The programme is intended to provide an interdisciplinary understanding of the main developments in Latin America since c1900 to the present. While the programme emphasises the specific features of individual countries, there is also broad comparative coverage of major trends such as authoritarianism and democracy, the economic cycle, the effect of international factors, the evolution of the Left and Right, revolutionary movements, and the effects of neo-liberal economic models.

These topics are addressed through taught classes for a number of academic disciplines (including History, Politics, Sociology, International Relations and Economics), individual preparation for a range of exam papers, and a lively programme of seminars and conferences with visiting speakers. Students are asked to submit two portfolios of essays on subjects of their choice during the first two terms. These essays serve both as a focus for tutorials to review student progress, as well as preparation for exams at the end of the year.

In the final term of the programme, students will be required to sit three exam papers from a list to be provided on their arrival in Oxford. The exam papers for 2012/13 are not yet confirmed, but you may view the range of papers available for the current year in the programme specification document below.

In addition to the three exams, students are required to submit an extended essay of 10,000 words. The preparation of this extended essay will allow students to develop a critical focus by examining a particular topic in depth. Click on the document below to see the titles of essays submitted by previous MSc LAS students.