MA in Spanish: Latin American Studies
The MA in Spanish: Latin American Studies degree program at American University seeks to build interdisciplinary understanding of Latin America and the Caribbean. 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. In addition to the core seminars, the Spanish: Latin American Studies master’s program offers four 12-15 credit tracks that provide valuable training and professional skills for Latin American specialists:
- Culture and Literature
- Translation and Linguistics
- Spanish Language Teaching
- Interdisciplinary Studies on Latin America (International Service, History, Anthropology)
Students are also offered opportunities to engage in field research or service learning projects in the DC area.
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, Teaching and Health. 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. We strive to create new forms of knowledge and emphasize a strong engagement with our community and the world.
Our faculty members have training in diverse areas such as literature (narrative, poetry, film, essay, theater), applied linguistics, pedagogy, and translation. Course offerings represent the regional expertise of our faculty and cover Mexico, Central America, the Southern Cone, the Caribbean, and the Andean region. Our linguistics, pedagogy, and translation experts specialize in the use of technology in these fields. As committed scholars and teachers, our professors engage in cutting edge research and applied projects that keep them at the forefront of the field and in close contact with scholars in Latin America.
Taking advantage of the unparalleled resources of Washington, DC, the Spanish: Latin American Studies MA curriculum offers for-credit internships through the Proyecto Amistad course, at diverse organizations such as Telemundo, National Geographic, Washington Office for Latin America, Center for International Policy, Amazon Alliance, or Central American Resource Center, among others. We also have contacts at numerous elementary, secondary, and bilingual schools in the area, which facilitate teaching internships. We participate in events and conferences at universities in the Washington, DC consortium. In addition, we coordinate field trips, guest lectures, the appointment of visiting faculty and connections with the range of research facilities in the area. Students often stay in Washington after graduation and become involved in the extensive network of Latin American institutions in the city.
