MA in Spanish and Latin American Studies

The MA in Spanish and Latin American Studies at American University offers customized tracks to allow students to gain an interdisciplinary understanding of Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as expertise in translation, linguistics, and/or Spanish language teaching.

Master's students select courses as part of a 21-credit core curriculum that provides a strong foundation for the study of the cultural, historical, linguistic, and political complexity of the region. All core courses are taught entirely in Spanish. In addition to the core seminars, the Spanish: Latin American Studies master's program offers three 12-15 credit tracks that provide valuable training and professional skills for Latin American specialists:

• Translation and Linguistics
• Spanish Language Teaching
• Interdisciplinary Studies on Latin America (e.g., culture and literature, international studies, history, communications, public affairs)

The Spanish: Latin American MA program requires that students take at least 21 credits in Spanish. Drawing on AU's campus resources, students may take courses on Latin America in English (up to 12 credits) in other departments within the College of Arts and Sciences and other AU schools —such as the Department of History, Department of Anthropology, School of International Service, and the School of Education. AU's Center for Latin American and Latino Studies serves as a hub of academic dynamism on campus and beyond and supports collaborative research on various issues related to Latin America.

LEARN FROM LEADING FACULTY EXPERTS

The core faculty bring wide-ranging expertise in the humanities and applied linguistics. Our humanities faculty specialize in studies of gender, human rights, immigration, globalization, memory, and violence and teach through a variety of approaches and genres including film, narrative, poetry, short story, performance, and theatre. Our applied linguistics faculty specialize in bilingualism, video game-based language learning, and telecollaborative translation.

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF UNLIMITED RESOURCES IN DC

Taking advantage of the unparalleled resources of Washington, DC, our curriculum offers for-credit internships, through the Proyecto Amistad course, at organizations such as the US Department of Justice, National Geographic, The Guatemala Human Rights Commission, and Washington Office for Latin America. We also have contacts at elementary, secondary, and bilingual schools in the area, which facilitate teaching internships. In addition, we provide funding opportunities for summer research abroad, and we regularly coordinate field trips, guest lectures, events, and partnerships with the range of research facilities in the area.

Many of our students complete the Graduate Certificate in Spanish Translation in conjunction with their MA degree. While in our program our students gain valuable professional skills to work in a broad range of fields requiring expertise in issues pertaining to Latin America, as well as rigorous academic training for those seeking to pursue doctoral programs. Students often stay in Washington after graduation and become involved in the extensive network of Latin American institutions in the city. Many of our graduates go on to work in governmental and non-governmental organizations in Washington, DC, while others decide to pursue doctoral work or teaching.

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

A select number of teaching and research assistantships are available to eligible students. In addition, funds are available to students through The Jack Child Spanish and Latin American Studies Endowment. The Jack Child Summer Research Awards are also available to support graduate students who are interested in undertaking research in Latin America during the summer between their first and second years in the program.

Dean's Welcome

CAS Dean Peter Starr The College of Arts and Sciences at American University offers you a challenging liberal arts education within a vibrant and diverse community of students from all 50 states and 150 countries. The College of Arts and Sciences faculty includes nationally and internationally noted artists, scholars, and teachers committed to innovative approaches to instruction and excellence in research and creative endeavors. Every year, world leaders, distinguished scholars from other institutions, and well-known practitioners in their fields come to campus to encourage open debate on current issues and to expose students to cutting-edge developments in their fields. Whether you choose an established undergraduate major or field of graduate study or design your own interdisciplinary degree, you will engage in serious intellectual inquiry in the classroom. You will benefit from the wide range of internships and community service activities in the arts, education, humanities, natural sciences and social sciences in Washington, D.C., and have the opportunity—on your own or in collaboration with a member of the faculty—to participate in research and creative endeavors as well as in the many clubs, student activities, and service organizations on the AU campus. Your experiences inside and outside of the classroom will create the broad vision and understanding you will need to be successful in your future career and to become an educated and responsible citizen of the world.

Mission & Facts

The College of Arts and Sciences is dedicated to excellence in teaching, scholarship, the arts, and service to its local, national, and international communities. The college provides a rich education in the liberal arts and sciences for all of American University's undergraduate students, offering challenging programs of study for its undergraduate and graduate majors; and fosters outstanding research, practice, and creative activity. The college is committed to the core purposes of liberal education: promoting free and rational discourse, fostering an understanding of the diversity of human experience, providing the critical intellectual skills necessary to navigate a rapidly changing world, and integrating knowledge across disciplinary boundaries.

History

A global outlook, practical idealism, a passion for public service: They're part of American University today, and they were in the air in 1893, when AU was chartered by Congress. George Washington had dreamed of a "national university" in the nation's capital. But it took John Fletcher Hurst to found a university that, in many ways, embodies that dream. President Woodrow Wilson officially dedicated the university on May 27, 1914, and the first graduate students were admitted. The College of Liberal Arts was established in 1925, with the first 75 undergraduate students admitted that fall. Throughout the history of American University, the College of Arts and Sciences has changed its name several times. At first known as the "College of Liberal Arts," the name was changed to the "College of Arts and Sciences" in 1939. For a brief period, it was known simply as the "Undergraduate College" until the name was converted back to the "College of Arts and Sciences" in 1956. The largest school or college at American University, the College of Arts and Sciences currently has 2,931 students, 339 full-time faculty, and more than 150 degrees offered. While the College is continually growing, the commitment to promoting free and rational discourse, fostering an understanding of the diversity of human experience, providing the critical intellectual skills necessary to navigate a rapidly changing world, and integrating knowledge across disciplinary boundaries never changes.