• UNM Catalog 2022-2023
• >Colleges
• >College of Arts and Sciences
• >Latin American Studies
• >Graduate Program

Graduate Program

Graduate Advisor
Ronda Brulotte
Associate Director for Academic Programs
brulotte@unm.edu  

Application Deadlines:

Degrees Offered

• Master of Arts in Latin American Studies (M.A.)
  Concentrations: Arts, Literature and Cultural Studies; Conflict, Peace and Rights; Environmental Governance and Resilience; History and Society; Indigeneity in the Americas; Markets and Development.
• Doctor of Philosophy in Latin American Studies (Ph.D.)
  Concentrations: Anthropology, Art History; Brazilian Literature and Culture; Built Environment; Communication; Economics; Geography and Environmental Studies; History; International Management; Political Science; Public Health; Sociology; Spanish American Literature; Spanish Linguistics.

Dual Degree Programs

Master of Arts in Latin American Studies and Juris Doctor: The Latin American Studies program and the School of Law offer a Dual Degree Program leading to the M.A. in Latin American Studies and the Juris Doctor (J.D.). See the Graduate and Professional Dual Degree Programs section of this Catalog. 

Master of Arts in Latin American Studies and Master of Arts in Language, Literacy and Sociocultural Studies: The Latin American Studies program and the Language, Literacy and Sociocultural Studies department in the College of Education and Human Sciences offer a Dual Degree Program leading to the M.A. in Latin American Studies and the M.A. in Language, Literacy and Sociocultural Studies. See the Graduate and Professional Dual Degree Programs section of this Catalog.

Master of Arts in Latin American Studies and Master of Business Administration: The Latin American Studies program and the Anderson School of Management offer a Dual Degree Program leading to the M.A. in Latin American Studies and the Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.). See the Graduate and Professional Dual Degree Programs section of this Catalog. 

Master of Arts in Latin American Studies and Master of Community and Regional Planning: The Latin American Studies program and the Community and Regional Planning department in the School of Architecture and Planning offer a Dual Degree Program leading to the M.A. in Latin American Studies and the Master of Community and Regional Planning (M.C.R.P.). See the Graduate and Professional Dual Degree Programs section of this Catalog. 

Master of Arts in Latin American Studies and Master of Public Health: The Latin American Studies program and the College of Population Health offer a Dual Degree Program leading to the M.A. in Latin American Studies and the Master of Public Health (M.P.H.). See the Graduate and Professional Dual Degree Programs section of this Catalog.

Master of Arts in Latin American Studies 

The Master of Arts (M.A.) in Latin American Studies offers students the opportunity to explore the cultures, languages, histories, and societies of Latin America. The program provides students access to a large and diverse faculty, selecting content drawn from over thirty departments and nine Colleges/Schools at UNM. 

Prerequisites: The Bachelor’s degree is required. Background work in the social sciences and humanities related to Latin America is preferred. At least two years of undergraduate coursework (or equivalent language training) in either Spanish or Portuguese is required prior to admission. Applicants with otherwise strong qualifications but with limited Spanish competence may be admitted on the condition that they complete SPAN **352 Advanced Grammar, within their first year of graduate study.

Degree Requirements

The Master of Arts in Latin American Studies  is offered under both Plan I (thesis) and Plan II (non-thesis) as described in the The Graduate Program section of this Catalog. 

Plan I: 36 credit hours. Students must take LTAM 510 Pro-Seminar in Latin American Studies (3 credit hours), concentration courses (21 credit hours), elective courses (6 credit hours), and LTAM 599 Master's Thesis (6 credit hours).

3 credit hours from the chosen concentration requirement must be devoted to a methods course that advances the student's inquiry of study. A minimum of 12 credit hours in graduate seminars, chosen in consultation with the Associate Director, are required. Plan I students present an oral defense of the thesis, which integrates their chosen concentration with field research or other forms of original research, before a thesis committee composed of at least three faculty members.

Plan II: 36 credit hours. Students must take LTAM 510 Pro-Seminar in Latin American Studies (3 credit hours), concentration courses (21 credit hours), elective courses (9 credit hours), and LTAM 551 Master's Problems (3 credit hours).

3 credit hours from the chosen concentration requirement must be devoted to a methods course that advances the student's inquiry of study. A minimum of 12 credit hours in graduate seminars, chosen in consultation with the Associate Director, are required. Plan II students complete a capstone project or comprehensive examination focused on the concentration area. The exit requirement is overseen by a Committee on Studies composed of three faculty members. 

