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.
There are over three hundred and twenty-five graduate
students at Columbia University specializing in the Latin
American region. In the Graduate School of Arts and
Sciences, there are presently over 100 candidates
conducting research on the regions in disciplines ranging
from Political Science to History, Anthropology, Economics,
Sociology, Spanish and Portuguese.
Field research represents a vital dimension of study for
both PhD and professional students. For doctoral students,
preliminary field research is essential in elaborating
dissertation proposals on contemporary Latin America. For
the range of Master’s candidates at the university, field
research provides both first-hand experience and on the
ground insight into the kinds of professional challenges
they will confront in the future. There is no doubt that
early field experience strongly influences students’ future
academic choices and professional careers.
The Institute of Latin American Studies has a long
tradition of providing field research grants to students.
With the Tinker monies made available in previous years,
the Institute has been able to fund many qualified
candidates. The expansion of these activities with Tinker
Foundation support will produce a cohort of students well
grounded in field research, thus enhancing the overall
quality of the intellectual communities formed by the
Institute. In addition, the availability of summer research
funding will continue to strengthen the program’s
relationships with affiliated departments by encouraging
new student and faculty contacts.
