Degree Requirements: Eight courses (32 points) are required for this degree. The student must maintain a GPA of 3.0 or better. The student must take two core, integrating courses offered by the Center in fall and spring, respectively. Four courses (16 points) are taken in the department (anthropology, cinema studies, economics, history, politics, etc.) or in a discipline (migration studies, development studies, cultural policy, etc.) in which the student chooses to specialize. 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 must register for Stern courses in the CLACS office.) 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 (GSAS) that are related to Latin American and Caribbean studies and that the CLACS director approves, and, on occasion, graduate courses offered by other schools (such as the Steinhardt School of Education’s Foreign Languages Education Division) that pertain directly to the student’s educational and career goals, and that, at the time, are unavailable through GSAS (also 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, or Portuguese must be proven through either option “1” (course work) or “3” (examination) as defined in the Degree Requirements section of this bulletin.

The joint M.A. program in journalism and Latin American and Caribbean studies prepares students for careers as professional newspaper, magazine, or broadcast journalists with a special background in Latin America and the Caribbean. This 46-point program consists of a specialized selection of courses in journalism totaling 22 points (including the 2-point Directed Reading course to fulfill the major project requirement), a sequence of courses in Latin American and Caribbean studies totaling 24 points, and a major project. Students must be formally admitted by both the Department of Journalism and the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies.

The dual degree M.A.-J.D. program in law and Latin American and Caribbean studies provides training in foreign cultures to prepare law students for international careers and for dealing with Latin American and Caribbean businesses and clients in the United States. In-depth knowledge of Latin American and Caribbean history, politics, society, and political economy adds a valuable intellectual dimension to the training of law students who plan to practice international private and public law or corporate law for foreign clients. The M.A.-J.D. program requires a total of 94 points for the two degrees and can be completed in three to four years. Candidates for the dual degrees submit separate applications to the Graduate School of Arts and Science and the School of Law. Detailed information regarding residency requirements and credit distribution can be obtained by contacting the director of the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies.

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 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 program provides professional skills and internship opportunities in museum studies, as well as substantive academic knowledge of Latin America and the Caribbean.

The M.A. degree in Latin American and Caribbean studies is awarded with the certificate in museum studies after satisfactory completion of 48 points (32 in CLACS and 24 in museum studies), a major project, and a full summer internship in a museum or cultural institution. Students may use 8 points from museum studies to count toward the required 32 points in CLACS.

Additional opportunities are available for CLACS students through cross-registration in courses offered at City University of New York (CUNY) and Columbia University. Registration in these courses requires the director’s permission; their enrollments are limited, and students may take no more than two courses at CUNY or Columbia during their M.A. work at CLACS.

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