Choose an M.A. in LACIS at UW-Madison to:
- Design a course of study that supports your intellectual pursuits or your professional goals
- Learn from over one hundred world-renowned faculty at one of the greatest research universities globally
- Apply for competitive opportunities for financial support (see funding below)
- Experience public programming that brings to your attention current affairs and most debated issues in the Luso-Hispanic World
M.A. in Latin American, Caribbean, and Iberian Studies
Our interdisciplinary Latin American, Caribbean, and Iberian Studies (LACIS) M.A. Program guides students to focus on specific problems of Latin American reality rather than particular fields. We also offer ample opportunities for students seeking a solid foundation in the history and contemporary sociocultural, environmental and political dynamics of the region.
Our 30-credits M.A. Program fosters research skills, under the guidance of the Program directors and our over one hundred affiliated faculty. It is ideal for students intending to pursue a Ph.D., as well as professionals seeking regional knowledge. Our graduates are prepared for careers in government, public policy, nonprofit organizations, journalism, education, the private sector, and academia.
Students complete an interdisciplinary research seminar (LACIS 982, taught by the faculty director or an our affiliated LACIS faculty member) that introduces them to main areas of research on Latin America (three credits). Twenty-one credits are fulfilled by classes selected with guidance from the Program Directors, best suited to one’s interests, that can be chosen from a wide array of departments. These classes may include language courses. All graduate students develop proficiency in Spanish and/or Portuguese. We also offer Yucatec Maya and Ecuadorian Quichua classes on our campus, thanks to the U.S. Department of Education Title VI grant. The remaining six credits are fulfilled by research and thesis writing under the guidance of the faculty forming the M.A. committee selected by the student from among our affiliated faculty.
Our over one hundred Affiliated faculty members’ research focuses on a great variety of areas, including Mexico, Brazil, Ecuador, Colombia, Argentina, Chile, Peru, the Caribbean, as well as Spain, with thematic areas such as (1) environment and development, (2) immigration, (3) history and culture (including languages, literatures, film and arts), (4) politics, law and media studies, (5) race and indigeneity, (6) agriculture and health, (7) gender, and (8) education.
We offer inspiring speakers’ series (LACIS lunchtime talks) every Tuesday from 12:00-1:00pm that bring scholars, activists and public figures to present their work. Graduate students can participate in this lunchtime talk series for credit through the class LACIS 440, or they can participate voluntarily as their schedule allows.
Madison is a home of a vibrant Hispanic community, with its own radio program, and cultural center. The University of Wisconsin, Madison is a major research university with a world-class library housing the Ibero-American Studies Collection.
Top graduate students admitted to LACIS may receive fellowships (Helen Franklin Firstbrook; Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) and Graduate Research Scholar fellowships (for qualifying applicants) that fund the first or second year of their M.A. Other options of funding include Teaching Assistantships in other departments. All qualifying graduate students in the LACIS program may receive funding from the Tinker-Nave Short-Term Field Research Grant program to engage in fieldwork over the summer, and work closely with faculty members to shape and implement their research ideas. There are also many internships, and other research opportunities both in Latin America and Spain available to M.A. students.
Our program is small with a vibrant community life. Students receive personal attention from LACIS directors and staff and during the in-person instruction meet often for Tuesday lunches and lectures.
We also offer a Dual Degree Program in LACIS and Law.
Additional information can be found on the Graduate School website HERE.
Minimum criteria for admission to the Program are as follows:
- a 3.0-grade point average in undergraduate work
- three strong letters of recommendation; and
- presentation of GRE scores*
There is no specific level of language proficiency required for admission, but entering students must take a proficiency exam in Spanish or Portuguese during the third or fourth week of their first semester. If they do not meet the proficiency requirement at that time, they will be expected to take courses on a remedial basis leading to the required level. The deadline for admission applications that include a request for fellowship consideration is January 5. The deadline for the fall semester is January 5.
*GRE scores are not necessary for acceptance into the LACIS MA Program; however, we encourage you to submit them in order to increase your chances for a fellowship.
If you are in the process of applying to our Program and have additional questions, you may contact the Graduate School for information about the status of your application.
