The program leading to the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Spanish with a specialty track in Latin American, Caribbean, and U.S. Latino Studies requires a total of 60 graduate credits (30 beyond the Master’s) for completion of the degree. The Department of Latin American, Caribbean, and U.S. Latino Studies (LACS) administers this specialty. Students who hold an M.A. degree in LACS (30 credits) will have to complete a minimum of 30 additional credits and satisfy all degree requirements. Students who hold an M.A. degree in any other appropriate field will need to complete a minimum of 30 additional credits and satisfy all degree requirements. This Ph.D. specialty is conceived of as qualitatively different from conventional language and literature programs. Its originality lies in the integration of area and ethnic studies within a disciplinary framework that includes the humanities as well as the social sciences. The program of study reflects a theoretical emphasis on how citizenship and nationality, race and ethnicity, and gender and sexuality shape cultural, historical, socioeconomic, political, and educational processes. The program also pays attention to how globalization, migration, and transnationalism are forging new hemispheric visions of Latin American and Caribbean Studies. In light of this reality, our research and teaching agenda is also focused on the U.S. Latino experience and its relationship to the countries of origin. This feature of our program reflects faculty interest and expertise and distinguishes us from other institutions in the field of Latin American, Caribbean, and U.S. Latino Studies.
The program is a viable alternative to the single department/discipline based structures that are prevalent in most universities. "Alternative" does not mean substitution; it means a valid, complementary, and different model with its own set of persuasive advantages. These advantages include paradigmatic shifts in the context of scholarship, a novel and inclusive curriculum, as well as research in frontier territory not chartered inside more conventional structures. LACS' interdisciplinary approaches are integral to its impressive basic and applied research and service outreach activities to institutions in Latin America and the Caribbean and in local, national, and international multicultural communities.
Some of the main areas of expertise of LACS faculty include Latin American political economy: women, gender and sexuality studies; cultural studies, globalization and migration studies, race and racism, Mesoamerican anthropology, labor and class, Caribbean literature, education, Latin American, Caribbean and Latino politics. The department will identify study abroad and field research opportunities. The Department of Latin American, Caribbean, and U.S. Latino Studies (LACS) at the University at Albany is the oldest, largest, and most comprehensive program of its kind within the SUNY system. It is one of the few academic departments nationally that offers an M.A. degree and a graduate certificate in Latin American and Caribbean Studies, as well as a B.A. in Latin American, Caribbean Studies, and U.S. Latino Studies. Most LACS graduates pursue careers in education, international business, government service, public policy, law, criminal justice, and social work. A limited number of fellowships and assistantships are available to applicants on a competitive basis.
Ph.D. Requirements: A total of 30 credits beyond the M.A. to include:
Language Requirement:
Core Sequence: 18 credits
Students are encourages to take an additional methods course appropriate or necessary to conduct their dissertation research.
The remaining 12 credits, including Lcs 781, can be selected from the list below with approval of the Graduate Director and Thesis Advisor. Students may take courses not on this list with approval of Graduate Director and Thesis Advisor.
Formal Requirements: Load credits only with the exception of LCS 781
Please note: This program offers an internship, field experience, study abroad component, or clinical experience in the course listing as an option to fulfill course requirements. Students who have previously been convicted of a felony are advised that their prior criminal history may impede their ability to complete the requirements of certain academic programs and/or to meet licensure requirements for certain professions. If you have concerns about this matter please contact the Dean’s Office of your intended academic program.