Dual Degrees

The Latin American Studies/Business Administration dual degree (major code 659000) is of interest to Latin American Studies graduate students wanting to pursue a career in business. The McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas is considered one of the best in the United States. Graduates of this program are well qualified for business positions that involve Latin America. The program combines advanced business studies with interdisciplinary area studies and language, responding to an increased need in both public and private sectors for business specialists with a thorough understanding of Latin American politics and cultures.

The dual degree program is structured so that students can earn the two individual master's degrees (Master of Arts in Latin American Studies and Master of Business Administration) simultaneously in approximately six semesters, or three academic years. For admission, the GRE and GMAT are typically both required. The McCombs School can offer some flexibility in the GMAT requirement. Please contact the McCombs School of Business to find out if you can substitute your GRE scores for the GMAT Scores.

Students spend their first year in the program taking Latin American Studies courses. The second year is dedicated to graduate business core courses and approved electives. The final year of coursework is a combination from both departments.

Degree Requirements
Students must complete either 30 or 33 credit-hours in Latin American Studies, depending on the plan selected (Plan A or B), including one core course.

The Latin American Studies language requirement must be met during the first semester in the program.

Plan A: Thesis Option

• 15-hour major
• 9-hour minor
• 6-hour thesis (LAS 698A and LAS 698B) written on a business topic
• 30 hours total

Plan B: Report Option

• 30 hours of Latin American content courses selected from three disciplines, no fewer than 6 hours taken in any one discipline
• 3-hour report (LAS 398R) taken in the last semester of study, written on a business topic
• 33 hours total

The thesis/report must be read and approved by a supervising professor and a second reader. One reader will represent Latin American Studies and the other will represent Graduate Business.

Additional information from the McCombs School of Business

The joint program in Latin American Studies and Community and Regional Planning (major code 659801) is designed to provide students with the fundamental technical and conceptual skills necessary to effectively address planning issues, while also studying the cultural, socio-economic and geographic challenges and opportunities characteristic of the region. Qualified students will learn the skills necessary for working in local development and planning in Latin America, whether through the public, private, or nonprofit sector, to address development issues that lie at the forefront of contemporary policy concerns in Latin America.

The dual degree program is structured so that students can earn two individual master's degrees (Master of Arts in Latin American Studies and Master of Science in Community and Regional Planning) simultaneously in approximately six semesters, or three academic years.

Degree Requirements
Students must complete either 30 or 33 credit-hours in Latin American Studies, depending on the plan selected (Plan A or B), including one core course and 30 credit-hours in Community and Regional Planning, plus 6 hours of elective courses with Latin American content approved by the dual degree program advisers for a 66–69 credit-hour total.

The Latin American Studies language requirement must be met during the first semester in program.

Latin American Studies

Plan A: Thesis Option

• 15-hour major Latin American content
• 9-hour minor Latin American content
• 6-hour thesis (LAS 698A and LAS 698B) on a Latin American/CRP topic
• 30 hours total

Plan B: Report Option

• 30 hours of LAS coursework selected from three disciplines; no fewer than 6 hours must be taken in each discipline
• 3-hour report, (LAS 398R), taken in the last semester of study
• 33 hours total

The thesis/report must be read and approved by a supervising professor and a second reader. One reader will represent Latin American Studies and the other will represent Community and Regional Planning.

Community and Regional Planning

• 24 hours of core courses
• 6 hours of electives in CRP courses, including internship
• 30 hours total

Dual Program Requirements

• 6 hours of elective courses with Latin American content approved by the joint program advisers

Additional information from Community and Regional Planning

The Latin American Studies dual degree program with the Moody College of Communication provides students with the opportunity to pursue graduate work in the disciplines of Communications and Latin American Studies. It enables students to study the interrelationships between the theories and processes of communication and issues pertinent to a precise and disciplined understanding of the societies and cultures of Latin America, their histories, and current policies. The program is designed to meet the need for specialists with a combined competence in multidisciplinary area studies and one of the disciplines in the College of Communication:

• Journalism (major code 624210)
• Radio-Television-Film (major code 624330)
• Communication Studies (major code 624120)

The dual degree program is structured so that students can earn two individual master's degrees (Master of Arts in Latin American Studies and Master of Arts from the College of Communication) simultaneously in approximately six semesters, or three academic years.

