Center for Latin American and Latinx Studies University of Pennsylvania
Center for Latin American and Latinx Studies and Graduate School of Education
Certificate in Latin American and Latinx Studies for Masters Students in the Graduate School of Education
The Masters Certificate in Latin American and Latinx Studies is awarded by the Center for Latin American and Latinx Studies (CLALS) to Master level graduate students in the Graduate School of Education (GSE). It is intended for students who wish to gain more exposure to Latin America and Latinx studies in conjunction with their graduate work and training in education. GSE students have the opportunity to enroll in graduate courses focused on Latin America and Latinx populations covering a wide range of disciplines in the humanities and social sciences and gain cross-disciplinary and cross-cultural fluency.
The Certificate documents that the MA student has mastered relevant coursework, field placement or internship experience, and language training related to Latin America and Latinx populations. Such recognition is expected to be valuable in their future careers.
REQUIREMENTS:
1. Two graduate courses rostered by LALS.
2. A qualifying field placement/internship conducted in a Latin American context or in a Latinx community or organization in Philadelphia or other US context.
3. Students must demonstrate proficiency in Spanish, French, Portuguese, or an Indigenous language. Language proficiency can be demonstrated by proof of being a native speaker, evidence of extensive fieldwork in the language in question, language certificates or exams. In rare cases students can petition a waiver of the language requirement if their research focuses on Latinx in the U.S. or other situations where foreign language proficiency might not be necessary. In such situations, the student must substitute the language requirement with an additional course.
ELIGIBILITY/APPLICATION
Students who are considering working towards the MA certificate should inform the CLALS Associate Director to plan their course of study and fulfillment of the requirements. Note that students are not guaranteed a field placement or internship that qualifies for their certificate and are encourage to work with their GSE advisors to find a suitable placement.
When students have completed the requirements, they will fill out the graduate certificate completion form and send to the CLALS Associate Director at clals-upenn@sas.upenn.edu.
CONTACT
Students who have questions about the MA certificate in Latin American and Latinx Studies may contact:
Cathy Bartch, Ph.D.
Associate Director, Center for Latin American and Latinx Studies
bartch@sas.upenn.edu or clals-upenn@sas.upenn.edu
ph: 215-898-9919
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Nelson Flores, Ph.D.
Associate Professor Educational Linguistics
Graduate School of Education
ph: 215-898-7913
*In addition, doctoral students at GSE can apply for the Graduate Certificate in Latin American and Latinx Studies which is available to doctoral students across the university.