Students interested in applying to the University of Florida's Master of Arts in Latin American Studies are encouraged to review the below eligibility requirements and application guidelines.
Eligibility Requirements
- Background and interest in Latin America demonstrated through coursework, study abroad, work or volunteer experience, or other.
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent from an accredited college or university.
- 3.0 GPA in all upper-division undergraduate coursework.
- Minimal proficiency in Spanish, Portuguese or Haitian Creole.
- For international applicants and applicants from Puerto Rico: satisfactory scores on the IELTS (6), MELAB (77) or TOEFL (550/213/80).
List of countries exempt from this requirement.
TOEFL Submission Code: 5812 (UF)
Online Application
Applicants should follow UF online admissions procedures. The following materials must be uploaded with your application:
- CV or resume
- Transcripts
- Applicants should have diplomas of degrees in hand
- Brief writing sample (1-10 pages)
- Personal statement (400-500 words)
- A personal statement expresses your purpose and passion for graduate study; your Latin American, Latinx, or Caribbean experiences; your reasons for selecting this academic program; and your goals for life and career after completing a MALAS degree. The essay cannot exceed 500 words and must be pasted into the text box provided in the application interface.
- Contact information for 3 letters of recommendation
- Requests for 3 confidential recommendations must be processed through the UF admissions site. Provide the name and contact information for each of three potential recommenders, who will be contacted by email after you submit your application. You can return to the site at any time to check the status of requests, to add additional requests, or to ask that a second request be sent to a recommender who has not yet submitted a letter.
Four Stage Application
- Submit an application online. In addition to following all standard instructions, submit a PDF version of your resume, a writing sample, statement, and transcript to the Center for Latin American Studies by clicking on the Upload Resume, Upload Other, and Upload Transcript buttons and following directions for uploading files.
- Send transcripts and certificates by mail. Arrange to have official paper copies of your transcripts and degree certificates (if applicable) sent by mail to the Office of Admissions from each post-secondary institution attended.
- Send an email to Po Echeguren, Academic Assistant III, or Clate Korsant, Assistant Director of Academic Affairs, stating that you have submitted your online application. Provide your UFID number and indicate the MALAS specialization that most interests you at this time. Your specialization preference helps to connect you with initial advisors and may be easily changed during the first year of studies.
- Verify that your referees have submitted letters of recommendation by checking the UF site.
Application Deadlines
- December 1, 2023, for Fall 2024 admission
Applications received after the deadline may be reviewed for admission on a space-available basis.
MALAS Student Funding
All applicants applying for fall admission are considered for Graduate Assistantships. Applicants who are awarded assistantships will receive separate notifications of the assistantship and of admission to the MALAS program.
If you would like to be considered for a FLAS Academic Year Fellowship, please submit a separate application by following these instructions: FLAS Fellowship Application.