF-487 Practice/Ethics in Global Dev
• INAF-648 Intl Migration & Development
• INAF-687 Refugee Law & Policy
• INAF-698 Intro to Humanitarian Crises
• LASP-417 Sustainable Devel in L.A.
• LASP-424 Brazilian Society
• LASP-437 Pathway to Food Security: LAC
• LASP-492 Devel & Brazilian Experience
• LASP-521 Energy Security: Western Hemisphere
• LASP-579 Peace Process & Post-Conflict: LA

HISTORY

• HIST-352 Topic: South American Frontiers

POLITICAL ECONOMY

• GBUS-461 Political Economy of Cities: LA & Asia
• GBUS-462 China-Latin America Relations
• GBUS-493 Ethical Decisions: Glbl Bus&Gov
• GOVT-551 Comparative Policy Process
• GOVT-566 Politics of Cuba
• LASP-521 Energy Security: Western Hemisphere

GOVERNMENT

• GOVT-542 Civil Society: Emerging Democracy
• GOVT-550 Democracy Promotion
• GOVT-551 Comparative Policy Process
• GOVT-555 Post Communist Politics
• GOVT-562 Conflict and Democracy
• GOVT-570 Gender & Conflict Resolution
• GOVT-577 Corruption Conflict & Security
• GOVT-587 Transitional Justice
• GOVT-629 Executive Branch Policy/Policymaking
• GOVT-647 Global Justice
• GOVT-780 Fundamentals Pol Theory
• LASP-421 Violence & Political Change: Andes
• LASP-521 Energy Security: Western Hemisphere
• LASP-560 Journalism & Politics: Americas
• LASP-577 International Organizations LA
• LASP-579 Peace Process & Post-Conflict: LA
• LASP-580 Citizen Security & Democracy: Latin America

LITERATURE AND CULTURAL STUDIES

• LASP-424 Brazilian Society
• LASP-492 Devel & Brazilian Experience
• LASP-560 Journalism & Politics: Americas
• SPAN-421 Brazilian Cinema: An Introduction
• SPAN-427 History of Spanish Language
• SPAN-436 Colonial/Post Colonial Visions

SECURITY

• GOVT-562 Conflict and Democracy
• GOVT-577 Corruption Conflict & Security
• GOVT-587 Transitional Justice
• LASP-421 Violence & Polit Change: Andes
• LASP-437 Pathway to Food Security: LAC
• LASP-521 Energy Security: Western Hemisphere
• LASP-579 Peace Process & Post-Conflict: LA
• LASP-580 Citizen Security & Democracy: Latin America
• SEST-587 Security Lessons in Latin America
• SEST-594 Energy & Security
• SEST-602 Violent Non-St Acts: World Policy

Electives

Students must take two elective courses unless they pursue a bi-disciplinary concentration, in which case they must only complete one elective course. Electives allow for experimentation, diversity, and additional study in fields outside the concentration and are commonly used to strengthen a regional or issue focus.

• LASP-417 Sustainable Devel in L.A.
• LASP-421 Violence & Political Change: Andes
• LASP-424 Brazilian Society
• LASP-437 Pathway to Food Security: LAC
• LASP-492 Development & Brazilian Experience
• LASP-512 Economy for Latin American Studies
• LASP-521 Energy Security: Western Hemisphere
• LASP-560 Journalism & Politics: Americas
• LASP-577 International Organizations LA
• LASP-579 Peace Process & Post-Conflict: LA
• LASP-580 Citizen Security & Democracy: Latin America
• LASP-603 Quantitative Methods in Practice

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