Latin American Studies

Modern History

Literature

Linguistics

More info

Objectives
Programme
Master’s thesis and requirement for graduation

Objectives

Graduates of the master’s programme in Latin American Studies have acquired:

• thorough knowledge and understanding of one of the three disciplines of the
  programme and of the current central issues within the field;

• thorough knowledge and understanding of how to conduct field research in a Latin
  American country, including a command of a number of research methods and
  techniques;

• the capability to formulate a clear and well-argued research problem under expert
  supervision and to divide this into orderly and manageable sub-questions;

• the capability to present research results in the form of a clear and well-argued written
  report that meets the criteria of the discipline;

• the capability to design and conduct a research project under expert guidance.
  After completing this programme, students will have the knowledge and competence
  required for positions outside the academic field that require an academic level of
  thinking, for an upper secondary teaching qualification or for a PhD position.

Please note: if you have completed an Educational Minor as your optional subject, you
are allowed to follow a fast-track Educational MA (30 ects instead of 60 ects). Please see:
iclon.leidenuniv.nl

Programme

Structure

Two aspects are to the basis of the master’s programme: specialisation in a certain
discipline (Literature, Linguistics or Modern History) and a period of research in the
chosen discipline, which takes place in Latin America.

The master’s programme starts with a research seminar in which students are taught
the basics required to carry out fieldwork in one of the three disciplines, and to design a
research plan. In addition, students follow a disciplinary tutorial on current debates in
one of the relevant disciplines. This is followed by a period of individual fieldwork in a
Latin American country, in the course of which the research plan is carried out. Students
are expected to have returned to the Netherlands during the second half of January in
order to present the results of their research to the relevant lecturer/supervisor. Early
in February, students follow a disciplinary master’s course that provides support in the
process of writing the master’s thesis.

Master’s thesis and requirement for graduation

In order to graduate, students must have completed 60 ects of courses including the
writing of the thesis. The master’s programme is concluded with a master’s thesis
containing the results of the individual research. The thesis must approximate 17,000
words. It is evaluated by the relevant lecturer/supervisor and assisted by a second reader.
Also see: hum.leiden.edu/students/regulations