Florida International University

Program Information

Degree Offered

M.A. - Latin American and Caribbean Studies; JD/MA in Latin American and Caribbean Studies; IMBA/MA in Latin American and Caribbean Studies, Latin American and Caribbean Studies Graduate Certificate

Format: Campus

Program Description:

The Master of Arts in Latin American and Caribbean Studies (MALACS) is a unique interdisciplinary program that allows students to design their program based on their own research and career interests. The Program is particularly valuable to those students whose research and professional interests cannot be accommodated within a single discipline. The program stresses a close faculty-student advising relationship. MALACS students study the religious, political, economic, social and cultural processes shaping Latin America and the Caribbean and emerge from the program with the expertise required to become leaders in a variety of fields, including education, government, non-government, business, and human and social services, among others. Areas of focus include, but are not limited to, comparative politics, comparative sociology, Cuban studies, cultural studies, economics, environmental studies, foreign policy and security studies, Haitian studies, Hispanic literature, history, international business, international development, international relations, and modern languages. Full-time students typically complete the program in two years, although it is possible to complete it in one and a half years.

The LACC Graduate Certificate in Latin American and Caribbean Studies offers interdisciplinary, graduate-level study of Latin America and the Caribbean. LACC Graduate Certificate students enjoy the benefits of access to LACC’s network of faculty experts, policy-makers, artists, community leaders, and alumni both in the U.S. and in Latin America and the Caribbean. The highly flexible program may be completed during the day or in the evenings. For students pursuing a Master’s or Doctorate degree, the LACC Graduate Certificate is designed to complement the student’s discipline or major area of study. The certificate is particularly popular with students pursuing advanced degrees in Business, Public Health, Education, Hospitality Management, History, and Global & Sociocultural Studies, among others. For non-degree seeking students, the certificate provides expertise on Latin American and Caribbean that may enhance one’s personal or professional goals. Many LACC Graduate Certificate students are professionals working in education and media, as well as the private and public sectors in Miami.

In addition to the Master of Arts degree, FIU’s Latin American and Caribbean Center offers three joint-degree programs: the JD/MA in Latin American and Caribbean Studies with the College of Law, the IMBA/MA in Latin American and Caribbean Studies with the College of Business Administration, and the combined MALACS/PhD in History with the Department of History. LACC also administers a partnership-degree program with the Joint Forces Staff College. Joint-degree programs enable students to receive two degrees simultaneously in substantially less time than would be required to earn each degree individually.

Tuition & Financial Aid

Financial Aid Offered: No

Classification: Doctoral/Research Universities - Extensive

Institution Sector: Public

Locale: Large Suburb

Size & Settings: 20,000 and above