Graduate students may pursue the degree of Master of Arts (MA) through either the thesis or non-thesis track. Both programs require 30 credit hours of graduate-level coursework. Students on either track have substantial flexibility in choosing their courses and will work with the graduate advisor to create a coherent and focused program of study. Thesis and non-thesis options, admission requirements, coursework and language requirements, and graduate funding are detailed below.
Thesis
The MA thesis degree is most appropriate as preparation for a doctoral program and dissertation. Students should declare their intention to write a thesis before the end of their first year in the program and form a committee of three faculty members, each of a different discipline. The student will defend the completed thesis in an oral examination before this committee. In order to prepare the thesis a student must enroll in at least 3 credit hours of thesis research and writing (LAA 899). Students may count up to 6 credit hours of LAA 899 toward the 30 graduate credits required for the degree.
Non-Thesis
The non-thesis MA is a terminal degree particularly suitable for a career in the public or private sector. Students take 3 credits of thesis/non-thesis credit (LAA 899) with their Chair. Only 3 credits of LAA 899 can count towards the non-thesis MA degree. The culmination of the non-thesis MA is an oral examination during the last semester of the program.
Admission
Admission to the graduate program in Latin American Studies requires a BA, preferably in one of the social sciences or humanities, language proficiency in either Spanish or Portuguese as demonstrated by completion of a fourth-semester course or the equivalent, and acceptance by the graduate division of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences of the University of Kansas.
A completed application includes a statement of interest is that explains your background and interest in pursuing the MA degree in Latin American Studies, three letters of recommendation, preferably from professors familiar with your academic work, two official copies of transcripts from all higher education institutions previously attended, a resume, a writing sample in English of 10-20 pages, a copy of your GRE scores, and an application fee of $45 (on-line application) and $60 (paper application) . International students are not required to take the GRE but are required to take the TOEFL exam. A check payable to the University of Kansas should be submitted with the completed application. In case of extenuating circumstances a student may request that the fee be paid by the Graduate School . Applicants whose grade point average is below 3.0 will not be admitted to the degree program. However, a student with less than a 3.0 GPA may be admitted on a probation or provisional status at the discretion of the departmental Graduate Committee. Apply online or contact the Center of Latin American Studies for more information and an application packet.
Degree Requirements
A minimum of 30 graduate credit hours is required in social sciences or humanities courses with Latin American content. At least 18 hours must have 50 to 100 percent of their content dedicated to Latin America. Literature courses with Latin American content at the 500-level or above (except PORT 611 and HAIT 500) may be counted as part of the 30 hours of coursework. Required courses include the Introduction to Latin American Library Resources (LAA 700), the Interdisciplinary Seminar on Latin American Culture and Problems (LAA 701), and two other seminars with at least 50 percent of their content dedicated to Latin America, each in a separate discipline, at the 700 level or above (excluding thesis and reading hours). Incoming students should enroll in LAA 700 during their first fall semester. All students must consult the graduate adviser before enrollment each semester. Up to 12 graduate hours from the University of Costa Rica (UCR) may be applied towards the MA. To be eligible for the UCR exchange, students must have completed one semester's coursework at KU and must obtain the graduate advisor's approval for all courses to be taken at UCR prior to enrollment.
According to the enrollment policy of KU's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, of which the Center of Latin American Studies is a part, students must be enrolled in at least one credit hour in the semester that they plan to graduate from KU.
Language Requirements
MA candidates must demonstrate comprehensive proficiency in either Spanish or Portuguese. Comprehensive proficiency includes aural, speaking, reading and writing ability. Completion of SPAN 440 and 442 or a graduate literature course constitutes comprehensive proficiency in Spanish. Comprehensive proficiency in Portuguese requires completion of a literature course at or above the 500 level. The language requirements should be satisfied as early as possible in the MA program. Students must also complete two semesters in a second language: SPAN 104 and 108 for Spanish, PORT 104 and 108 or PORT 611 for Portuguese. Kaqchikel Maya, Quichua, or Haitian Creole may be substituted as the second language.
Fellowships, Scholarships, and Research Funding
The University of Kansas Center for Latin American Studies is a privileged recipient of US Department of Education fellowships for Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS). Academic Year FLAS fellowships pay tuition and a $11,000-14,000 living stipend; Summer FLAS fellowships pay tuition for language instruction, travel costs to the place of instruction, and a $2,400 living stipend. The Center for Latin American Studies annually awards a limited number of FLAS fellowships on a competitive basis. Competitiveness is based on GRE scores, academic performance, relevance to career plans, and the language to be learned. FLAS gives priority to less commonly taught languages like indigenous languages, and to a lesser extent Portuguese, but students seeking training in upper level Spanish will still be considered. Incoming graduate students to the MA program are automatically considered for Academic Year FLAS fellowships. Academic Year and Summer FLAS fellowships are non-renewable except in rare circumstances.
Other sources of income include graduate teaching assistantships, work-study, and student loans. Graduate teaching assistantships typically involve leading discussion sections, advising, and designing and grading student papers and exams in exchange for free tuition and a stipend. The Department of Spanish and Portuguese regularly offers assistantships and teaching positions to Latin American Studies majors to teach undergraduate Spanish language classes. Other university departments also occasionally offer assistantships for which Latin American Studies majors may be competitive.
The University of Kansas is also a select US university awarded funds from the Tinker Foundation. The Center for Latin American Studies awards Tinker Foundation grants to cover the travel costs for non-dissertation graduate student research in Latin America, Spain, or Portugal.
Other financial aid may also be available through external sources. |
