Degree Title and Name:  Master of Arts in International Studies

Program Name and Number:  Latin American Studies – MA4207

Department/Unit:  Center for International Studies

Delivery Mode:  Athens Campus

Term(s) of Entry:  Fall

Program Overview:  Latin American Studies is an interdisciplinary master’s degree program that promotes a greater understanding of Latin America within a context of regional and global change. Latin American Studies offers its students a diverse academic and work environment and a range of opportunities for intellectual exchange, research collaborations, internships, study abroad, and language acquisition. Masters students in Latin American Studies take a combination of Latin America-content core courses and have the opportunity to pursue a field of specialization in a discipline or theme that caters to their particular intellectual and professional interests. The different components of the Latin American Studies program enable students to acquire a specific set of skills and to learn to apply their acquired knowledge to the study and critical analysis of the region, its people, culture, and realities. The field of specialization also facilitates the completion of a graduate certificate program, such as Development Practice, Environmental Sustainability, Museum Studies, Women and Gender Studies, or others. Finally, the methods course and graduate seminar requirements ensure students get the methodological, theoretical, and critical thinking skills they need to succeed academically and professionally.

The program is normally completed in 4 semesters, or two academic years.

Program Learning Outcomes:  The CIS M.A. programs provide students with a strong grounding in core disciplines while giving them the opportunity to form their course of study around their professional and academic goals. Students can enroll in courses offered by a range of schools and departments across the university in disciplines of their interest. This flexible design of graduate curricula supports individualized learning experiences across disciplinary boundaries and allows student to take courses and capstone options that help them achieve and demonstrate the CIS M.A. learning outcomes below:

• Students will be able to synthesize core area or international studies concepts and theories within multiple disciplinary subfields, and acquire the skills to apply and evaluate these concepts to global opportunities and challenges.
• Students will be able to develop effective written and oral communication skills, characterized by the ability to write and present in the styles and forms that are acceptable in the professional world and/or for research in international studies.
• Students will be able to develop an effective research skill and demonstrate it in their capstone experience.

Link to Program:  https://www.ohio.edu/global/cis/las/

Link to Program Handbook:  https://www.ohio.edu/global/cis/las/student-handbook.cfm

Graduation Requirements:  A minimum of 48 credit hours and a capstone project, with an overall minimum 3.0 GPA or better, no grade below C, and no more than 2 grades below B is necessary to complete the master’s program in Latin American Studies (LAS).

1. Core course
   • 12 credit hours (if doing a thesis/project)
   • 15 credit hours (if taking comps option) 
2. Two Latin American-content graduate seminar (6-8 credit hours)
3. One methods graduate course (3-4 credit hours)
4. 12 credit hours of coursework in a field of specialization
5. Capstone option (only 8 credit hours count towards graduation requirement):
6. Fluency in one Latin American language (usually Spanish or Portuguese): This requirement may be fulfilled through native proficiency, testing, or the successful completion of at least two years of college course work with a grade of “B” or better. Students admitted to the program with the required language skills are encouraged to pursue a second Latin American language. Credit hours of language courses will count towards the 48-total credit hours students are required to complete; up to 3 credit hours of language can count towards the field of specialization requirement.

Culminating Experience:  A capstone project will be due in the final semester of the program. The capstone can take the format of a comprehensive exam, professional project, or a thesis.

• Comprehensive Exams: students complete two four-hour written exams, one in their field of specialization and the other in a core discipline of their choice, and an oral exam during their final semester.
• Professional Project: students work with a faculty advisor to develop a creative, research, or community outreach project, among other possibilities, and prepare a 25-50 page narrative describing their project goals, methodology, outcomes, and relevance to the field of Latin American Studies.
• Thesis: students work closely with a faculty advisor to develop their research agenda and produce a master’s thesis that satisfies the academic expectations of the program and contributes a scholarly discussion to the field of Latin American Studies. Students who wish to pursue this option should see the program director early in their first semester to discuss the possibilities and also consult the Thesis and Dissertation (TAD) guidelines on the Graduate College website.

Admission Requirements: Admission requirements, beyond the university minimum of a 4-year bachelor’s degree or its equivalent and a TOEFL of 80 or above for non-native English speakers, are

• Three letters of recommendation (applicants must list three letter writers on their online application; letter writers will be invited to submit their recommendations online.)
• Curriculum Vitae or Resume.
• Statement of purpose.
• Autobiographical sketch.

International Students: This program permits full-time enrollment in residence at Ohio University, and an I-20 may be issued based on admission to this program.