Admissions

A photo of the national congress building in Buenos Aires, Argentina. A photo of the national congress building in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
The Latin American Studies program employs a rolling admissions deadline. Students may apply for Fall, Spring, or Summer admission (with program permission). Interested students may apply to the program at any time, and are encouraged to contact the Program Director with any questions.

Admission Requirements

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  • Online Applications & Deadlines

    Please complete the online application by clicking here.

    *Funding is available to students interested in applying for the Fall semester. Students who submit their application by February 1st will be given full consideration for the limited funding that is available.

    Application Deadlines
    Intended Starting Semester Deadline
    Fall May 15
    Spring Oct 15
    Summer Feb 15


    Fall Priority Deadline: Full applications received by Feb 1 will receive an admissions decision by Mar 1 and will have priority considerations for tuition waivers.

  • Application Cover Form

    Applications must complete an application cover form which is generated through the application web portal.

  • Application Fee

    An $85.00 non-refundable application fee is paid online upon submission of the application.

  • Statement of Purpose

    The statement of purpose is the most important element of your application packet. This letter needs to reflect who you are, your goals and why you would be an asset to the Master of Arts in Latin American Studies (LAS) program. It is very important to ensure it is grammatically correct and as detailed as possible. The statement of purpose should be no more than two pages in length. Please review before you submit. 

    Below is a link to help you get started:

    OWL Statement of Purpose Guidelines

  • CV/Resume

    Applicants will be required to provide a copy of their CV/resume.

  • Letters of Recommendation

    Three letters of recommendation must be provided. At least one letter should be from an academic reference. 

  • Official Transcripts

    You must provided official transcripts from each post-secondary institution attended. Official transcripts in languages other than English must also be submitted with a certified English translation.

  • Grade Point Average (GPA)

    A minimum overall undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.

  • Optional - Graduate Record Examination (GRE)

    Applicants are not required to submit a GRE score, but may do so if they wish. If students choose to submit a GRE score, the University of Miami school code is 5815.

International Applicants

In addition to the criteria mentioned in the Admissions Requirements section, international applicants are required to submit the following:

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  • Passport

    You will be asked to provide a copy of your passport.

  • Diplomas or Certificates

    International students are required to submit a copy of all the diplomas or certificates earned. Each copy must be submitted in their original language with a certified English translation.

  • Bank Statement

    You will be required to provide a copy of your bank statement for the last six months. You may also provide a sponsorship letter indicating your method of funding.

  • Official TOEFL (or IELTS) Score

    All international students are required to take this exam in order to demonstrate sufficient English competency. The "Test Of English As A Foreign Language (TOEFL)" exam is offered as a paper-based test (PBT) or an internet-based test (IBT). A score of 550 is required for the PBT; a score of 80 is required for the IBT. 

    Students may also take the "International English Language Testing System (IELTS)" exam to demonstrate sufficient competency in English. A score of 6.5 or higher is required. 

    All international students must provide a copy of their results on either exam. 

    International students from countries whose primary language is English are not required to take this exam.

Students are encouraged to visit the International Student and Scholar Services website. For additional information please visit both the International Students webpage and the International Applicants for the College of Arts and Sciences webpage on the Graduate School website.

Document Submission

All documents being sent via a special courier service (UPS, FedEx, etc.) should be sent to the following address:

University of Miami
Master of Arts in Latin American Studies
ATTN: Dr. Lina Lopez
1300 Campo Sano Avenue, Suite 215
Coral Gables, FL 33146