Degree Requirements
The Latin American Studies language requirement must be met during the first semester in the program.

Latin American Studies

• 18 hours (24 hours for Report Option) drawn from 2 or 3 disciplines (Anthropology, Art History, Economics, Geography, Government, History, Music, Portuguese or Spanish language or literature, or Sociology), including one core course
  • no fewer than 6 hours in any one discipline
  • all courses must have Latin American content
• 6 hours of electives that may include courses offered by the College of Communication that have Latin American content to be approved by the LLILAS graduate adviser
• 6 hours of thesis (LAS 698A and LAS 698B) on a Latin American topic co-supervised by a faculty member from Latin American Studies and a faculty member from the College of Communication
• 3 hour report (LAS 398R) on a Latin American topic supervised by a faculty member from Latin American Studies and a faculty member from the College of Communication
• 30 hours total - Thesis Option
• 33 hours total - Report Option

Communications
Consult with the individual department in the Moody College of Communication: Journalism, Radio-TV-Film, or Communication Studies.

The Latin American Studies/Global Policy Studies dual degree program (major code 647320) combines advanced studies of globalization with a focus on the politics, economy, and culture of Latin America. Graduates should possess substantial career flexibility and attractiveness to prospective employers in government, private industry, and the nonprofit sector.

The dual degree program is structured so that students can earn two individual master's degrees (Master of Arts in Latin American Studies and Master of Global Policy Studies) simultaneously in approximately six semesters, or three academic years.

Degree Requirements
Students must complete a minimum of 33 semester hours in Latin American Studies, including one core course, a master’s report, and a minimum of 37 semester hours in public affairs, including a summer internship, for a total of 70 hours. The first year of study is in the LBJ School of Public Affairs; thereafter, courses can be taken in both Latin American Studies and Public Affairs.

The Latin American Studies language requirement must be met during the semester Latin American content coursework is undertaken, normally the second year of study.

Latin American Studies

• 15 hours of coursework with Latin American Studies content
• 15 hours of Latin American policy content
• 3-hour report (LAS 398R) on a Latin American topic supervised by a faculty member from Latin American Studies and a faculty member from the Global Policy Studies program at the LBJ School
• 33 hours total

Global Policy Studies

• 22 hours of required Global Policy core courses
• 15 hours MGPS specialization
• Summer internship in an office where activity is related to the dual degree program

Additional information from the LBJ School on the Dual Degree Program

The Latin American Studies/Information Studies dual degree program (major code 653100) offers students the opportunity to combine specialized study to understand people and their interactions with information, such as how people utilize information, how we can improve access to information, ways in which information is organized and stored, and the relationships between information and identity. This degree program also offers students the knowledge and understanding of Latin America, its characteristics and how they manifest, through education, research, and exchange.

The dual degree program is structured so that students can earn two individual master's degrees (Master of Arts in Latin American Studies and Master of Science in Information Studies) simultaneously in approximately six semesters, or three academic years.

Degree Requirements
The Latin American Studies language requirement must be met the first semester enrolled.

Latin American Studies

• 15 hours of Latin American coursework in the major discipline, including one core course
• 9 hours of Latin American coursework in the minor discipline
• 6-hour thesis (LAS 698A and LAS 698B) supervised by a faculty member from Latin American Studies and a faculty member from the iSchool
• 30 hours total

iSchool

• 30 credits composed of the following requirements for each discipline:
  • 1 iSchool core course totaling 3 credits: INF 380E Perspectives on Information
  • 27 credits of elective coursework in the iSchool

Additional information from the iSchool

The Latin American Studies/Law dual degree program (major code 760560) is designed for those students who wish to study law and Latin American issues in an integrated and interdisciplinary manner. Students who expect to be involved in government service or legal practices with a Latin American focus could benefit from this program.

A student must apply for admission to the JD program of the Law School, the Graduate Admissions Center, and the Teresa Lozano Long Institute of Latin American Studies. The GRE and LSAT are required.

Students admitted to the dual program must complete the standard first-year coursework at the School of Law during the first year of the program. This must be done before taking any courses relating to the dual program.

The dual degree program is structured so that students can earn two individual degrees (Master of Arts in Latin American Studies and Juris Doctor) simultaneously in approximately eight semesters, or four academic years.

Degree Requirements
The Latin American Studies language requirement must be met during the semester Latin American content coursework is undertaken, normally the second year of study.