- Core Graduate Course Work (50%) Half of degree course work (15 credits out of 30 total credits) must be completed in courses: numbered 700 and above; or numbered 300-699 that are specifically designed for graduate students in a graduate program; or numbered 300-699 that assess graduate students separately from undergraduate students; or numbered 300-699 that have a graduate student enrollment >50% in any given semester.
- All M.A. students are required to complete LACIS 982 [interdisciplinary/interdepartmental seminar] taught by a LACIS affiliated faculty member, as a part of their core graduate course work.
- Support Program Graduate Course Work (50%) Half of degree course work (15 credits), 12 credits of courses 300 or above, or Foreign Language and Area studies approved language courses.
If you would like to apply for admission to our program, please click HERE.
LACIS Faculty Director, Sara McKinnon, and LACIS Associate Director, Alberto Vargas, are the temporary advisors for all graduate students in the Program until students formalize an advisor for their MA thesis. Current and prospective students will consult with them on requirements and to provide an overview of possible course offerings.
Students should make an appointment with one of them each semester, before registering for classes, to review their plan of study. It is the student’s responsibility to contact the LACIS office if there are discrepancies in their degree summary.
In addition, students are to reach out to a second advisor in their field of concentration who will serve as advisor for their MA thesis. LACIS faculty directors will assist in the process of identifying a potential second advisor within the student’s field of concentration, and facilitating communication between the student and potential second advisor.
Under normal circumstances, the M.A. degree coursework is completed in 3 semesters, and in the 4th semester, M.A. students will take thesis credit to finish their thesis and M.A. examination. After four semesters the student must petition for an extension. Students must also petition for part-time (less than 6 credits per semester) status.
A minimum 3.0-grade point average must be maintained each semester or the student will be placed on academic probation. In exceptional cases, the LACIS directors may agree to extend the probation period by one semester. In order to return to good standing, the student must obtain grades the following semester sufficient to average out to a 3.0 during the two semesters combined. Failure to do so will result in the student’s being dropped from the Program. Any student who has not removed an Incomplete one semester after it is incurred will also be put on probation. After two semesters from the time of incurring the Incomplete, the student will be dropped from the Program. If the student believes that extenuating circumstances should be considered, s/he may appeal to the Executive Committee.
There are two options to complete the M.A. program in the fourth semester of a student’s time in the program: 1. M.A. Thesis, or 2. M.A. comprehensive examination.
An M.A. Thesis or M.A. Comprehensive Examinations are generally done in the student’s fourth semester of study. Prior to the fourth semester, students should confer with one of the LACIS directors and the advisor in the student’s area of concentration to see if they are ready to take this step. Early in the semester in which students intend to take exams or write a thesis, they should notify the Graduate Coordinator of the composition of the MA committee (which should include the advisor in the student’s area of concentration and two additional committee members) and a date for the exam. The committee should be composed of faculty members from at least two different departments. When it makes sense to the student’s areas of emphasis, one of the LACIS directors may serve as one of the three committee members, though it is not a requirement.
M.A. Thesis: With the thesis option, students should work with their area concentration advisor to develop one of their seminar papers, or a project they did during summer field work, into an article length thesis project. In consultation with their area concentration advisor, the student should approach two other faculty members to serve as committee members for an MA defense later in the spring semester or in the summer term.
M.A. Comprehensive Examinations: In the case of comprehensive examinations, the committee will ask the student oral questions pertinent to their coursework and areas of concentration. The oral examination of questions and answers will last 1-hour long. Students will work with the committee to develop a reading list for the comprehensive exams based on the courses they have taken during the completion of their degree, or from a paper written by the student. Possible grades on the exam and thesis are Pass, Deficient, and Fail. A student receiving a Deficient may retake the exam or re-defend the thesis within the following semester. Members of the examination committee will provide recommendations for making up deficiencies. A Failure will result in the student’s being dropped from the Program. An appeal to the Executive Committee is possible but only on procedural grounds. That is, the student must present evidence that the committee conducted the examination unfairly. Failure to pass a second time will result in the student’s being dropped from the Program.
