PhD in Latin American Studies

Most of our PhD students come here to work on their thesis with leading scholars in their fields, but we are also committed to helping you develop your future career. CLAS provides specialized in-house training on a range of topics, including:

• teaching undergraduates
• publishing in Latin American studies
• improving your academic writing
• applying for academic posts

CLAS's own training provision is complemented and augmented by a very wide range of skills training sessions offered by the University, which include research skills, IT, personal development, communication skills and careers advice. Bursaries are available for those wishing to take language courses, and CLAS is currently able to offer specialist in-house training in Brazilian Portuguese. Whatever your future aspirations, you will be encouraged, if you wish, to take the opportunity to gain valuable teaching experience during your time here, in the form of small group supervisions and/or lectures.

Assessment

Thesis

Students must submit a thesis of 80,000 words, which will be subject to an oral examination.

Applicants for this course should have achieved a UK Masters (Distinction). A master's or another research degree in a relevant subject is essential. Evidence of interest in or commitment to Latin America is expected. Students applying from external institutions that are studying for or already hold a master's qualification are expected to achieve the equivalent of a distinction across their course of study – conditions will be set on a case-by-case basis according to the assessment criteria used at each institution. Students already at Cambridge applying to continue from the MPhil to the PhD should have attained, or be expecting to obtain, an overall mark of 73% per cent with at least 75 per cent in their thesis or coursework.