Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Latin American and Caribbean Studies

The Graduate Certificate program in Latin American and Caribbean Studies is a cross-collegial interdisciplinary program focusing on the diverse cultures, histories, and literatures, as well as the political, economic and governmental systems of Latin America and the Caribbean. The program is intended to serve both students who wish to pursue an academic career in Latin American and Caribbean studies and students who wish to pursue a non-academic career in the private, not-for-profit, or government sectors. Students enroll in a total of 12 credits of coursework, 9 of which must fulfill the core requirements and 3 of which will derive from elective coursework selected from a variety of courses and disciplines throughout the university. All Certificate students are required to take one 3-credit introductory course (LACS608) and a 1-credit colloquium (LACS648) over the course of three semesters (for a total of 3 credits). The Colloquium is open to interested faculty and students in all disciplines, as well as invited visiting scholars and is aimed at interrogating annually designated themes relating to Latin America and the Caribbean. The remaining 3 of the 9 core credits are taken in one or a combination of two praxis concentrations--praxis in research and praxis experiential learning. The Graduate Certificate further establishes LASC as a key center for research, academic presentations, student and faculty conferences, co-curricular cultural events, graduate mentorship, and work both theoretical and practical on Latin America and the Caribbean.

Students who wish to apply for admission to the Certificate program in Latin American and Caribbean Studies must submit a C.V., official transcripts, and a statement of purpose (no longer than one page, single spaced). Any student currently enrolled in a Master’s or Doctoral program within any department at the University of Maryland at College Park may apply to participate