MPhil in Latin American Studies

University of Cambridge

This course is designed to meet the needs of two groups: those who have developed an interest in Latin America through study or work and wish to develop this for personal or professional reasons, and those who intend to proceed to a doctorate, and possibly an academic career in the field. The course seeks to provide participants with a critical understanding of Latin America in all its complexity, and of the means and methods that have been devised to study and understand it better.

Assessment

Thesis

Each candidate for the MPhil is required to submit an original thesis on an approved topic. On application students are asked to submit a thesis proposal (500 words) and, subject to the success of an application, will be assigned a thesis supervisor as part of the admissions process. In some cases, further study may lead to a change of topic and even to a consequential change of supervisor. The provisional title for the thesis must be agreed between candidate and supervisor by the end of the Lent term (mid-March). Theses submitted for the MPhil in Latin American Studies must not exceed 15,000 words, including footnotes, tables, and any appendices but excluding the bibliography, and must be written in English.

The thesis counts for 50 per cent of the overall mark awarded for the degree.

Essays

Students write one essay over the course of the first term and two essays during the second term. Each essay must be no more than 5,000 words long, including notes, but excluding bibliography, tables, and appendices, and must be written in English.

The three essays combined count for 50 per cent of the overall mark awarded for the degree.

By the end of the course students will have:

• developed a critical view of the contribution made by the academic study of Latin America and of some of its specific disciplines to the humanities and the social sciences;
• developed an understanding of the benefits and challenges of interdisciplinary approaches to research on Latin America;
• become familiar with some of the main themes of contemporary debate;
• presented their own ideas in a public forum;
• developed intellectual and practical research skills; and
• tested their ability to produce a piece of advanced scholarship in conformity with the research techniques, standards of argument and accepted style of presentation of an academic discipline.