Doctor of Philosophy in Latin American Studies

The LLILAS doctoral program is dedicated to providing a flexible yet rigorous course of study for a select number of excellent students whose proposed doctoral program requires an interdisciplinary approach. In addition, our doctoral students are required to combine scholarly rigor with a focus on practical applications. Through this program, they acquire not only specialist knowledge of their subject, but also a range of skills and expertise that prepares them for work opportunities in areas outside of academia, from the private sector, to government, to activist or civil society organizations. The LLILAS Admissions Committee receives and reviews all applications for admission to the doctoral program. A strong application will outline reasons for choosing an interdisciplinary doctoral degree instead of a discipline-based PhD program, and will specify a proposed focus for the doctoral dissertation.

PhD applicants must have completed a master's degree before admission to the PhD program, but may submit an application before the master's degree is formally granted if the degree will be awarded before entering the PhD program.

International applicants must submit a TOEFL score. A score of 550 (paper test), 213 (computer-based test), or 79 (Internet-based test) on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) OR an overall band of 6.5 on the Academic Examination of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is considered the minimum acceptable for admission to UT Austin.