Other Curricular Offering: Master or Arts in Latin American and Caribbean Studies and PhD in Global and Sociocultural Studies Joint Degree Pathway

The combined MA in Latin American and Caribbean Studies (LACS)/PhD in Global and Sociocultural Studies joint degree pathway allows qualified graduate students to pursue both degrees at the same time. Students can develop an expertise in Latin American and Caribbean Studies while progressing towards a PhD in one of the three majors in the Global and Sociocultural Studies: geography, sociology, or anthropology.

Degree Requirements for MA in Latin American and Caribbean Studies

The 30 credits earned for the MA in LACC will count towards the 75 credits required for the PhD in Global and Sociocultural Studies.

MA on LACS Core: 9 credits

--course Survey of Latin America
--course Research Seminar
--course Research Methods and Design OR course Social Research Quantitative Methods I

Dept Courses or Area of Focus: 12 to 15 credits (These must include courses Required for GSS Pathway)

--course Theory and Inquiry
--course Research Methods and Design OR course Social Research Quantitative Methods I
--course Writing Research Proposals

Breadth Requirements: 3 credits

Students select three credits from the MA in LACS approved course list.

MA in LACS Research Proposal

To graduate from the MA in LACS program, students enrolled in this combined MA/PhD joint degree pathway must take the proposal writing course, course, during the semester prior to enrolling in the required exit options in the MA in LACS program.

MA in LACS Exit Options: 3 to 6 credits

Students select one of the following options:

--course Thesis: 6 credits (Students complete a thesis paper supervised by three committee members. All members of the committee must have FIU Graduate Faculty status.)

or

--course Internship in Latin American and Caribbean Studies: 3 credits (Supervised internship leading to a major research paper in Latin American and Caribbean Studies.)

or

--course Directed Research in Latin American and Caribbean Studies: 3 credits (Students complete one directed research paper of about 35 -40 pages.)

MA in LACS Language Requirement

Students must demonstrate proficiency in a language other than English according to the nature of their thesis or research paper/proposal and professional interests.

Application for Graduation from MA in LACS Program

Students should apply for graduation for the MA in LACS degree as soon as they have completed all requirements for the degree – including the exit option. Ordinarily, the MA will be conferred before the student advances to candidacy for the PhD in Global and Sociocultural Studies.

Matriculation to PhD in Global and Sociocultural Studies

All students must undergo a successful MA review upon completion of the MA in LACS program requirements in order to continue toward the PhD in Global and Sociocultural Studies. The Global and Sociocultural Studies Graduate Committee, along with an appointee from LACC, conducts these reviews. The purpose of the MA review is to determine the ability of the student to do PhD-level work with the department’s faculty. Among the information considered during the review are a student’s overall performance, grades in courses, and faculty recommendations.

Degree Requirements for PhD in Global and Sociocultural Studies

The PhD in Global and Sociocultural Studies requires a minimum of 75 credits beyond the baccalaureate including a dissertation based on original research. 30 credits of the MA in LACS program will count toward the 75-credit minimum. Thus, a minimum of 45 credits must be earned beyond the MA.

Major Courses: 33 credits

All doctoral students will choose a major in Anthropology, Geography, or Sociology. The following distribution of coursework is required.

(a) Major theory: 3 credits

(b) Major methods: 3 credits

(c) Major course electives: 6 credits minimum

(d) Exam and dissertation credits

--Doctoral Exam Preparation: 6 credits maximum
--Doctoral Dissertation: 15 credits minimum

General Electives: 6 credits

GSS and non-GSS Department electives

PhD General Examination

After successfully completing the common core requirements, the major's course requirements, and electives, a student prepares for the PhD General Exam by enrolling in a maximum of six credits of exam preparation for their major. In preparation for the exam, a student forms a dissertation committee according to the regulations published on the University Graduate School web page (http://gradschool.fiu.edu). The PhD General Exam addresses the student’s anticipated dissertation topic, and is conducted according to the University Graduate School Policies and Procedures Manual and the Department’s PhD General Exam guidelines.

The Dissertation Proposal and Defense/Candidacy Exam

After passing the PhD General Exam, a student works under the guidance of the dissertation committee to prepare a dissertation proposal and defend it orally before the committee. The chair of the dissertation committee must hold Dissertation Advisor Status from the University Graduate School. The proposal defense serves as the doctoral candidacy exam for the PhD in Global and Sociocultural Studies program. Upon passing the proposal defense, a student is admitted to candidacy status.

The Dissertation and Dissertation Defense

After successfully defending a dissertation proposal, a student conducts the proposed research and completes a dissertation under the guidance of a dissertation committee. Only after successfully defending the dissertation proposal may a student register for dissertation hours (ANG 7980, GEO 7980, or SYA 7980). The PhD program requires a student to be continuously enrolled in a minimum of 3 credits of Doctoral Dissertation each semester from the time of advancement to candidacy until completion of the dissertation, including summers. Upon completion of the dissertation manuscript and authorization by the committee, a student defends the dissertation before the committee and the niversity community. The University Graduate School’s regulations governing the dissertation are described at http://gradschool.fiu.edu.

GBLSOC:PHD - Doctor of Philosophy in Global and Sociocultural Studies

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