Degree Structure and Assessment
Latin American degrees: Overview of how the degrees are structured
- MA in Latin American Studies
- MSc in Globalisation and Latin American Development
- MSc in Latin American Politics
- MA in Caribbean and Latin American Studies
- MSc in Latin American Studies (Development)
United States degrees: Overview of how the degrees are structured
Comparative degrees: MA in Comparative American Studies
Research degrees: MPhil/PhD (separate page)
Latin American degrees: Overview of how the degrees are structured
Master's degrees are one-year (12 months) full-time programmes, but they may be taken over two years part-time. All degrees comprise a total of 3 course units (c.u.) and a dissertation of 12,000 words. Part-time students normally take two course units, including examinations, in their first year and complete a further one course unit and the dissertation in the following year. ISA does not offer an evening part-time programme, although classes may occasionally take place in the early evening.
Courses are taught through lectures and seminars. There is usually a two-hour lecture / seminar each week for each course. Students make regular seminar presentations, based on extensive reading, and subsequently present these as essays for assessment.
In addition, students are strongly encouraged to attend the seminars, conferences and lectures arranged by the Institute, and those organised within the Colleges and Institutes of the University.
Assessment
The Master's degree courses are mainly assessed via essays and examinations,
but other items of assessment may include oral presentations or analyses
of policy documents, depending on the course. Students will take no more
than three exams over the course of their degree. The combined course unit
marks make up 70% of the final mark for the degree, and the dissertation
accounts for 30% of the final mark. The assignments are submitted at fixed
dates towards the end of November, January and March. The examinations are
held in May. The dissertation is submitted towards the end of September.
Students are permitted to proceed to the dissertation only if they have passed all the required courses. Students who fail one or more courses, or the dissertation, may be permitted to re-submit or re-sit the relevant item of assessment, on one occasion only, normally in the following year.
This is a multidisciplinary degree. Students are required to take six course units from a range of options listed below, plus the dissertation. These will usually determine the area in which they will write their dissertation. N.B. Courses must be taken from at least two disciplines. Options that require a high level of competence in Portuguese are marked (P).
To view further, more detailed information about this course please click here
Structure: A total of three course units 3 c.u. (1.5 c.u. per term) plus dissertation made up as follows:
- Optional courses (totalling 3 c.u. - from at least two disciplines)
- Dissertation (12,000 words, written on a topic within the field of the courses)
Assessment:
Courses are mainly assessed via essays and examinations, but other items of assessment may include oral presentations or analyses of policy documents, depending on the course. Students will take no more than three exams over the course of their degree.
Course options:
Autumn Term
Courses |
Course Unit
Value |
| Indian and Peasant Politics in Latin America: Amazonia (Goldsmiths) | 0.5 |
| The International Politics of Latin America | 0.5 |
| Sustainable Development in Latin America and the Caribbean | 0.5 |
| The Politics of Human Rights in Latin America: Transitional Justice | 0.5 |
| The Caribbean from the Haitian Revolution to the Cuban Revolution | 0.5 |
| Imagining the Modern Caribbean (QMUL) | 0.5 |
| Text, Image and Texture: History and Archaeology in Sixteenth Century Mexico (UCL) | 0.5 |
| Culture and Identity in Brazil Part 1: The Post-Colonial Nation, Slavery and the Indian (Kings) (P) (not in 2009/10) | 0.5 |
| Social Anthropology of the Caribbean (Goldsmiths) | 0.5 |
| Development in Latin America | 0.5 |
| Brazil from Independence to the Present (Kings) | 0.5 |
Spring Term
Courses |
Course Unit
Value |
| Contemporary Issues in Latin American Economics | 0.5 |
