新墨西哥大學

The Master of Arts (MA) in Latin American Studies (MALAS) 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. The program encourages students to design an interdisciplinary program of study that reflect their particular interests. LAS concentrations allow students to customize their individual program of study to best suit their academic and professional goals while also developing valuable research skills and in-depth knowledge. The MALAS is used by some students to prepare for graduate training in a specific discipline at the PhD level or in a professional school. Other students use the MALAS as an entry-level degree for careers in government service, teaching, business, travel and tourism, advocacy, or inter-American organizations.

Degree Requirements

The MALAS program requires 36 credit hours of coursework and the completion of either a thesis (Plan I) or a capstone project/comprehensive examination (Plan II) in their chosen concentration.

Plan I: 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). Three credit hours from the chosen concentration requirement must be devoted to a methods course that advances the student's inquiry of study. 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.

Plan II: 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). Three credit hours from the chosen concentration requirement must be devoted to a methods course that advances the student's inquiry of study. Plan II students complete a capstone project or comprehensive examination focused on the concentration area.

Environmental Governance & 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 departments of Anthropology, Communication & Journalism, Community & Regional Planning, Geography & Environmental Studies, Political Science, and Sociology, as well as from the School of Public Administration and the College of Population Health. The concentration is recommended for students participating in the MALAS/MCRP dual degree program, the MALAS/MPH dual degree program, or for those pursuing a career in health-related fields.