Coterminal Master's

Undergraduates at Stanford may apply for admission to the coterminal master's program in Latin American Studies when they have earned a minimum of 120 units toward graduation, including advanced placement and transfer credit, and no later than the quarter prior to the expected completion of their undergraduate degree. Stanford undergraduates interested in applying to the LAS coterm program should use the Coterm Online Application. 

General Admissions Details for Coterminal Applicants

ACADEMIC YEAR 2026-27

Deadline to Apply: December 3, 2025

Online Application Opens: September 2025

Stanford University accepts only online applications to graduate programs. 

  • If you are not a current Stanford undergraduate student, please visit the Graduate Admissions website to access the online application.
  • Current Stanford undergraduates only: Access the Coterm Online Application here.
    • Only coterm applicants can apply for Spring or Autumn matriculation. All other applicants must select Autumn as their intended matriculation quarter.

Stanford coterminal applicants must have a minimum GPA of 3.5 and meet the pre-entry language requirement. See the How to Apply section on our website for more information. The application deadline for the 2026-27 academic year is December 3, 2025.

CLAS takes a holistic approach to evaluating applications for admission. We consider all aspects of the application, including the applicant’s transcripts, letters of recommendation, academic writing sample, and the experiences and goals conveyed through the personal statement and resume/CV. We welcome graduate applications from individuals with a broad range of life experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds who would contribute to our community of scholars.

Required Applications Materials

  1. Statement of Purpose: Up to 500 words, double-spaced. The Statement of Purpose should describe succinctly your reasons for applying to the Latin American Studies Coterminal program at Stanford, your preparation for this field of study, research interests, future career plans, and other aspects of your background and interests which may aid the admissions committee in evaluating your aptitude and motivation for graduate study.
  2. Resumé or curriculum vitae.
  3. Academic writing sample in English: 2,500 - 3,750 words, double-spaced. The sample should be an academic essay (e.g., a final term paper, a chapter from an undergraduate thesis, undergraduate capstone paper, a paper submitted for publishing, etc.) and the content does not need to be related to Latin America. The writing sample must be in English.
  4. Three letters of recommendation. CLAS strongly recommends that at least two of the letters of recommendation be from former or current professors who can speak about your academic strengths. CLAS also recommends that at least one letter from a professor in your major. However, letters from professional contacts will also be considered.
  5. Transcript(s): You must provide your unofficial Stanford transcript, as well as the unofficial transcript for any post-secondary institution where you were previously enrolled in a degree program. Please visit the Stanford Student Services Coterm Application Process webpage for further details.
  6. Program Proposal: The coterm preliminary program proposal is a list of all Stanford courses you have taken previously or plan to take in the future to fulfill degree requirements for the master’s program.

Stanford does not accept paper supplementary materials. Applicants are expected to upload copies of all their materials to their online application.

GRE Test Scores

The GRE general test scores are optional for this program.

Coterm Course Transfer

Coterminal students in Latin American Studies can count coursework taken in the three quarters immediately before their first graduate quarter toward their graduate degree. Summer quarter or a term on an approved leave of absence are not included in the three-quarter back count. Transfer of courses between the undergraduate and graduate careers requires review and approval by both the undergraduate and graduate departments. 

Courses cannot be transferred once the undergraduate degree is conferred. All course transfer requests must be submitted to the Student Services Center no later than the Late Application to Graduate Deadline of the intended bachelor’s degree conferral quarter. The Coterminal Course Transfer Form form is used to move courses from one career to another (for example, undergraduate to graduate career). 

For Further Information:

Contact CLAS Academic and Student Services at latinamerica [at] stanford.edu (subject: MA%20application%20inquiry) (latinamerica[at]stanford[dot]edu)

Please do not contact us to inquire about your application status. We will contact you if any part of the application is incomplete. Admissions decisions are sent out each year in March.