<p>I will be entering my Junior year of History at a state University which specializes in Latin America and Atlantic History (once my transfer is approved, coming from a community college). It's a third tier school but it's curriculum offers far more opportunities for students desiring a pursuit in Latin American history. Some of these opportunities are courses which require a research trip to a Latin American country (Argentina) to complete a particular research project.</p>
<p>Luckily for me, this is one of the fields I find most interesting. I'd specifically like to pursue graduate studies (MA or PhD) in Latin American economic and political history with the intention of eventually teaching the subject in a university. I'm also currently brushing up on my Spanish and I'll make the jump to Portuguese in good time.</p>
<p>I am a bit concerned, however, whether this course of study has diverse opportunities for students who are pursuing it. Is there a lot of competition for this course, is it in high demand? What institutions are best for this course of study? Since my goals are region specific, would it be better for me to study a Latin American Studies doctorate instead?</p>
<p>Any input from people who can weigh in on this would be appreciated. I will contact the appropriate professors once I'm actually at the university proper, just getting a heads up on things I should consider.</p>
<p>I am a PhD student in history but I don’t have much experience with Latin American studies.</p>
<p>First, in general, history graduate programs are very competitive. Some of the programs I investigated when I was applying had acceptance rates in the single digits. Having a high GPA and GRE are important - they won’t get you in but having abysmally low scores could keep you out.</p>
<p>Personally, I would be wary of getting a PhD in area studies if you want to go into academia (it may be different in the private sector). Make sure you check out their placements before accepting an offer. Here’s why: Although interdisciplinary work is in vogue, hiring is done by discipline. History departments want historians. Political science departments want political sciencists. It is easier to find a job if you have a firm standing within a discipline and do interdisciplinary work from that perspective. That said, doing an MA in area studies isn’t a bad idea. It can make you more competitive when you apply to PhD programs. I applied to and considered accepting an area studies MA at Yale, if I didn’t get accepted to a good history program with funding. The MA program offered me full funding but luckily, so did some of the PhD programs I was accepted to. </p>
<p>I would assume that places with high Latino populations would have fantastic resources for someone interested in Latin American studies. A quick look at UT-Austin’s web page shows that they have at least ten professors who focus on Latin America. You mgiht also look at universities in California or Arizona. I have a friend who is studying Latin American history right now. He also applied to the University of Washington, the University of Minnesota, and the University of Michigan. Even though I would be wary of a Latin American Studies PhD, you may want to consider universities with those programs. Those history programs are likely to have a large number of resources for people interested in Latin America. Chicago, for example, has a Center for Latin American studies and a fantastic history department.</p>