Master of Arts in Latin American and Latino Studies at the University of
Illinois at Chicago
The Master of Arts in Latin American and Latino Studies offers an interdisciplinary
perspective to the study of both Latin American societies and Latinos living in the United
States. This program emphasizes the histories and experiences of Latin American people
as they enter into a transnational dialogue that defines the United States and Latin
America in the 21st century.
The M.A. in Latin American and Latino Studies will train students to reflect and engage
social issues of historical and contemporary importance in the study of Latin American
and Latino populations such as globalization, immigration, belonging and equality, as
well as questions related to identity including race, culture, nationality, and gender.
The knowledge and skills students will acquire in the M.A. program will be unique in
that they will help them to achieve competence in more than one discipline. In addition,
the program will train students to become competent in research and policy writing
relevant to Latin American and Latino populations and will offer a unique community
based research experience. Thus the main goal of the M.A. is that the students learn a
series of specialized skills that place them on a solid career path, both in academic and
non-academic settings.
LALS offers Teaching Assistantships and tuition waivers to qualified candidates. For
information about current UIC tuition and fees visit:
http://www.uic.edu/depts/oar/grad/tuition_grad.html
Admission Requirements
Applicants are considered on an individual basis. The program will accept and review
applications for the Fall semester only. Admission decisions are made in compliance with
the University of Illinois nondiscrimination policy. Applicants are required to upload
their documents and academic credentials electronically to satisfy both requirements by
the LALS program and requirements from UIC’s Office of Graduate Admission.
1)The following credentials are required by the Office of Graduate Admissions:
• Application form. You should also apply online by following this link:
http://www.uic.edu/depts/oar/grad/apply_grad.html
• Application fee payment of $60. If not paying online with the online application
(check or money order). This fee is waived for applicants seeking readmission who have
been previously enrolled at UIC as a graduate student, and employees of UIC. •
University issues transcripts for all undergraduate and any graduate work must be
submitted directly from the issuing school to UIC's Office of Admissions and Record,
proof of degree earned. • GRE score, which must be sent directly from the testing service
to UIC. UIC's GRE Institutional Code is 1851.
Please visit the Graduate Admissions website for more details on the document upload
process: http://oar.uic.edu/grad/document_upload
International students should also send:
• TOEFL or IELTS score, which must be sent directly from the testing service to UIC.
UIC's TOEFL Institutional Code is 1851 (IELTS does not use a code). The minimum
competence scores required are: 550 (paper-based); 213 (computer-based); 80, with
subscores of Reading 19, Listening 17, Speaking 20, and Writing 21 (new Internet- based
TOEFL); or IELTS: 6.5, with subscores of 6.0 in each subsection.
Visit the following UIC Admissions website for specific information about international
applicants: http://www.uic.edu/depts/oar/grad/international_requirements_grad.html
2) The following credentials are required by LALS:
• Baccalaureate (undergraduate major) field: No restrictions. Proof of degree would be
official final undergraduate transcripts. • Three letters of recommendation required,
preferably from faculty members in social sciences and humanities.
• A statement of purpose addressing the candidate’s background as well as professional
and academic goals, and the candidate’s reasons for applying to a Latin American and
Latino graduate program. The statement should have a maximum extension of three
double-spaced pages.
• Undergraduate records: The minimum Grade Point Average required is 3.00/4.00 for
the final 60 semester hours (90 quarter hours) of study. Official records will be requested
upon acceptance into the program and the University.
Deadline
For full consideration applications should be received no later than January 15th. If the
deadline falls on a weekend, applications are due the following Monday. If the deadline
falls on a holiday, applications are due the following working day. The final application
deadline for entrance in the fall semester will be May 15th.
Please call the LALS office to confirm the date (312) 996-2445.
For more information about our program and faculty visit:
http://lals.uic.edu
Or write to the Director of Graduate Studies: Javier Villa-Flores, javier@uic.edu