Latin American Studies

• 24 hours of Latin American content coursework, including one core course, divided among three disciplines
  • no fewer than 6 hours taken in any one discipline
  • no fewer than 6 hours in courses that are on Latin American topics or that have direct and obvious relevance to Latin America must be taken at the Law School
• 6-hour thesis (LAS 698A and LAS 698B) supervised by a faculty member from Latin American Studies and a faculty member from the School of Law
• 30 hours total

Law School
All Law School requirements applicable to students in the standard JD program must be satisfied. Seventy-two hours are required for graduation. As a general rule, no courses taken in satisfaction of the master's degree requirements other than offerings in the Law School itself may be credited toward the JD degree. Students must check with the Law School on their eligibility to take the bar examination.

No language coursework or courses pertaining to Latin American Studies (or other coursework beyond the standard first-year coursework of the JD program) may be taken in the first year of Law School.

The Latin American Studies/Public Affairs (major code 660000) dual degree program combines advanced policy studies with interdisciplinary area studies, responding to an increasing need in both the public and private sectors for policy specialists with a thorough understanding of Latin American politics, cultures, geography, and history.

The dual degree program is structured so that students can earn two individual master's degrees (Master of Arts in Latin American Studies and Master of Public Affairs) simultaneously in approximately six semesters, or three academic years.

Degree Requirements
Students must complete a minimum of 33 semester hours in Latin American Studies, including one core course, a master's report, and a minimum of 36 semester hours in public affairs, including a summer internship for a total of 69 hours. The first year of study is in the LBJ School of Public Affairs; thereafter, courses can be taken in both Latin American Studies and Public Affairs.

The Latin American Studies language requirement must be met during the semester Latin American content coursework is undertaken, normally the second year of study.

Latin American Studies

• 15 hours of coursework with a Latin American public policy orientation
• 15 hours of Latin American content seminars
• 3-hour report (LAS 398R) on a Latin American topic supervised by a faculty member from Latin American Studies and a faculty member from the LBJ School
• 33 hours total

Public Affairs

• 27 LBJ core hours
• 6 hours Policy Research Project
• 9 hours LBJ electives
• Summer internship in or related to Latin America
  

Additional information from the LBJ School on the Dual Degree Program

The Latin American Studies/Social Work dual degree program at the graduate level (major code 691500) is the first of its kind in the United States. The dual degree addresses the gap in services for U.S. Latinas/os and Latin American immigrants. Graduates of the three-year program will earn the Master of Science in Social Work (MSSW) from the Steve Hicks School of Social Work and the Master of Arts in Latin American Studies (MA) from the Teresa Lozano Long Institute of Latin American Studies (LLILAS).

Graduates of the dual degree program will combine clinical social work skills with cultural and linguistic competency suited to diverse Latina/o and Latin American immigrant populations in the U.S. and abroad. This competency will encompass studies of issues facing Latin Americans and Latina/o populations, including immigrants and indigenous groups, with attention to the political, economic, social, and cultural factors affecting their lives.

Degree Requirements
Dual-degree students must complete 30 credit hours in Latin American Studies and 51 credit hours in Social Work. Students will be able to complete both degrees during a period of three academic years, approximately one year less than it would take to complete the two degrees individually. In addition, they must meet a language requirement (Spanish or Portuguese) and complete research and internship requirements in a Latin American country.

Latin American Studies

Plan A: Thesis Option

• 15-hour major Latin American content
• 9-hour minor Latin American content
• 6-hour thesis (LAS 698A and LAS 698B) written on a Latin American/Social Work topic
• 30 hours total

Plan B: Report Option

• 27 hours of LAS coursework selected from three disciplines
• No fewer than 6 hours must be taken in each discipline
• 3-hour report (LAS 398R) taken in the last semester of study
• 30 hours total

The thesis/report must be read and approved by a supervising professor and a second reader. One reader will represent Latin American Studies and the other will represent Social Work. Students should register for thesis or report hours under the LAS course listing. Once the departmental affiliation of the first reader is determined, the second reader, affiliated with the other department, can be selected.

Social Work
Students pursuing this degree may view the requirements of either Clinical Social Work or Administration and Policy Practice concentration via the MSSW Requirements page.

Additional information from the Steve Hicks School of Social Work