Latin American Studies
Overview
The Graduate Certificate in Latin American Studies is open to all Princeton University graduate students currently enrolled in any Ph.D. program in the humanities, social sciences, engineering, math or natural sciences. Students enrolled in the Master's in Public Administration Degree Program at the Woodrow Wilson School may also enroll in the certificate if they write a research paper on a Latin American topic in consultation with the program director.
The graduate certificate is designed to allow students who are taking seminars in the program, working closely with our faculty, and writing dissertations on a Latin American topic to receive a formal credential in the field. Many such students prepare a generals field in Latin America, but that is not a requirement for the certificate. Upon fulfilling all of the requirements, a student will receive a certificate from the Program in Latin American Studies and is entitled to list the credential on his or her curriculum vitae. The certificate does not appear on a student’s official transcript.
The director of the Program in Latin American Studies oversees the graduate certificate program.
Students cannot be admitted to Princeton University through the Latin American Studies graduate certificate program since it is not a degree program.
Certificate
Students should complete at least four full-term approved graduate courses on a Latin American topic or substitutes approved by the program director. At least one course should be outside the student’s home department.
In addition, the program director may approve other graduate courses, on a case-by-case basis, for which the student has written a final paper focusing on a Latin American topic.
Students enrolled in the graduate certificate program will be required to participate in the program’s Graduate Works-in-Progress series at least once during their course of study, during which the student presents research to an audience of faculty and graduate students and obtains feedback.
Advanced proficiency in Spanish, Portuguese, or French (for students working on the Caribbean). Students can satisfy this requirement by completing a course taught in Spanish, Portuguese, or French.
Ph.D. students are expected to either 1) write a dissertation on a Latin American topic, or 2) write a dissertation that includes significant research on Latin America. Normally the dissertation should be directed by a faculty member affiliated with the program.
Students enrolled in the graduate certificate program will be required to participate in the program’s Graduate Works-in-Progress series at least once during their course of study, during which the student presents research to an audience of faculty and graduate students and obtains feedback. The colloquium usually meets over lunch once or twice per month.
Faculty
Director
Gabriela Nouzeilles
Executive Committee
MJoão G. Biehl
Eduardo L. Cadava
Beatriz Colomina
Javier Guerrero
Douglas S. Massey
Gabriela Nouzeilles
Rachel L. Price
Christina Riehl
Irene Small
Deborah J. Yashar
Sits with Committee
Fernando Acosta-Rodriguez
Patricia Fernandez-Kelly
Dannelle Gutarra Cordero
Ines Ter Horst
Bryan Just
Stanley Katz
Magaly Sanchez-R
Courses
Permanent Courses
Courses listed below are graduate-level courses that have been approved by the program’s faculty as well as the Curriculum Subcommittee of the Faculty Committee on the Graduate School as permanent course offerings. Permanent courses may be offered by the department or program on an ongoing basis, depending on curricular needs, scheduling requirements, and student interest. Not listed below are undergraduate courses and one-time-only graduate courses, which may be found for a specific term through the Registrar’s website. Also not listed are graduate-level independent reading and research courses, which may be approved by the Graduate School for individual students.