Career preparation
Career preparation in Latin American Studies
In addition to offering you a solid university education, Leiden University aims to prepare you for today’s labour market. Your studies will contribute to the development of your employability. After finishing the programme, it will become easier for you to make the transition to the labour market, to remain employable in a dynamic labour market in a (career) job that suits your own personal values, preferences and development.
'Employability' consists of the following aspects that you will develop within your study programme, among others:
1. Discipline-specific knowledge and skills
Knowledge and skills specific to your study programme.
2. Transferable skills
These are skills that are relevant to every student and that you can use in all kinds of jobs irrespective of your study programme, for example: research, conducting analyses, project-based working, generating solutions, acquiring and developing digital skills, collaborating, oral communication, written communication, presenting, raising societal awareness, independent learning, and resilience.
It is important that, during your studies, you focus both on obtaining as much knowledge as possible and on being conscious of which skills you have acquired and which skills you’d still like to learn. In the course descriptions of the master in Latin American Studies and the Research Master Latin American Studies you will encounter several of the following ‘transferable skills’ that we will work on.
Problem solving (recognizing and analyzing problems, solution-oriented thinking)
Analytical skills (analytical thinking, abstraction, evidence)
Project management (planning, scope, boundaries, result-orientation)
Responsibility (ownership, self-discipline, bear mistakes, accountability)
Motivation (commitment, pro-active attitude, initiative)
Self-regulation (independence, self-esteem, aware of own goals, motives and capacities)
Verbal communication (presenting, speaking, listening)
Written communication (writing skills, reporting, summarizing)
Collaboration (teamwork, group support, loyalty, attendance)
Flexibility (adaptability, dealing with change, teachability, eagerness to learn)
Critical thinking (asking questions, check assumptions)
Creative thinking (resourcefulness, curiosity, thinking out of the box)
Integrity (honesty, moral, ethics, personal values)
Intercultural skills (communications between different cultures)
3. Self-reflection
This concerns self-reflection in the context of your (study) career, including reflecting on the choices you make as a student during your studies, esp. with respect to what you can do with your knowledge and skills on the labour market.
In addition, reflecting on your own profile and your personal and professional development. Who are you, what can you do well, what do you find interesting, what suits you, what do you find important, what do you want to do?
4. Practical experience
Gaining practical experience through internships, work placements, projects, practical (social) assignments, which are integrated into an elective, minor or graduation assignment.
5. Labour market orientation
Gaining insight into the labour market, fields of work, jobs and career paths through, for example, guest speakers and alumni experiences from the work field, career events within the study programme, the use of the alumni mentor network, interviewing people from the work field, and shadowing/visiting companies in the context of a particular subject.
Employability in Latin American Studies
You will also find these employability elements in your study programme. Examples of subjects that pay attention to this are:
Research School Course Latin American Studies (ResMA)
Methods I: Research Seminar Latin American Modernities (ResMA)
Methods III: Writing Workshop (ResMA)
Activities to prepare for your career alongside / outside the curriculum
Every year, various activities take place, within, alongside and outside of your study programme, which contribute to your preparation for the labour market, especially where it concerns orientation towards the work field/the labour market, (career) skills and self-reflection. These activities could be hosted by your study program to discuss the key decision stages within your program. Furthermore, you may want to attend career workshops and events organised by the Humanities Career service or your study association.
You will be notified via the Humanities website and by email about further activities in the area of career preparation. The following activities will help you to thoroughly explore your options, so we advise you to take careful note of them:
Seminar career orientation in November
Research abroad (in Latin America)
Humanities Career Event
Seminar career orientation in April
Various workshops
Humanities Career Service, LU Career Zone and Career Workshops Calendar
Humanities Career Service
The Humanities Career Service offers information and advice on internships, study (re)orientation and master's choice, orientation on the labour market and careers.
Leiden University Career Zone
The Leiden University Career Zone is the website for students and alumni of Leiden University to support their (study) career. You can find advice, information, (career) tests and tools in the area of (study) career planning, career possibilities with your study, job market orientation, job applications, the Alumni Mentor network, job portal, workshops and events and career services.
Workshops and events
On the Workshops calendar you will find an overview of career and application workshops, organised by the Humanities Career Service.
More info
Objectives
The programme has the following objectives:
1. to broaden and deepen the students’ knowledge, understanding and skills, and train them in the use of scientific methods in the area of contemporary history, cultural and social analysis of Latin America;
2. to enable students to develop the following academic and professional skills: − the ability to solve academic problems independently, critically and creatively;
− the ability to analyse complex problems;
− the ability to clearly report academic results, both in writing and orally;
3. to prepare students for an academic career at a university for postgraduate programmes;
4. to prepare students for a non-academic career in the public or private sector for which advanced research skills and practical research experience are a prerequisite.
Programme structure
First year
Theoretical Core Courses – 20 EC
In the first year of the programme you will take two core courses: ‘Modernities in Latin America and the Caribbean’ and ‘Resistance, Revival and Change: Mechanisms and Expressions’. These courses mark the start of the programme and allows you to acquire knowledge on theoretical debates centered around the concept of modernity.
Thematic Electives – 20 EC
Throughout the programme you get three opportunities to select electives in your chosen theme of specialization. The themes are ‘State-society relations’, ‘Literature, arts and media’, and ‘Culture and identity’.
The thematic electives combined with the core courses will help you to define your own research interest within the profile and expertise of the programme.
Research Seminar (Methods I) – 10 EC
In this Research Master the acquisition of research methodologies is of central importance. In the second semester of your first year, you start preparing for your research in the second year. The course will teach you the basics of writing a research proposal.
Graduate School – 10 EC
Research Schools courses offer training in both methodology and area specific knowledge. Research MA students choose courses at the Research Schools that relates most with their possible area of research.
Second year
Research in Latin America (Methods II) – 20 EC
Based on the prepared proposal from your first year, you will start your second year by carrying out the research project in Latin America or the Caribbean under local supervision and with guidance from your supervisor in Leiden.
Thematic Elective – 10 EC
In your second year you will also choose one thematic elective again. See description above.
Writing workshop (Methods III) – 5 EC
The writing workshop will provide support in how to present your findings in different academic writing formats (for example: PhD research project; article publication; funding proposal).
Thesis – 25 EC
Write your thesis based on the material you collected in Latin America or the Carribean.
Master thesis and requirements for graduation
The Research MA Latin American Studies is concluded by a 25 EC Research Master thesis.
The thesis is based on original research in primary sources and will be ca. 30.000 words in size (excluding footnotes, literature or appendices). The thesis has to meet a high scholarly standard; it should be possible to rework the results of the thesis in to an article for an academic journal. Students are guided in writing their thesis by thesis supervisors.
Requirements for graduation are:
Successful completion of all courses (75 EC)
Successful completion of a research project (20 EC)
Successful completion of MA Thesis (25 EC)
Please note that you are also asked to fulfill certain administrative procedures, as can be found on the website of Latin American Studies.
