MARSLAC Degree Requirements & Curriculum Design

Written in conjunction with the core seminars and under the supervision of the MA program director and a faculty co-advisor, the thesis will deal with a historical or contemporary topic that focuses on Latin America and the Caribbean. The director of graduate studies serves as the primary thesis supervisor, while students also work with a co-advisor with relevant expertise as an additional mentor.

The M.A. thesis is meant to demonstrate the student’s ability to apply formal training in Latin American and Caribbean studies toward a specific and original research problem. The thesis must be an original piece of research, interpretation, or analysis based, at least in part, on primary source materials. Students may take a comparative, critical approach to extant research and scholarship; analyze data already collected by others; or test established theories in new situations. Master’s students who conduct research involving human subjects for a thesis are required to apply to the Institutional Review Board for exemption or approval prior to engaging in the human subjects component of their research.

If students require more than two semesters to complete a satisfactory thesis, they can do so in consultation with the director of graduate studies and their faculty co-advisor. The deadline to submit the final thesis is September 15 for October graduation and November 15 for February graduation.

The MARSLAC Thesis Guidelines for Co-Advisors and Students contain complete information on requirements, formatting, deadlines, and advisement.

Upon entering the program, students select two concentrations, or main areas of study; these can be a country or group of countries, discipline, topic, or problem. Students must take two classes on each concentration.

The Institute compiles a list of designated or eligible courses on Latin America in anthropology, economics, history, business, political science, and other Arts and Sciences departments as well as Columbia’s graduate schools of business, international affairs, law, and education. Students can also take methodological courses to help develop their thesis research as long as they produce papers or reports focused on Latin American themes. To ensure that the depth of training is balanced with a breadth of courses in different topics, students should consult with the director of graduate studies to select a combination of concentration courses that together cover multiple countries, regions, and time periods.

In cases where there is a lack of relevant courses to fulfill specialization requirements, the program advisor can approve individual reading courses. Students can take any Latin American or Caribbean course in addition to the concentration courses to complete the 30 credits required for graduation, with the exceptions noted below.

See current and recent graduate course offerings in Latin American and Caribbean studies

Up to two elective courses that do not pertain specifically to Latin America and the Caribbean but support disciplinary interests and research skills development may be taken with the prior approval of the director of graduate studies. Any graduate-level course in any department or school of the University may qualify as an elective. In those courses, the student must produce a research paper of direct relevance to Latin America and the Caribbean.

For students that would like to develop their skills in quantitative research methods to complement area studies coursework there are a variety of options.  Potential options include quantitative methods courses in the Departments of Sociology or Political Science. There is also the option of taking courses through the QMSS (Quantitative Methods in the Social Sciences) Masters program, including a course focused on social science theory and research design (Theory and Methodology, QMSS GR5010) and a statistical methods course (Data Analysis Requirement, QMSS GR5015). Participation in these courses is subject to availability and approval of the MA Program Director and course instructor, and based on the student's prior relevant coursework and quantitative background.

See the complete Columbia course catalog for additional course offerings

Students must demonstrate intermediate or advanced proficiency (in accordance with ACTFL standards) in either Spanish or Portuguese through a proficiency test administered by the Department of Latin American and Iberian Cultures; or by completing a 4000-level Spanish or Portuguese class with a grade of B or above. Only 4000-level language courses count toward the 30-point requirement, and no more than two language classes may be counted toward the degree requirement.

MARSLAC students are not required to take the undergraduate placement examination, but it is helpful if a graduate student wants to determine their level prior to the reading exam. Students must score higher than 625 points to demonstrate an intermediate-advanced level in Spanish or Portuguese. Students scoring below 625 will be placed in the appropriate elementary or intermediate course.

With prior approval from the director of graduate studies, native speakers and those with demonstrable extensive prior language experience may place out of this requirement. Other hemispheric languages may be used if they are directly relevant to the student’s research, i.e., French for French-speaking Caribbean countries.

All students must register for the appropriate residence unit every semester. All students must satisfy two RUs in order to graduate. Details can be found on the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences website.