| Democratization in Latin America | 0.5 |
| Politics, Society and Development in the Modern Caribbean | 0.5 |
| Music of the Americas: Politics, Indigeneity & Performance (RHUL) | 0.5 |
| Culture and Identity in Brazil Part 2: Contradictions of Modernity (Kings) (P) | 0.5 |
| Brazilian Populisum, Culture and the State (Kings) (not in 2009/10) | 0.5 |
| History of Latin America 1880s to 1980s: between Liberalism and Neo-Liberalism | 0.5 |
| The Politics of Human Rights in Latin America: Challenges of Democratization | 0.5 |
| Society and Development in Latin America | 0.5 |
Two-Term Courses |
Course Unit
Value |
| Brazilian Popular Music Studies (Kings) (P) (not in 2009/10) | 1.0 |
| Latin American Cultural Studies (Kings) (P) (not in 2009/10) | 1.0 |
| The Latin American Colonial Experience (Kings) | 1.0 |
| Latin American Development: From Liberalism to Neo-liberalism (LSE) | 1.0 |
| Nationalism and National Identity in Twentieth-Century Latin America (UCL) | 1.0 |
See degree structure and assessment for further details
MSc in Globalisation and Latin American Development
To view further, more detailed information about this course please click here
Structure: a total of three course units 3 c.u.(1.5 c.u. per term) plus dissertation made up as follows:
- Compulsory course
- Optional courses (2 c.u. - from the list below)
- Dissertation (12,000 words, written on a topic relating to globalisation or devlopment in Latin America)
Assessment:
Courses are mainly assessed via essays and examinations, but other items of assessment may include oral presentations or analyses of policy documents, depending on the course. Students will take no more than three exams over the course of their degree.
Course options:
Compulsory
Courses |
Course Unit
Value |
| Globalisation and Latin American Development: Latin America in the XXIst Century (two-terms) | 1.0 |
Autumn Term
Courses |
Course Unit
Value |
| Indian and Peasant Politics in Latin America: Amazonia (Goldsmiths) | 0.5 |
| The International Politics of Latin America | 0.5 |
| Sustainable Development in Latin America and the Caribbean | 0.5 |
| The Politics of Human Rights in Latin America: Transitional Justice | 0.5 |
| The Caribbean from the Haitian Revolution to the Cuban Revolution | 0.5 |
| Development in Latin America | 0.5 |
Two-Term Courses |
Course Unit
Value |
| Latin American Development: From Liberalism to Neo-liberalism (LSE) | 1.0 |
See degree structure and assessment for further details
MSc in Latin American Politics
To view further, more detailed information about this course please click here.
Structure: A total of three course units 3 c.u. (1.5 c.u. per term) plus dissertation made up as follows:
- Compulsory courses
- Optional courses (totalling 2 c.u. - from the list below)
- Dissertation (12,000 words, written on a topic relating to Latin American Politics)
Assessment:
Courses are mainly assessed via essays and examinations, but other items of assessment may include oral presentations or analyses of policy documents, depending on the course. Students will take no more than three exams over the course of their degree.
Course options:
Compulsory
Courses |
Course Unit
Value |
| The International Politics of Latin America | 0.5 |
| Democratization in Latin America | 0.5 |
Autumn Term
Courses |
Course Unit
Value |
| The Politics of Human Rights in Latin America: Transitional Justice | 0.5 |
| The Caribbean from the Haitian Revolution to the Cuban Revolution | 0.5 |
| Development in Latin America | 0.5 |
Spring Term
Courses |
Course Unit
Value |
| Politics, Society and Development in the Modern Caribbean | 0.5 |
| Contemporary Issues in Latin American Economics | 0.5 |
| The Politics of Human Rights in Latin America: Challenges of Democratization | 0.5 |
| Society and Development in Latin America | 0.5 |
Two-Term Courses |
Course Unit
Value |
| Latin American Development: From Liberalism to Neo-liberalism (LSE) | 1.0 |
| Nationalism and National Identity in Twentieth-Century Latin America (UCL) | 1.0 |
See degree structure and assessment for further details
MA in Caribbean and Latin American Studies
Structure: A total of three course units 3 c.u. (1.5 c.u. per term) plus dissertation made up as follows:
- Compulsory courses
- Optional courses (totalling 2 c.u - from the list below.)
