Department of Spanish Language and Literature
Postgraduate Studies Program
GUIDE FOR INCOMING STUDENTS
Presentation of the MA in Latin American and Iberian Studies
MASTER OF ARTS IN LATIN AMERICAN AND IBERIAN STUDIES
The Department of Spanish Language and Literature, in the School of Philosophy of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), offers the M.A. program in “Latin American and Iberian Studies” (LAIS).
The LAIS program is committed to provide specialized knowledge in a broad spectrum of fields in Iberian and Latin American social, cultural, translation, linguistic, and literary studies. It is aimed at students seeking a rigorous academic program in order to develop competitive professional skills for the workplace.
The two years, four semesters, program is organized into two specialization tracks: Latin American and Spanish Studies and Translation – Linguistics. Theory and Applications to Spanish Language. Each separate track combines core and elective courses, organized to meet the student’s individual professional goals, and intellectual interests. The completion of the program requires the writing of a short M.A. thesis. With the M.A. thesis, students develop an original research project under the advice of the Dept. of Spanish Language and Literature faculty and distinguished visiting professors from abroad (Europe, USA, Latin America, Japan etc.).
The main goal of the LAIS M.A. program is the preparation of future professionals in order to pursue successful careers in education; literary studies, arts and cultural relations and administration; government; public administration; international, economic and geopolitical relations; business and commerce; Spanish to Greek and vice versa translation, as well as in teaching Spanish as a second language in diverse public and private education institutions. The LAIS program has been designed to provide knowledge and develop critical thinking on modern approaches used in these fields. In addition, the M.A. program in LAIS provides a strong background for advanced studies at the Ph.D. level.
In the Latin American and Spanish Studies specialization track, students develop a high interdisciplinary understanding of the Iberian, as well as of South and Central American regions, through exposure to relevant key issues of contemporary Latin America and Spain, such as history, culture, economy, sociology, literature.
In the Spanish Translation and Linguistics specialization track, the Program prepares students to be expert translators from and into Spanish across a wide domain of professional fields. Students learn to use the latest translation technology. At the same time, the Program provides training in Hispanic Linguistics and Second Language Acquisition, offering rigorous interdisciplinary training for the study and teaching of Spanish as a second language.
WHO TEACHES IN THE PROGRAM?
In the two years of the graduate program’s operation, senior department faculty is joined by the following international expert academicians, in order to achieve the highest possible quality for our post-graduates (in alphabetical order):
Fernando Degiovanni, Professor, PhD Program in Latin American, Iberian, and Latino Cultures (EO, Chair). Interdisciplinary Concentration in Latin American and Caribbean Studies (Coordinator)
The Graduate Center, City University of New York (CUNY), USA.
(Perspectives of Contemporary Argentinean Short Story and Greek Culture and Political - Philosophical Thought in Latin America)
José del Valle, Professor, PhD Program in Latin American, Iberian, and Latino Cultures. Interdisciplinary Concentration in Latin American and Caribbean Studies.
The Graduate Center, City University of New York (CUNY), USA
(Inter-Culturalism and Language and History and Spanish Language Policy)
María de Monserrat Llairó, Professor, Centro de Investigación en Estudios Latinoamericanos para el Desarrollo y la Integración (CEINLADI)
Facultad de Ciencias Económicas, Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), Buenos Aires, Argentina
(Economic Development in Latin America)
Marta Pena de Matsuchita, Professor, Hispanic American Literature,
Center for Comparative Cultures,
Doshisha University, Kyoto, Japan
(Contemporary Argentinian Novel and History)
WHO STUDIES IN LATIN AMERICAN AND IBERIAN STUDIES M.A. PROGRAM?
Our postgraduate students come from all social and scientific fields. Most students who enter graduate degree programs in Latin American and Iberian Studies, however, have completed a B.A. in Spanish language and literature. In special cases, where a student may lack certain basic knowledge, can take supplemental undergraduate courses.