Steps to completing the M.A. Program
To complete a thesis or take comprehensive exams, a student must be in good standing (see above for description of criteria for good standing) and must have completed the basic and specific area course requirements. An outstanding grade of incomplete will bar a student from taking exams or having theses evaluated.
At least three weeks prior to the student’s scheduled oral examination the student will request a warrant from the Graduate Coordinator. This request will be forwarded to the graduate school for review to ensure all requirements are met. If there are any incompletes or unpaid fees the graduate school or program office will contact the student. When all requirements are met, the graduate school will send the warrant to the program electronically for the warrant to be signed upon competition of the comprehensive examination or thesis defense.
Students who will not be enrolled in the semester in which they intend to graduate may petition to the Graduate School for permission to pay a degree completion fee instead. The LACIS directors should be notified in the preceding semester so s/he can process the request.
The student, in consultation with their area concentration advisor, is responsible for selecting and confirming their committee members. The final M.A. thesis or reading list should be reviewed by your area concentration advisor and given approval to share with the full committee. The M.A. thesis or reading list should be shared with the full committee at least 10 days before the scheduled defense.
The LACIS Program Coordinator will request the degree warrant which will be emailed directly to committee members for electronic signature after the exam. The diploma will be issued three to four months after the end of the student’s last semester.
The expectation for the comprehensive exams defense or thesis defense is that it will take place in person in campus, with at least the student and the advisor present. That said, when factoring in the timing of the defense, availability of the participants, etc., exceptions and accommodations for virtual defenses can be made at the discretion of the student’s area concentration advisor in consultation with one of the LACIS directors.
Comprehensive exam defenses may not be recorded unless an exception has been approved in writing at an earlier date by each committee member.
- Fellowships
Fellowship applicants must submit all application materials by January 5th; earlier submission of materials is extremely helpful to our staff. Transcripts, GRE scores and letters of recommendation submitted for the admission application will be used for the fellowship competitions as well. There are no fellowship funds available for spring semester applicants. Unless otherwise stated, foreign students are eligible for these awards if their undergraduate institution’s language of instruction was English, or if they have completed at least two semesters at an institution in the U.S. Full-time registration (9-12 graduate credits) is required for all of these awards.
The following fellowships require that you be nominated by the LACIS Admissions and Fellowships Committee. Students will be considered for all awards for which they are eligible if they check the “Fellowships” box on the Graduate School application form.
- Teaching Assistantships
- LACIS does not have Teaching Assistantship (TA) positions to offer our MA students, but many of our MA students find teaching positions outside of the department in order to pay their tuition and earn money. In particular, large departments such as English, Communication Arts, Sociology, and others can be a good place to look for TA positions. The LACIS faculty directors will share opportunities for these TA positions to admitted MA students with an interest in teaching. Admitted students can also look for opportunities on UW-Madison’s Student Jobs Board.
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Graduate Research Scholar (GRS) Fellowships
Graduate Research Scholar fellowships (also called GRS or AOF) support underrepresented students. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or U.S. permanent residents. The award covers out-of-state tuition and includes an additional stipend for incoming fellows.
- Additional Awards
LACIS endowments provide support for a modest number of supplemental awards. LACIS will consider eligible students for these awards if they check the “Fellowships Box.” The student must initiate an application for the following award:
Foreign Language and Area Studies Graduate Fellowships (HEA Title VI) – FLAS
This competition is funded by the U.S. Department of Education to encourage training in language and area studies. The LACIS Fellowships Committee follows the U.S.D.E. priorities for languages and disciplines in making these awards. For the Latin American area, priority is given to applicants in Brazilian Portuguese and Quechua; awards are not made to study Spanish. These awards cover tuition and fees plus a stipend ($20,000 for 2023-2024) for Graduate students, and up to $10,000 towards tuition (and a $5,000 stipend) for Undergraduates. Fellows must register full-time, taking at least one language course and one related area studies course each semester. Foreign students are not eligible. Applications are available online at flas.wisc.edu in early December and are due in early February. Please note: to use summer FLAS fellowships abroad, students must be eligible for advanced language training.
For further information and assistance about financial aid please visit the Office of Student Financial Aid.
Do you have more questions? We may have the answer HERE!