Latin American Studies M.A.

Admissions

The applications for Fall 2026 are now closed and we are no longer accepting applications. We are not accepting late applications, and applications submitted after the deadline will not be reviewed, and the application fee is nonrefundable. Applying for the 2027-28 academic year? The application will be available in October 2026.

Note that the Latin American Studies graduate program offers a Master's degree (M.A.) only, and there is no PhD in Latin American Studies offered at UCLA. Please also note that this is a full-time program conducted in person, with classes held on weekdays during the day.

General admissions information, instructions about applying, and the online application for admission can be found at UCLA’s Division of Graduate Education (DGE) Website. The DGE's minimum eligibility requirements can be found here; Criteria for Admission. For international applicants, information about ineligible degrees and other important details is available on the DGE website here.

Please read and follow the DGE's guidance on Using AI Responsibly in Your Essays before submitting your application.

Applications are only accepted for Fall term. The deadline to apply to the program for the academic year beginning in the Fall quarter is January 5 at 11:59 PM (Pacific Time). All materials must be complete before the application is considered.

Required Materials:

UCLA Online Application completed via the DGE Admissions Website: For any questions or technical difficulties with the online application, please email DGE at onlineapphelp@grad.ucla.edu. Applicants can access the DGE Admissions FAQs, including details about the application fee waiver, by clicking here.
Statement of Purpose (approx. 500 words in length. Follow the UCLA Online Application instructions): Your statement of purpose should describe academic, Latin America-related and/or professional experience. Applicants may include information about their academic achievements and goals for study at UCLA. A list of the prompts for the statement of purpose can be found on the DGE website; UCLA Graduate Admissions: Application Process, Requirements & Resources.
Personal Statement (approx. 500 words in length. Follow the UCLA Online Application instructions): Personal Statement is an opportunity to provide additional information that may aid the admissions committee in evaluating your preparation and aptitude for graduate study at UCLA. It will also be used to consider candidates for the Graduate Opportunity Program (GOP). Please review the eligibility requirements and instructions on the GOP website. A list of the prompts for the personal statement can be found on the DGE website; UCLA Graduate Admissions: Application Process, Requirements & Resources.
Curriculum vitae/ Resume (1-5 pages in length) should include an applicant’s education, honors and awards, work experience, research experience, organizational memberships, publications, volunteer experience, and other relevant qualifications.
A research paper or other writing sample demonstrating writing, research, and analytical skills (total 10 pages maximum, US letter size, double-spaced). It should be written in English and reflect your ability to communicate ideas clearly and professionally. The sample may be a research paper written for a class or another piece of academic writing that demonstrates your ability to conduct research and develop an analytical argument. Applicants should submit the writing sample that best strengthens their application. Please note that the admissions office is unable to advise applicants on the selection of a specific writing sample.

The sample should not exceed 10 pages in total, inclusive of all components of the document (i.e. title, author information, abstract, figures, tables, footnotes, references/bibliography and etc.). If the research paper exceeds the 10-page limit, applicants should submit a selected excerpt of no more than 10 pages that best represents their work and clearly indicate this at the beginning of the document.
Three letters of recommendation preferably from former or current professors or from other individuals who can attest to applicant's ability to succeed in graduate study. Letters should be uploaded via the UCLA Online Application.

Please note that some universities have firewalls that prevent faculty from receiving recommendation requests from UCLA. If a letter has not been submitted, please go back to the Letter of Recommendation section, "exclude" the recommender, and then add them back in using a different email (Gmail, for example).
Unofficial transcript: An unofficial transcript should be uploaded via UCLA Online Application. If transcript is not in English, an authorized translation has to be provided. In such cases, please upload the transcript in the original language in addition to the English translation. Applicants do not need to upload unofficial copies of transcripts from community college or study abroad programs. Please refrain from submitting unsolicited materials, such as updated transcripts after the deadline, official transcripts, or certificates unrelated to a bachelor's degree.

An official final electronic transcript, including the degree award date, is required only after admission to the program. An official transcripts and any additional documents required by DGE should be sent electronically to the program's office directly by the student's undergraduate institution after the student is notified of admission to the program.
TOEFL scores: All graduate applicants are required to demonstrate English proficiency for admission consideration. To find out if you are required to submit TOEFL/IELTS scores, please review DGE's English Requirements: English Language Proficiency Requirement for Admission to UCLA page.

The personal information on your test report (name, DOB, email address, etc.) must exactly match the information you enter on the UCLA Online Application; otherwise, the records will not be linked. The LAS MA program office won't be able to assist if your TOEFL/IELTS score is not linking to your UCLA Online Application. Please contact your testing center.

Applicants must have a minimum overall score of 87 on the TOEFL iBT or 7.0 on the IELTS to be eligible for application review. We do not require minimum section scores for admission. Please be advised that the TOEFL/IELTS requirement is not subject to waiver.

Submitting Graduate Record Examination scores is optional for Fall 2027 admissions.

Information about tuition and fees can be found on the Registrar's Office website. Tuition and fees per term can be found here by selecting "Academic Master" for each of the three quarters (Fall, Winter and Spring). Funding information is available under the "Funding" tab on this website.

UC tuition is different for resident and nonresident students, and determining residence follows a specific process. Certain students may claim an exemption from nonresident tuition. Please refer to the Registrar's Office website for more information. Information for students with AB540 or DACA status can be found here.

Admissions Information Video for Fall 2026 Applicants

The links shared in the information video are available here. Kindly note that a video for Fall 2027 applicants will be available in October 2027.