Latin American Studies

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The MSc in Latin American Studies at the University of Aberdeen is a truly interdisciplinary postgraduate degree, as students will study Latin American culture, development and the politics and international relations of the region. Staff expertise from both Hispanic Studies in the School of Modern Languages and the Department of Politics and International Relations will do this.

The degree consists of both core courses and a variety of electives, which will allow students to tailor their own degree to their specific interests. In addition, students will write a dissertation on a topic of their own choice.

The University of Aberdeen MSc in Latin America Studies is not only unique to a Scottish University but is also one of only very few in the United Kingdom to have such an interdisciplinary nature.

* Themes in Latin American Studies

This core course illustrates the inter-disciplinary nature of the MSc in Latin American Studies, and it also performs a number of key functions in the degree programme. Firstly, the course introduces students to a variety of disciplinary approaches to Latin American Studies, including those of anthropology, history, literary and cultural studies, and politics and international relations.
This serves to illuminate a wide range of aspects of Latin American life. Secondly, it enables students to make an informed choice for an elective course for the second semester of their MSc, laying the groundwork for those elective courses as well as for the Dissertation that will subsequently be written. In order to do this, the course is divided into two parts (1) an overview of politics and international relations in Latin America and (2) an overview of cultural and social issues in Latin America.

* Culture and Society in Latin America

This course builds on and provides a greater in-depth coverage of issues of culture and society in Latin America than the MSc core course 'Themes in Latin American Studies'. This course will cover a wide range of topics from the anthropology of indigenous and non-indigenous societies to colonial and modern history and contemporary literature and film. This diverse range of topics will also introduce students to a wide range of disciplinary approaches to Latin American Studies, especially those of anthropology, of history, and of literary and cultural studies. Students can choose to take either this course or 'Politics and International Relations of Latin America', or they can also take both courses.
* Politics and International Relations in Latin America

This course will study both the contemporary political issues in the region and also the intra- and interregional and international relations of Latin America. The interplay of international, domestic, cultural and ideological factors in contemporary Latin America will do this. Moreover, analytical, empirical and ethical questions relevant to the region will also be posed.
The main themes that will introduced will include dependency theory, liberation theology, revolutions, populism and neopopulism, democratisation, debt and globalisation, regional integration, the region's international relations, and the study of the Latin American subregions. The result will be that students will acquire an understanding of the nuances and complexities involved in studying politics and international relations of contemporary Latin America. Again, students can choose either this course 'Culture and Society in Latin America' or both courses.

* Dissertation (MSc in Latin American Studies)

Students who meet the necessary requirements proceed to the 12-15,000-word dissertation, which is a compulsory part of the MSc in Latin American Studies. The dissertation enables students to gain experience in formulating, designing and pursuing independent research on a topic of the culture, society, politics or international relations of Latin America, subject to approval of the teaching staff. Students will be prepared for their dissertation by the core and elective courses of the MSc programme, by a dissertation-writing seminar, and by individual supervision throughout their dissertation

An Upper Second Class Honours Degree or equivalent.References are not required in order for applicants to submit an application. They are not usually required in order for a decision to be made but in certain cases applicants may be asked to provide a single academic reference at the request of the academic selector. English Language Requirements IELTS band: 6.5 IMPORTANT NOTE: Since April 2014 the ETS tests (including TOEFL and TOEIC) are no longer accepted for Tier 4 visa applications to the United Kingdom. The university might still accept these tests to admit you to the university, but if you require a Tier 4 visa to enter the UK and begin your degree programme, these tests will not be sufficient to obtain your Visa. The IELTS test is most widely accepted by universities and is also accepted for Tier 4 visas to the UK- learn more.

ScholarshipsThere are several scholarship opportunities for students wishing to pursue a master's or PhD in the College of Arts and Social Sciences. We have highlighted these opportunities here but your one-stop-shop for scholarship opportunities should always be the University's Funding Database.

If you have applied for a master's scholarship then you are likely to be contacted only if you have been successful. Students who applied for funding for 2014-15 will be informed of the outcome of their application by the end of August 2014 at the latest and are requested to refrain from inquiring about the status of their application until after that.

If you have applied for a PhD scholarship then you will be contacted regardless of the outcome of your application. Students who applied for funding for 2014-15 will be informed of the outcome of their application by the end of May 2014 at the latest, and are requested to refrain from inquiring about the status of their application until after that.