Degree Requirements for AY 2025-26
The one-year program requires completion of 48 graduate units, including the language requirement. Upon entering, each student is assigned a faculty advisor who works with the student to develop a customized program of study. Students are required to take three core courses in three fields of specialization, at least three more courses in any of the fields of specialization from related curriculum approved courses, and three elective courses in any academic field from across the university's offerings. The fields of specialization are Culture and Society; Environment, Ecology and Sustainability; and Political Economy.
Core Courses
Culture and Society:
ILAC 361 - Modern Latin American Literature (Autumn 2025, 5 units)
Environment, Ecology and Sustainability:
HISTORY 378 - The Historical Ecology of Latin America (Winter 2026, 5 units)
Political Economy:
- LATINAM 343 - Political Economy of Latin America (Spring 2026, 5 units)
Related Courses
Students must take a minimum of 15 units, selecting from courses listed within the three fields of specialization (Culture and Society; Environment, Ecology and Sustainability; and/or Political Economy) in the related curriculum with the guidance of the faculty advisor. Students may see the list of approved courses on the LAS MA Stanford Bulletin page.
By filling out the CLAS Course Petition Form, students may petition for courses outside these lists to count toward this requirement.
Elective Courses
Students must take 9-15 units of elective courses from across the university’s offerings, selected with guidance and approval from the faculty advisor to further inform student academic interests. All academic courses for the MA degree must be at the 100-level or higher, with at least half being at the 200-level or higher.
Language Requirement
In addition to the 45 units of required content coursework, at least three units of coursework on a second Latin American language are required. Students proficient in Spanish and Portuguese might take either an advanced fourth-year language course in either Spanish or Portuguese or a first year of a non-commonly taught language of Latin America (i.e., Quechua, Nahuatl, or Haitian Creole). Students proficient in only Spanish or Portuguese must take an introductory course in a second Latin American spoken language.
Up to six additional units of foreign language coursework may be applied toward the elective field unit requirements. All foreign language coursework must be taken at the 100-level or higher. A maximum of nine units can count towards the degree between the language requirement and additional units.
English as a Foreign Language (EFS) courses do not count towards the language requirement, nor towards the total amount of required units. Academic Year FLLAS fellowship recipients must take a language course each quarter (A, W, S).
Latin American Studies Seminar Requirements
Students must enroll each quarter in a one-unit seminar: LATINAM200 - Seminar on Contemporary Issues in Latin American Studies where invited scholars present lectures on major Latin American themes and topics, followed by questions and discussion.
Students also must enroll in a writing seminar: LATINAM397 - Graduate Writing Seminar for Latin American Studies aims to provide time and space for students to develop their research question and outline in tandem with building their literature review. This serves as the foundation for writing the M.A. thesis or capstone paper.
Unit Requirement
The program requires completion of a minimum of 48 graduate units, including the language requirement. All courses for the M.A. degree must be at the 100-level or higher, with at least half being at the 200-level or higher
Master of Arts Capstone or Thesis Requirement
Students must either work on a capstone or thesis research project, in consultation with the faculty advisor, and submit a final paper.
- Students working on a capstone may register for LATINAM398 - Master’s Thesis and Thesis Research for up to three units under the guidance of an Academic Council faculty member.
- Students working on a thesis may register for LATINAM 398 - Master’s Thesis and Thesis Research for up to six units of thesis research under the guidance of an Academic Council faculty member.
LATINAM 398 units must be taken for letter grade and may count towards the related courses unit requirement.
Each student will have the opportunity to present their research at the CLAS Master of Arts Research Symposium held in Spring Quarter.
Grade Requirements
All courses to be counted toward the master's degree must be taken for a letter grade and earn a 'B-' or higher. The only exceptions are Law School courses and courses in the Graduate School of Business (GSB).
Candidates must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.
CLAS Academic Resources
Master of Arts Handbook:
Consult the handbook for program-specific policies, procedures, and information to successfully navigate your degree.
Latin American Studies MA Program Proposal:
Use this tool to help plan your academic year.
Use this Google Form to petition a course to count towards your degree.
For Further Information:
Contact CLAS Academic and Student Services at latinamerica [at] stanford.edu (subject: MA%20application%20inquiry) (latinamerica[at]stanford[dot]edu)
Helpful Stanford Resources:
Students Resources from the School of Humanities and Sciences