Graduate Programs

Overview

The Master of Arts in Latin American and Caribbean Studies (MALACS) is an interdisciplinary program that allows students to design their courses based on their own research and career interests. The master of arts in Latin American and Caribbean studies students study the religious, political, economic, social and cultural processes shaping Latin America, the Caribbean, as well as those of Latinos and Latinas in the United States. Graduates acquire expertise that allows them to become leaders in a variety of fields, including government, non-governmental organizations, education, business, and human and social services, among others. Possible specializations include comparative politics, sociology, history, Africana Studies, international relations, foreign policy, Public Health, Social Science Education, literature, linguistics, cultural anthropology, communication, culture and media studies, among others. Full-time students typically complete the program in two years.

A joint master's with the History Department of the Universidad del Norte, in Barranquilla, Colombia, is possible at no additional cost, allowing students in this degree program to spend one year at one of the top universities of Colombia and Latin America and earn a Colombian master's degree in History in addition to their degree from USF. The joint USF – UNINORTE master's typically takes three years to complete.

A joint master's with the Africana studies concentration is another program option, allowing a student in the master of arts in Latin American and Caribbean studies program to also earn a master's in either political science or liberal arts with a concentration in Africana studies. This joint master's takes on average three years to complete and allows students to develop a specialization in race in Latin America and the Caribbean.