Required courses

Required courses correspond to your chosen concentration. You will take:

• Four core courses — the same four are required of all students.
• Six concentration courses, including one relevant research methods course. No specific courses are required to make up a concentration — courses are selected under advisement.
• One elective.
• One capstone course or one thesis course, depending on which track is chosen.

Core courses

All M.A. candidates must take four core courses. These courses provide a broad, multidisciplinary approach to the history, politics, economics and culture of Latin America, and offer the analytic tools needed to study the region effectively. They draw from some of the best scholarship from North and Latin America, examining Latin America in hemispheric, transatlantic and/or global contexts, while seeking to convey the commonalities and diversities that Latin America encompasses. These four courses are:

LASP-7501: Latin American Origins and Transformations — Explores social, cultural, political and economic developments from pre-Hispanic times through the era of European rule and into the twentieth-century and the struggles to create national societies. (Offered only in the Fall Semester.)

LASP-7502: Culture and Power in Latin America — Explores the changing and contested constructions of identities and belief systems among the diverse peoples of Latin America. Emphasis is on the linked ways that power constitutes culture and that cultures construct powers, drawing on literary and popular texts, oral histories, film, etc. (Offered only in the Spring Semester.)

LASP-7503: States and Societies in Latin America — Students examine how the social sciences have understood the major trends of politics and governance in contemporary (mainly 20th century) Latin America. The central foci are issues such as regime change, authoritarianism, democratic transition, social movements and other broad themes, as well as more recent issues and challenges of politics and governance in the 21st century. (Offered only in the Fall Semester.)

LASP-7504: Political Economy of Latin America — Explores the interplay between economics and politics in Latin America, focusing on production, profit, exchange, distribution, welfare and their relations with political power. The course analyzes market-centered models and policies, along with alternative statist experiments and proposals, with the goal of understanding the political economy debates that help shape the political and economic structures of the region. (Offered only in the Spring Semester.)

Concentrations

There are three available concentrations for you to choose from: Governance and New Leaderships, Development and Political Economy, and History, Culture and Society. If you select Government, Political Economy or any other course of study requiring work in economics as your concentration, you must have completed introductory courses in microeconomics and macroeconomics prior to enrollment.

Governance and New Leaderships

In this concentration, you will practice analytical skills to identify and effectively address the challenges and opportunities in the political development and governance of societies in Latin America and the Caribbean. You will train in quantitative research methods using causal inference.

Courses emphasize the analysis of key issues such as: 

• The nature of the state, political representation, democracy, political order and citizen security
• The origins and social dimensions of conflict and peace and their implications for human rights, social movements and religion
• The rule of law, foreign policy and diplomacy 

Development and Political Economy

This concentration provides analytical tools, skills and knowledge to identify and effectively address opportunities and challenges in Latin America’s social and economic development. 

You will examine the interplay of politics and economics, emphasizing how these factors contribute to economic growth, sustainable development and the strategic positioning of Latin America and the Caribbean in the global economy. Your quantitative research methods training will emphasize causal inference.

Courses emphasize key issues such as:

• Causes of and responses to poverty and socio-economic inequity
• Urban development
• Food security
• The environment
• Gender
• Economic growth 
• Trade

History, Culture and Society

Through this concentration, you’ll develop the tools, skills and knowledge to analyze and understand the complex histories and cultural ways of Latin America and the Caribbean. You’ll examine how the people of Latin America arrived at their contemporary mix of creativity and challenges. You’ll be trained in research methods from the diverse humanities and social science disciplines associated with your interests.

Courses explore: 

• Evolving legacies of power and social relations
• Political ideas and ideologies
• Cultural constructions and debates
• Gender relations and debates

Knowledge is gained via scholarly explorations, literary representations and/or cinematic expressions. These understandings are necessary to engage the promise and uncertainties of our times and contemplate possible paths into the future. 

Elective course 

You will take one elective course worth three credits to further your study in fields outside of your concentration. This course should complement your program of study and can strengthen your understanding of a regional or issue focus. Any graduate-level course may fulfill this requirement. The elective could complement the concentration, it could expand learning outside of the concentration or it could help you complete a certificate.

Capstone option

You may choose to complete a capstone project at the end of your time in the program. You will take a capstone course, which is a collaborative seminar where you can continuously share and assess progress on your capstone project. You will provide updates on the work you’ve done through biweekly action reports and constructive and collegial discussions. You should expect to spend at least 10-15 hours per week devoted to the project outside the course. Faculty will guide discussions and help you navigate the process, organization and logistics for the successful completion of the capstone project. 

Thesis option 

If you choose to complete a thesis, you must identify a research topic and a thesis advisor by the end of your first semester. You will then choose a second faculty member to serve as your second reader, and will begin developing your thesis proposal. We strongly suggest that the thesis advisor be a member of our faculty. Second readers may be either full-time Georgetown University professors or adjunct faculty. In your final semester, you will take a three-credit thesis seminar as you complete the project. You will continue working with your advisor and second reader, culminating in a public defense of your thesis. 

Independent study

You may arrange independent studies for academic credit. These must include the development of an original research project on a topic related to your coursework or thesis. You must find an individual mentor to oversee your study and your project must be approved by the CLAS Director of Academic Affairs.

Dual degree options

M.A. in Latin American Studies/J.D. with the Law Center

Applicants to the joint M.A. in Latin American Studies/Juris Doctor must submit two separate applications, including separate transcripts, personal statements and letters of recommendation to both the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences and the Georgetown University Law Center. Each application has different requirements.

M.A. in Latin American Studies/Ph.D. in Government

Applicants to the joint M.A. in Latin American Studies/Ph.D. in Government must submit two separate applications, including separate transcripts, personal statements and letters of recommendation alongside all required elements of each application. The Center for Latin American Studies and the Department of Government review applications separately.

Accelerated degree

The Center for Latin American Studies offers two accelerated degree options where undergraduate students committed to the field can complete both a bachelor’s degree and a Master of Arts in Latin American Studies. The first is for current Georgetown undergraduate students. If interested, you would apply for the M.A. in Latin American Studies program during your junior year and if accepted you would start taking graduate classes at the same time as you are completing your undergraduate degree. The second is offered in partnership with 17 universities and you would apply during your senior year.

As part of the accelerated program, you will complete 30 credits towards the Master of Arts in Latin American Studies in 15 to 18 months by taking four classes per semester and participating in two courses as part of a summer abroad program. The remaining six credits come from your undergraduate studies. 

Typical accelerated degree schedule

Semester	Course	Credit
Summer	Concentration course taken abroad	3
	Concentration course taken abroad	3
Fall	States and Societies	3
	Origins and Transformations	3
	Concentration course	3
	Concentration course	3
Spring	Political Economy	3
	Culture and Power	3
	Capstone Seminar or Thesis Course	3
	Concentration course	3