PhD at the Centre for Latin American and Caribbean Studies
London, United Kingdom
DURATION
3 up to 6 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time, Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Request application deadline
EARLIEST START DATE
Request earliest startdate
TUITION FEES
GBP 6,130 / per year *
STUDY FORMAT
Distance Learning, On-Campus
* home, full-time | £15500: international, full-time. fees vary depending on mode of study and fee status. please visit our website for updated fees
Introduction
Undertaking doctoral research allows you to develop in-depth knowledge while making a meaningful contribution to your chosen field.
With guidance from our expert supervisors, you'll carry out extensive independent research culminating in a thesis of up to 100,000 words. The Centre for Latin American and Caribbean Studies (CLACS), based at the Institute of Languages, Cultures and Societies, offers specialist doctoral supervision across the humanities and social sciences, covering Latin America and the Caribbean. An internationally recognized center of excellence, CLACS is home to a close-knit team of Latin Americanists with expertise in colonial and post-colonial history, political anthropology, geography, environmental humanities, cultural studies, multilingualism, and digital humanities.
This degree presents the opportunity to gain expertise in your area of interest while also honing a range of transferable skills. On completing this course, you'll be well prepared for specialist career paths both within academia and beyond.
Graduates are awarded a University of London degree.
Centre for Latin American and Caribbean Studies
The Centre for Latin American and Caribbean Studies (CLACS) was established as part of the Institute of Languages, Cultures and Societies in April 2021 and continues the activity of the Institute of Latin American Studies (ILAS), which was founded in 1965.
CLACS occupies a unique position at the core of the academic study of the Latin American and Caribbean region in the UK. Internationally recognized as a center of excellence for research promotion and facilitation, it serves the Latin American Studies community in the UK and worldwide through the development of a range of scholarly initiatives, resources, and networks.
The School of Advanced Study
The School of Advanced Study at the University of London brings together eight internationally renowned research institutes to form the UK's national center for the support of researchers and the promotion of research in the humanities.
Admissions
Scholarships and Funding
Our students fund their studies in a variety of ways including scholarships, bursaries, and fellowships, as well as government loans and postgraduate loans.
We offer a range of scholarships and bursaries that you don't need to pay back and are awarded based on personal circumstances or academic achievement. Funding at the postgraduate level is competitive so it’s a good idea to plan financially before starting your course.
- The London Arts and Humanities Partnership Studentship
- University of London Scholars Awards
- Yusuf Ali Scholarship offered by the Institute of Commonwealth Studies
- Stefania Barichello International Travel Bursary
- JB Trapp Scholarship offered by the Warburg Institute
- Rubinstein Scholarship offered by the Warburg Institute
Curriculum
The Centre for Latin American and Caribbean Studies offers doctoral research supervision in the following broad areas:
- Colonial history
- Postcolonial history
- Political and Legal Anthropology
- Ethnographic research
- Human and cultural geography
- Environmental Humanities
- Cultures of migration and mobility
- Sociolinguistics and multilingualism
- Cultural Studies
- Digital Research
- Latin American Literature (Spanish and Portuguese)
Research degrees in the field of Latin American Studies are also available through the Refugee Law Initiative, part of the Institute of Commonwealth Studies.
Before submitting an application you are advised to contact a member of staff at the Centre for Latin American and Caribbean Studies(Opens in a new window) who has interests in your proposed field of study to discuss your proposal.
Course structure
The degree can be taken full-time over three years (or a maximum of four) or part-time over five years (or a maximum of six), with entry in October and January. You will initially be registered for our MPhil and, providing your progress has been satisfactory, will then be upgraded to our Ph.D. program.
The primary activity of the Ph.D. program is the writing of a thesis of up to 100,000 words. There is no formal coursework, but you are encouraged to participate in the regular seminars held at CLACS during the academic year. An extensive research training program is on offer, with sessions provided by leading scholars and practitioners. After submission of the thesis, you will attend an oral examination conducted by an internal examiner from the University of London, and an external examiner, normally from another UK university.
Distance Learning
CLACS now offers students the opportunity to undertake their research degree by distance learning. This option is available to UK, EU, and international students on the same basis as its London-based PhD programs. Distance-learning students are required to attend the London campus on three set occasions: at the start of their studies for an intensive induction program, for an external review of their progress (the upgrade panel), and for the final oral exam (viva). Students maintain regular contact with supervisors via video conferencing. Fees are the same as for on-campus research programs.
Program Tuition Fee
Career Opportunities
As part of the School of Advanced Study (SAS), University of London, you'll benefit from a collaborative, interdisciplinary research environment. You’ll learn from leading specialists in your field; hone your research skills in our sector-leading training program; expand your knowledge through an extensive calendar of events, conferences, and seminars, and become part of a worldwide network of humanities scholars.
The Institute of Languages, Cultures, and Societies enjoys close links with other SAS members and is home to a diverse, international, and vibrant community of scholars covering its major language and culture areas. Throughout the academic year, it is host to a lively program of events, conferences, and seminars that is at the heart of the functioning of the disciplinary area.
Meanwhile, the Centre for Latin American and Caribbean Studies possesses a world-class library collection dedicated to the study of Latin America and the Caribbean, located on the sixth floor of Senate House Library, which includes periodicals, political pamphlets, documentary films, and photographs, in addition to extensive holdings of printed and digital books. CLACS publishes an open-access book series in Latin American Studies with University of London Press.
Because of its function as a center for academic interest in a very extensive range of topics, the Centre has national and international contacts with researchers in all of the fields that it represents. It is therefore particularly well placed to offer supervision for projects that cross national and disciplinary boundaries.
The Centre for Latin American and Caribbean Studies works together with national and international professional associations representing the field and actively maintains and builds ties with cultural, diplomatic, and business organizations with an interest in Latin America and the Caribbean.