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Graduate Certificate in LACS

  

The Graduate Certificate in Latin American and Caribbean Studies is a non-degree credential open to all students admitted to or already enrolled in a graduate degree program at the University of Michigan. It can be combined with either a masters or a doctoral degree. LACS has offered the Graduate Certificate since 2001-2002.

The LACS Graduate Certificate is designed to provide students pursuing graduate studies in various fields the opportunity to acquire context-based expertise on the region of Latin America and the Caribbean as well as a formal recognition of this expertise on their U-M transcript. The Certificate allows students to pursue their studies of this important world area in an interdisciplinary fashion at the same time that they gain an appreciation of Latin American and Caribbean Studies as a field with an established intellectual history.

CURRICULUM

The Graduate Certificate Program is a flexible grouping of courses across at least three disciplinary fields. Along with the application for entry into the Program, each student will submit to the Graduate Committee a list of proposed courses that will fulfill the requirement and a brief letter explaining the rationale of the course of study. The course list must include at least fifteen credit hours of approved graduate-level courses in at least three different departments or schools. Up to six of the fifteen credit hours may include courses that are required for the student's graduate or professional degree. Up to four of the fifteen credit hours may consist of graduate-level language instruction, such as offered in the LACS Quechua series.


CORE COURSE

Of the 15 credit hours in the Certificate Program, three will be earned in a required introductory course:

LACS 619 (3 credits) "Proseminar on Latin American and Caribbean Studies" (offered annually, usually in the fall). A general introduction for graduate and professional school students to Latin America and the Caribbean in the twentieth century. The course addresses relationships among culture, politics, health, environment, and economics in the region, and will typically be team-taught by two instructors from complementary fields.
Note: Students may substitute a different course for the Proseminar with the permission of the Graduate Committee. Acceptable substitutions must provide a broad, multi-disciplinary focus on contemporary Latin American societies.


ELECTIVES

The other twelve credit hours consist of four or more electives, at least two of which must fall outside the student's primary discipline.


DOUBLE-COUNT CREDITS

If you have your Master's degree (MA, etc.), or plan to graduate with a Master's degree shortly after applying for the Certificate, you should inquire about Rackham's double-count rule. You will be allowed to count only one-sixth of the total credits needed for the MA towards your Latin American and Caribbean Studies Certificate.


LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT

Students must demonstrate proficiency in Spanish, Portuguese, or another language of Latin America or the Caribbean, such as Yucatec Maya or Quechua, before obtaining the certificate. Such knowledge can be demonstrated by a grade of B or higher in a fourth-semester language course or its equivalent, or by a letter from a UM language instructor certifying their language competence.


ADMISSION

Any student with a bachelor's degree who has been admitted to, or is currently enrolled in, a graduate program at the University of Michigan is eligible to apply for a Graduate Certificate in Latin American and Caribbean Studies. Applicants should have at least a "B" average.

To apply, you should submit the following to LACS at the address below:

  • LACS Graduate Certificate application form, which you may request from LACS or download here in either Word 6.0 format or Adobe PDF format
  • a transcript of college-level work
  • a letter of support from your UM faculty advisor
  • a list of proposed courses that will fulfill the Certificate requirements
  • a statement of purpose explaining your interest in the Certificate Program and your background in Latin American and Caribbean Studies

In addition, you will need to submit the following University of Michigan forms:

  • (For Rackham Graduate School students:) a Rackham application for Dual Degree.
    Note: this form can be downloaded from the Rackham web site.  Please use the following information when completing Item 9 on the application:
    Program of Application: Latin American and Caribbean Studies
    Numeric Code: 01635. Plan: Certificate.
  • (For non-Rackham Graduate School students, such as Law and Medical students:) a Rackham application. Please contact LACS or Rackham for details.
  • A Dual Degree Course Election Form (Rackham form 6010).
    Note: this form is not needed for admission. It is only required before you receive your LACS certificate. However, it is a useful planning document. You can download it here.

To submit an application, or to request a form, please address your correspondence to:

Latin American and Caribbean Studies - Graduate Certificate Program
University of Michigan
1080 S. University
2607 International Institute/Social Work Bldg
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1106
(734) 763-0553
email: lacs.office@umich.edu