Graduate:
The Institute advises masters and doctoral students from
the University's graduate social science programs who wish
to develop a specialization in Latin America. ILAS is
administered by the School of International and Public
Affairs (SIPA), and students from SIPA and other
professional schools, such as the Schools of Law, Business,
Journalism, and Public Health, in addition to students from
the academic departments, enroll in courses offered or
coordinated by ILAS.
Although there is no graduate degree program in Latin
American Studies, ILAS offers a Certificate in Latin
American Studies to graduate students who complete an
interdisciplinary program in conjunction with their own
departmental degrees. Requirements for the Certificate are
as follows:
1. 24 points of credit (8 courses) taken from among the
courses listed by the Institute in anthropology, art
history, economics, education, history, literature,
political science, law, and urban planning. Students must
select courses from four different departments or schools.
One of these courses must be in advanced language or
literature.
2. satisfaction of all requirements for an advanced degree.
3. a reading knowledge of both Spanish and Portuguese, plus
demonstrated ability to write and speak one of these
languages. Students are expected to pass at least one
language examination by the end of their first year and the
other by the end of their second year. No course credit
toward the certificate is given for introductory or
intermediate language study.
4. a satisfactory essay embodying the results of research
on an approved topic relating to Latin America, conducted
under the supervision of an ILAS or ILAS-recognized program
adviser. This essay may also be submitted to the
candidate's department for consideration as the master's
essay.
Undergraduate:
ILAS faculty and staff may assist the Department of Spanish and Portuguese
in advising those undergraduate Latin American Studies majors from Columbia
College and majors in Latin American Studies from the School of General
Studies, who pursue a social science disciplinary concentration. Undergraduate
students interested in majors in Latin American Studies are referred
to the Major
in Hispanic Studies with Specialization in Latin American Studies administered by the Department of Spanish and Portuguese.
Institute Sponsored
Research:
As part of a major
research university, basic and applied research and
intellectual production is the core of the Institute's
mission. ILAS provides a forum for peer review and access
to sources for Columbia faculty and graduate students
conducting independent research. ILAS also sponsors
collaborative research, typically multiyear projects that
result in one or more publications, with funding from
private foundations and government agencies.
