- Such students include individuals who seek employment in areas where the ability to research and teach across disciplines would be an advantage, and where having skills in two disciplines, combined with Latin American area expertise, would be more useful than extensive training within one discipline.
- Competence is required in one Latin American language by the time of degree completion. Competence in more than one Latin American language may be critical in certain areas of study. As such, some concentrations may require competence in a second language. For details, see the Latin American Studies Handbook. Competence is considered to be the successful completion of advanced-level course work or passing a language proficiency examination. Students who have completed an undergraduate or graduate degree in Latin America or Iberia satisfy the language requirements.
- A Committee on Studies (COS) must be formed at least one semester before the student plans to take comprehensive examinations. The COS is composed of at least two members from each concentration. The student creates a reading list in consultation with all members of his or her COS, and the committee approves the list the semester prior to the scheduled exam. The comprehensive examinations are coordinated and administered by the Latin American Studies program in conjunction with the student COS. Upon successful completion of the comprehensive examinations, an M.A. in Latin American Studies is conferred and students are advanced to candidacy within the doctoral program.