Concentrations

Arts, Literature and Cultural Studies: From the visual and performing arts to literature, language, and cultural studies, this concentration offers graduate students the opportunity to explore historical and contemporary Latin American cultural contributions. Through coursework that spans the humanities and social sciences, students focus on the critical study of creative expressions, thoughts, practices, and products in relation to social, political, historical, and economic contexts. Coursework is selected from, but not limited to, the UNM Anthropology, Art, Film and Digital Arts, Music, and Spanish and Portuguese departments. In addition to preparing students for academic careers, the concentration provides excellent training for those interested in creative and critical writing, museums, arts administration, performance, heritage conservation, and related fields.

Conflict, Peace and Rights: This concentration introduces students to the interdisciplinary and comparative study of conflict, law, human rights, and related subjects in Latin America. Coursework examines the causes, practices, and consequences of violence as well as nonviolent methods of conflict management, resolution, and transformation. Students explore how human conflict in Latin America has been shaped by various socio-economic, cultural, political, and historical factors. This concentration is particularly suited to research and applied careers in the fields of law and governance in the Americas. Coursework is selected from, but not limited to, the UNM Anthropology, Art, Communication and Journalism, Economics, History, Political Science, Sociology, and Spanish and Portuguese departments, as well as from the UNM School of Law. The concentration is recommended for students participating in the M.A. in Latin American Studies and Juris Doctor (J.D.) Dual Degrees program.

Environmental Governance and Resilience: This concentration allows students to explore the complex dynamics of coupled human-environment systems in Latin America. Courses in this concentration address the unprecedented global challenges of ensuring food security, increasing demands for energy and water, and preventing environmental degradation, all in the face of climate change. Students gain exposure to resilience-based research and applications that address pressing societal challenges, including climate change, demographic shifts and infrastructure, human health and biology, sustainable food-water-energy systems, and social and economic inequalities. Coursework is selected from, but not limited to, the UNM Anthropology, Communication and Journalism, Community and Regional Planning, Geography and Environmental Studies, Political Science, and Sociology departments, as well as from the School of Public Administration and the College of Population Health. The concentration is recommended for students participating in the M.A. in Latin American Studies and Master of Community and Regional Planning (M.C.R.P.) Dual Degrees program, the M.A. in Latin American Studies and Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) Dual Degrees program, or for those pursuing a career in health-related fields.

History and Society: This concentration allows students to develop an integrated program of historical inquiry focusing on Latin America. Students benefit from interdisciplinary grounding in methods of historical research and textual criticism, cultural heritage and museum studies, anthropology, historical geography, digital humanities, oral history, and visual methods. Coursework is selected from, but not limited to, the UNM Anthropology, Art, Geography and Environmental Studies, History, Museum Studies, Spanish and Portuguese departments. The concentration allows for the study of pre-Columbian through Modern periods of Latin American history, and provides an excellent foundation for further academic study in history and related fields, in addition to preparing students for applied careers in history, cultural resource management, and museums.

Indigeneity in the Americas: This concentration provides students with a foundation in ethical, theoretical, and empirical frameworks critical to a deeper understanding of Indigenous issues. Coursework explores diverse cultural traditions, the legacies of colonialism, social movements, belief systems, and political ecologies that shape the experience of Indigenous communities throughout the Americas. Coursework is selected from, but not limited to, the UNM Anthropology, Art, Community and Regional Planning, History, Linguistics, and Spanish and Portuguese departments, as well as from the UNM School of Law. The concentration also draws on UNM’s outstanding resources as a premier research institution within the Indigenous Southwest, offering students the unique opportunity for comparative Hemispheric study.

Markets and Development: This concentration provides students with an interdisciplinary background in the theories and methods necessary to understand economic, political, and development issues within Latin America. Students will learn the skills of a connector and translator in the world economy. This concentration introduces students to development practices and patterns in Latin America, including how markets emerged and how they function as well as how public and private spaces are governed and administered. Coursework is selected from, but not limited to, the UNM Economics, Geography and Environmental Studies, Political Science, and Sociology departments, as well as from the Anderson School of Management and the School of Public Administration. The concentration is recommended for students participating in the M.A. in Latin American Studies and Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) Dual Degrees program.

Doctor of Philosophy in Latin American Studies

The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Latin American Studies is a small and highly selective program designed to prepare students for a limited number of targeted careers that are best advanced by an interdisciplinary doctorate. Such students include individuals who seek employment in areas where the ability to research and teach across disciplines would be an advantage, and where having skills in two disciplines, combined with Latin American area expertise, would be more useful than extensive training within one discipline.

Degree Requirements

General University rules and regulations pertaining to graduate study at the University of New Mexico are detailed in the The Graduate Program section of this Catalog. The Latin American Studies Handbook is updated each year and provides more in-depth information to students in the Latin American Studies program. Students are responsible for knowing and abiding by the rules laid out in the UNM Catalog and the Latin American Studies Handbook.

