The Roger Thayer Stone Center for Latin American Studies is one of the largest and most prestigious interdisciplinary units at Tulane University. It functions in many capacities to provide programming and degree plans to a broad range of educational constituencies. Currently, these include a Bachelor of Arts major and minor in Latin American Studies, a Master of Arts degree in Latin American Studies, and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Latin American Studies.
The design of both the MA and PhD curriculum in Latin American Studies is dependent upon the student’s particular research interests. While we welcome all qualified applicants interested in pursuing interdisciplinary research on Latin America, the Stone Center has developed significant faculty strengths in Economics, Politics & Society and Arts, Media, Culture & Politics. The Stone Center also has very strong regional expertise in Brazilian Studies and Cuban & Caribbean Studies.
The Stone Center also collaborates with other units across the University to offer specialized graduate degree programs. Such programs include joint professional degree programs with the Law School (MA/JD) and the Business School (MA/MBA), and a dual Doctor of Philosophy degree (a PhD in Latin American Studies and Art History). For further information on these specialized degree programs, please consult the Joint Degree Programs page.
The Graduate Advisor and the student will discuss these research interests before the start of the student’s first semester of coursework and will map out a comprehensive program of study with the goal of developing an interdisciplinary research project. Students accumulate the research skills and tools by undertaking coursework in multiple disciplines or fields. Students should expect to narrow their coursework to one primary and two secondary concentration areas. Of course, there is also the opportunity to extend one’s coursework beyond these three concentration areas when the research project will be enhanced by doing so.
The standard Tulane University graduate program online application system allows applicants to identify whether their application should be considered for admission either as an MA student or as a PhD student. The admissions policy of the Stone Center, however, is to consider for admission directly to the PhD program only individuals who have an earned Master’s Degree or relevant professional degree (i.e. MD, JD, etc.)
Applicants interested in the PhD Program in Latin American Studies, but who do not have an earned Master’s Degree or a relevant professional degree, will be considered for admission only to the MA program in Latin American Studies. Upon completion of the MA Program in Latin American Studies, such students are then able to reapply to the PhD program. Admission to the MA program does not guarantee continuation in the PhD program.
