The MA Program in Latin American & Caribbean Studies is
a two-year interdisciplinary area and ethnic studies program with major
strengths in the following areas: development studies, Mesoamerican anthropology,
women's studies, migration studies, U.S. Latino Studies, and Puerto Rican
studies. LACS is recognized as a viable alternative to the single department/discipline-based
structures that dominate most university settings. "Alternative" does not
mean substitution; it means a valid, different model with its own set of
persuasive advantages. These advantages include paradigmatic shifts in the
context of scholarship, a novel and inclusive curriculum and perspectives
for undergraduate and graduate education, as well as research in frontier
territory not charted inside structures that are more conventional.
When compared to other U.S. programs of its kind, our programs provide a unique integration of area studies and ethnic studies. Beyond that, LACS multidisciplinary approaches are integral to its impressive applied research and service outreach activities to institutions in Latin America and the Caribbean and in local, national, and international multi cultural communities. A limited number of assistantships and fellowships are available for new students on a competitive basis. Graduate students receiving these awards must maintain good academic standing and will be subject to annual review. The maximum assistantship/ fellowhship allowed will be two years for the M.A. and two years for the Ph.D.
Students who are not residents of New York State and
are awarded an assistantship or fellowhsip grant will receive out-of-state
tuition waivers for the first academic year only. During this first
year of study, the student must establish permanent residency in New York
State by processing all required materials to establish residency. For
information on state residency guidelines and procedures, please refer to
the Office of Student Accounts webside NYS Residency.
Please note that you must change your permanent addresss to a New
York State location shortly after your arrival, and change your driver's
license as well. Should you qualify for a second year of grant funding,
your residency would have to be in place because tuition waivers for the
second year will cover only in-state tuition.
The Master of Arts Program
will provide students who want to work in fields involving the Latin American
or the Caribbean regions with a broad humanistic and social scientific
knowledge. There is an emphasis on Latin American and Caribbean culture
and social processes, and problem-related or area-focused training to prepare
students for professional research and policy-oriented careers in federal
and state government, international organizations, foreign service, the
private sector, and in areas such as education, business, journalism, social
work, translation, law, and many other employment opportunities that require
knowledge of the Latin American and Caribbean populations, and the U.S.
immigrant populations from these regions.
Comprehensive knowledge
of the area will be achieved through core interdisciplinary courses. In
addition to the core courses offered by the Department of Latin American
and Caribbean Studies, students will choose from related courses offered
by the departments of Anthropology, History, Geography and Planning, Hispanic
Studies (Spanish and Portuguese language and literature), Political Science,
Sociology, Economics, Education, Music, Africana Studies, and Women's Studies.
Instruction will also cover research methodology, both quantitative and
qualitative, and issues in cross-cultural communication. The program will
provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate their ability to apply
their knowledge and skills in the form of a written master's project that
addresses specific issues and problems related to these regions.
Of all the State University of New York Centers, the University at Albany has the strongest interdisciplinary faculty with expertise in Latin America and the Caribbean.Currently more than twenty highly qualified faculty specialists are affiliated with the department, representing eleven disciplines and four colleges.