Graduate Program

Master's students constitute a vibrant, active presence in our intellectual community. The mission of the MA program is to offer excellent academic training and interdisciplinary preparation for students planning a career requiring knowledge of Latin American peoples, cultures, and societies. Graduates of the MA program have gone on to work in various areas, including nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), the private sector, government think tanks, and journalism. The MA also offers excellent preparation for those seeking to go on to PhD training. Learn more about the MA and dual master's degree.

The LLILAS doctoral program provides a flexible yet rigorous course of study for a select number of excellent students whose proposed doctoral program requires an interdisciplinary approach. In addition, our doctoral students are required to combine scholarly rigor with a focus on practical applications. Through this program, they acquire not only specialist knowledge of their subject, but also a range of skills and expertise that prepares them for work opportunities in areas outside of academia, from the private sector, to government, to activist or civil society organizations.

The LLILAS Admissions Committee receives and reviews all applications for admission to the doctoral program.  A strong application will outline reasons for choosing an interdisciplinary doctoral degree instead of a discipline-based PhD program, and will specify a proposed focus for the doctoral dissertation. Learn more about the LLILAS PhD.

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Find details about the LLILAS graduate program, degree requirements, policys & proceedures, and more! Consult the LLILAS Grad Student Handbook.

If you are a current grad student at LLILAS, find even more information and answers to your questions on the LLILAS Grads Wiki. 

The Institute of Latin American Studies Student Association (ILASSA) is the representative student body organization. It was formed by graduate students to encourage more active student participation in LLILAS and UT concerning Latin American Studies and to provide a voice regarding the direction of the LLILAS program. ILASSA assists with recruiting and orientation activities and also sends representatives to the Graduate Student Assembly (GSA) and other campus activities. Membership is open to all LLILAS graduate students.

Open to all UT graduate students who study Latin America, the Caribbean, and/or U.S. Latine communities, the UT Graduate Latin Americanist Network currently includes over 200 graduate students who share information about a wide range of resources and opportunities. Learn more here.

LLILAS graduate students pursue scholarly research in a wide variety of Latin America-related topics. Many of their theses and dissertations are available online through the University of Texas Library. 

Learn about LLILAS students via the Graduate Student Directory and PhD Student Profiles.

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The support system for graduate students includes academic mentorship, monitoring of progress toward degrees, and financial resources for professional development. A variety of facilities and spaces are available to master’s and doctoral students. The LLILAS student lounge with computer access offers opportunities for co-working and social connections. Quieter workspaces for Teaching Assistants and Graduate Research Assistants support their employment duties, and we have reserved communal offices for PhD students in candidacy to write their dissertations.

Housed in the same building as LLILAS, the Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection is an archive and a circulating collection, one of the largest repositories of Latin American materials in the country, as well as U.S. Latina/o/x materials and the Black Diaspora Archive. The Ann Hartness Reading Room on the first floor and the Benson Study Commons on the second floor offer a quiet study space at the Benson, while the Benson second floor conference room offers a dedicated space for lectures, events, and the ILASSA student conference. Seminar rooms are used for classes, meetings, writing boot camps, and can be used as study spaces on occasion.

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