Frequently Asked Questions for Admissions

Stanford coterminal applicants must have a minimum GPA of 3.5

For all other applicants, there is no minimum GPA required for admission into the Master's program. However, strong applications usually include strong GPAs as well.

To be eligible for graduate study at Stanford, you must demonstrate sufficient proficiency to read English with ease, understand rapid idiomatic English as used in lectures and group discussions, and express thoughts quickly and clearly in spoken and written English.

You are not required to submit English proficiency test scores if you meet one or more of the following criteria:

• You are a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
• Your first language is English.
• You earned a U.S. bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree, or international equivalent from a university where all instruction was conducted in English.
• You have two or more consecutive years of professional or educational experience in English, in the past 10 years.

You will not be required to submit English proficiency test scores in the application if your responses on the Personal Background page reflect that you meet the above criteria; no additional documentation is required at the time of application. If you are offered admission and accept the offer, you may be required to submit supporting documentation as a condition of admission. Please refer to Graduate Admissions to see which applicants need to submit scores.

At the time of application, you are required to submit an official test score from the Test of English as a Foreign Language Internet-Based Test (TOEFL iBT) or the International English Language Testing System Academic Test (IELTS Academic).

TOEFL: 100

IELTS: 7.5

If accepted into the program, you will be required to take the English Placement Test if you earned a score below 109 (TOEFL) / 8 (IELTS) at the time of application. There are no exceptions to this requirement, even for those who score just below the cutoff. 

The test takes place shortly before the first quarter of graduate study and is administered by the English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Program, who will determine whether language courses are required or recommended to support the student’s success in the graduate program.

Stanford considers English proficiency test scores to be valid for two years. See below for the earliest test date Stanford considers TOEFL/IELTS scores to be valid.

Required Applications Materials for Non-coterminal Applicants

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 MA 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. Applicants who no longer have access to materials from their undergraduate career will need to write one that meets the application requirement.
4. Three letters of recommendation. CLAS strongly recommends that at least two of the letters of recommendation be from professors who can speak about your academic strengths.   
5. Transcript(s): You must list and provide your unofficial transcript for every post-secondary institution where you were enrolled — or are currently enrolled — in an undergraduate or graduate degree program. Please visit the Graduate Admissions Transcripts webpage for further details. Official transcripts are requested should we make an offer of admission.

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

GRE & English Proficiency Test Scores

• The GRE general test scores are optional for this program.
• To be eligible for graduate study at Stanford, applicants must demonstrate sufficient proficiency to read English with ease, understand rapid idiomatic English as used in lectures and group discussions, and express thoughts quickly and clearly in spoken and written English. Please refer to Graduate Admissions to see which applicants need to submit scores.

Required Applications Materials for Coterminal Applicants

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.

Students do not need to be native speakers but should have a proficient knowledge (university third-year level) so that they are fairly confident in being able to both converse and read in that language. All required courses are taught in English (except for language courses), however, some content (readings, films, lectures) may be in another language on occasion (most often Spanish when this occurs).

While there is no set standard for the type of connection a student has with Latin America or Iberia, consideration will be given for those students with a history of having worked, lived, and/or studied in Latin America or Iberia.

Applicants are expected to upload copies of all their materials to their online applications.

Official transcripts are also required upon admittance into the program, and should be delivered either via Certified Electronic Transcript or official hardcopy via mail directly to Graduate Admissions.

Fee waivers are available for some applicants. Please visit Graduate Admissions for information on applying for an Application Fee Waiver.

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. 

No, the Latin American Studies Admissions Committee will only accept writing samples in English.

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. Applicants who no longer have access to materials from their undergraduate career will need to write one that meets the application requirement.

CLAS strongly recommends that at least two of the letters of recommendation be from professors who can speak about your academic strengths. However, letters from professional contacts will also be considered.

Yes, the Latin American Studies Admissions Committee accepts letters of recommendation written in English, Spanish, or Portuguese.

Yes, if an institution you attended issues transcripts in a language other than English, originals must be submitted along with official translations.

Please consult the Graduate Admissions website for more information about transcript requirements.
 

Stanford Graduate Admissions requires that applicants have completed (or expect to complete before enrollment) a bachelor’s degree (or the foreign equivalent). The Center for Latin American Studies welcomes applicants with degrees in any discipline. Previously admitted students have entered with degrees in fields including but not limited to International Relations, Art, Spanish, Political Science, Environmental Studies, and Anthropology.

Please note that applicants with undergraduate degrees in Latin American Studies are generally not encouraged to apply, since the M.A. in Latin American Studies at Stanford is designed as an introduction to the discipline. Exceptions may occasionally be made for applicants to joint (J.D.-M.A.) or dual (M.D.-M.A. or M.B.A.-M.A.) degree programs.

Applicants must meet the University admission requirements, have a working knowledge of Spanish, Portuguese, Haitian Creole, or an indigenous language of Latin America (e.g., Quechua or Nahuatl) at the university third-year level or higher, and have experience working, living, or studying in Latin America or Iberia prior to admission.

In general, applicants who have already completed an advanced degree are generally not encouraged to apply to the M.A. in Latin American Studies. However, the program may be appropriate for an applicant whose previous advanced degree is in a very different field, such as business, engineering, or fine art. We encourage you to peruse through our website to see if this program fits your needs.

All students take the same three core courses: One each in Culture and Society; Environment, Ecology, and Sustainability; and Political Economy. Core courses may vary slightly from year to year but can be expected to be very similar (if not identical). Click here to see the Core Courses offered in the current school year.

All students take the same Latin American Studies seminars: LATINAM 200 and 397.

Students must take at least 15 units of related courses, one in each of the three areas listed above or, if a concentration is desired, in one of those areas, from an approved related course list. Course offerings vary somewhat from year to year. Click here to see approved Related Courses offered for the current school year.

Students must take 9-15 units of elective courses from across the university’s academic offerings in consultation with their faculty advisor(s) and CLAS Academic and Student Services.

Lastly, students must take at least 3 units of language.

The Center for Latin American Studies provides several graduate fellowships as well as limited course assistantships with the Tinker Visiting Professors each quarter. Domestic and international M.A. applicants who wish to be considered for financial aid during the admissions review process can simply indicate this when prompted on the online application.

M.A. in Latin American Studies applicants who plan to enroll in Portuguese, Quechua, Nahuatl, or Haitian Creole language courses may be eligible for Academic Year Foreign Language and Latin American Studies (FLLAS) fellowships. Recipients of FLLAS fellowships must enroll in language training during the academic year (A,W, S). Applicants to the M.A. program who can demonstrate financial need have priority for FLLAS fellowship funding. For detailed program information and eligibility, see the FLLAS Fellowship section in the Center for Latin American Studies website.

The Stanford Latin American Studies Master's program is a full-time program. We do not have a part time option at this time.

We recommend you consult the Stanford School of Humanities and Sciences Guide on Getting Into Grad School.

For general questions about Stanford graduate admissions, contact Graduate Admissions.

For further questions about the Master's in Latin American Studies,  please contact CLAS Academic and Student Services at latinamerica [at] stanford.edu (latinamerica[at]stanford[dot]edu).