The Ph.D. in Latin American Studies requires a minimum of 48 credit hours of graduate coursework, plus an additional 18 dissertation credit hours, for a total of 66 credit hours.

Students choose two concentrations for a total of 42 credit hours, plus 6 credit hours of elective courses. The concentrations include courswork chosen from Anthropology, Art History, Brazilian Literature, Built Environment (School of Architecture and Planning), Communication, Economics, Geography and Environmental Studies, History, International Management (Anderson School of Management), Political Science, Public Health (College of Population Health), Sociology, Spanish-American Literature, and Spanish Linguistics selections. Students can choose 21 credit hours in each concentration, so that both concentrations have equal weight, or 15-27 credit hours in each, with a primary and secondary concentration.

Of the 48 total credit hours required for the Ph.D., a minimum of 24 credit hours must be taken after admission to the doctoral program. The Associate Director for Academic Programs must approve any coursework taken at the master’s level and applied towards the Ph.D.

Competence is required in one Latin American language by the time of degree completion. Competence in more than one Latin American language may be critical in certain areas of study. As such, some concentrations may require competence in a second language. For details, see the Latin American Studies Handbook. Competence is considered to be successful completion of advanced-level coursework, or passing a language proficiency examination. Students who have completed an undergraduate or graduate degree in Latin America or Iberia satisfy the language requirements.

A Committee on Studies (COS) must be formed at least one semester before the student plans to take comprehensive examinations. The COS is composed of at least two members from each concentration. The student creates a reading list in consultation with all members of his or her COS, and the committee approves the list the semester prior to the scheduled exam. The comprehensive examinations are coordinated and administered by the Latin American Studies program in conjunction with the student’s COS. Upon successful completion of the comprehensive examinations, an M.A. in Latin American Studies is conferred and students are advanced to candidacy within the doctoral program.

Concentration Requirements

Students must complete two concentrations from the list below. Select from the following list of courses for each concentration, in consultation with the Associate Director for Academic Programs and the COS. All courses must contain at least 40% Latin American content; exceptions may be approved by the Associate Director and COS.

Anthropology
ANTH 510, 522, 524, 529, 532, 533, 537, 546, 547, 574, 579, 585.

Art History
ARTH 500, 511, 512, 529, 549, 550, 560, 580, 583, 585, 590.

Brazilian Literature and Culture
PORT *461, 514, 516, 517, 521, 557, 558, 570; SPAN 502.

Built Environment
ARCH 500, 501, 502, 516, 517, 523, 524, 527, 550, 564, 570, 590, 591, 621, 623, 633, 652, 661, 662, 691, 694;
CRP 500, 503, 511, 513, 516, 520, 527, 528, 530, 531, 532, 533, 535, 537, 543, 551, 562, 567, 569, 570, 573, 574, 576, 577, 578, 580, 582, 583, 585, 590, 591, 691, 693;
LA 501, 502, 503, 505, 508, 511, 512, 521, 531, 556, 558, 559, 560, 561, 563, 580, 581, 582, 586, 590, 591, 693.

Communication
CJ 506, 517, 518, 519, 555, 566, 569, 604.

Economics
ECON *410, *421, *423, *424, *427, *429, *442, *445, *466, *478, 508, 509, 510, 533, 534, 538, 540, 542, 543, 544, 545, 546, 560, 564, 565, 581, 582, 583, 584, 585, 595.

Geography and Environmental Studies
GEOG *445, *481L, *499, 501, 502, 514, 515, 517, 525, 561, 562, 564, 567, 580L, 581L, 583L, 584L, 585L, 586L, 587L, 588L, 591.

History
HIST 518, 560, 573, 574, 576, 629, 643, 644, 645, 648, 652, 653, 664, 665, 673, 685, 686, 687, 688, 689, 690, 692.

International Management
MGMT 511, 524, 583, 594, 595, 596, 597.

Political Science
POLS 510, 511, 512, 520, 521, 525, 540, 541, 551, 552, 570, 580, 581, 582, 584, 585, 681.

Public Health
ANTH 620; CJ 553, 555; ECON 564; PH 502, 508, 533, 554, 556, 565, 579, 583; SOCI 540; SPAN **439.

Sociology
SOCI 506, 507, 510, 514, 520, 528, 532, 584.

Spanish American Literature
SPAN *438, 502, 504, 531, 536, 601, 639.

Spanish Linguistics
SPAN 541, 545, 546, 547, 549.

Relevant electives outside of the Department may be taken only if pre-approved by the departmental Graduate Committee.