Graduate Admission Requirements

Graduate Admission Requirements

Admission Requirements

Application Requirements

The LAIS program’s admission policy is based on intellectual potential and promise, academic records and programmatic fit. Graduate admission to the LAIS program is an academic decision involving factors beyond scores and grades made exclusively by the faculty of the graduate program.

In addition to program requirements for admission, applicants must also meet the university requirements for admission described in Graduate Education at UCSB. Completion of the undergraduate major in Latin American and Iberian Studies is desirable but not necessary.

Completed applications must be received by January 5 2025 for admission to the Fall quarter and for consideration of financial support.

1. Online application
2. Application fee
3. Statement of purpose, personal achievements/contributions, and resume or CV (submitted in the online application). See the UCSB Graduate Division Admissions page for additional information on completing these requirements.
4. Three letters of recommendation (submitted online)
5. A writing sample, approximately 15-30 double-spaced pages (submitted in the online application).

Financial Aid

The Latin American and Iberian Studies admissions committee meets in late January to assess candidates for financial aid. We hope to notify students about centrally funded fellowship and program fellowship by mid-March.

LAIS program recruiting fellowships: A portion of the program’s graduate block grant goes toward recruiting packages for incoming students. This money may be awarded as non-resident tuition fellowships (out-of-state students are expected to establish residency by the end of their first academic year), or as program fellowship, which goes towards payment of fees and include a stipend.

Teaching Assistantships: A limited number of positions as a teaching assistant are available in the LAIS program. These are often awarded to students who already have teaching experience or are advanced students in the M.A. program. Such support is not guaranteed for a fixed period. Teaching duties in the LAIS program are a single discussion section for one of the program’s courses (LAIS 10, 100, 101,102) under the direction of the supervising faculty member. LAIS graduate students have found opportunities to teach in other departments such as Spanish and Portuguese, Chicano/a Studies, Film Studies, Women’s Studies, Black Studies, and the Writing Program. Interested students should contact those programs directly.