- Dissertation (12,000 words, written on a topic relating to the Caribbean, or Latin America and the Caribbean)
Assessment:
Courses are mainly assessed via essays and examinations, but other items of assessment may include oral presentations or analyses of policy documents, depending on the course. Students will take no more than three exams over the course of their degree.
Course options:
Compulsory
Courses |
Course Unit
Value |
| The Caribbean from the Haitian Revolution to the Cuban Revolution (Autumn) | 0.5 |
| Politics, Society and Development in the Modern Caribbean (Spring) | 0.5 |
Autumn Term
Courses |
Course Unit
Value |
| Indian and Peasant Politics in Latin America: Amazonia (Goldsmiths) | 0.5 |
| The International Politics of Latin America | 0.5 |
| Sustainable Development in Latin America and the Caribbean | 0.5 |
| The Politics of Human Rights in Latin America: Transitional Justice | 0.5 |
| Imagining the Modern Caribbean (QMUL) | 0.5 |
| Text, Image and Texture: History and Archaeology in Sixteenth Century Mexico (UCL) | 0.5 |
| Culture and Identity in Brazil Part 1: The Post-Colonial Nation, Slavery and the Indian (Kings) (P) (not in 2009/10) | 0.5 |
| Development in Latin America | 0.5 |
| Brazil from Independence to the Present (Kings) | 0.5 |
| Social Anthropology of the Caribbean (Goldsmiths) | 0.5 |
Spring Term
Courses |
Course Unit
Value |
| Contemporary Issues in Latin American Economics | 0.5 |
| Democratization in Latin America | 0.5 |
| Music of the Americas: Politics, Indigeneity & Performance (RHUL) | 0.5 |
| Culture and Identity in Brazil Part 2: Contradictions of Modernity (Kings) | 0.5 |
| Brazilian Populisum, Culture and the State (Kings) (not in 2009/10) | 0.5 |
0.5 |
|
| The Politics of Human Rights in Latin America: Challenges of Democratization | 0.5 |
| Society and Development in Latin America | 0.5 |
Two-Term Courses |
Course Unit
Value |
| Brazilian Popular Music Studies (Kings) (P) (not in 2009/10) | 1.0 |
| Latin American Cultural Studies (Kings) (P) (not in 2009/10) | 1.0 |
| The Latin American Colonial Experience (Kings) | 1.0 |
| Latin American Development: From Liberalism to Neo-liberalism (LSE) | 1.0 |
| Nationalism and National Identity in Twentieth-Century Latin America (UCL) | 1.0 |
See degree structure and assessment for further details
MSc in Latin American Studies (Development)
Structure: A total of three course units 3 c.u. (1.5 c.u. per term) plus dissertation made up as follows:
- Compulsory course
- Optional courses (totalling 2.5 c.u. - from the list below)
- Dissertation (12,000 words, written on a topic relating to Latin American Development)
Assessment:
Courses are mainly assessed via essays and examinations, but other items of assessment may include oral presentations or analyses of policy documents, depending on the course. Students will take no more than three exams over the course of their degree.
Course options:
Compulsory
Courses |
Course Unit
Value |
| Development in Latin America (Autumn) | 0.5 |
Autumn Term
Courses |
Course Unit
Value |
| Indian and Peasant Politics in Latin America: Amazonia (Goldsmiths) | 0.5 |
| The International Politics of Latin America | 0.5 |
| Sustainable Development in Latin America and the Caribbean | 0.5 |
| The Politics of Human Rights in Latin America: Transitional Justice | 0.5 |
| The Caribbean from the Haitian Revolution to the Cuban Revolution | 0.5 |
Two-Term Courses |
Course Unit
Value |
| The Latin American Colonial Experience (Kings) | 1.0 |
| Latin American Development: From Liberalism to Neo-liberalism (LSE) | 1.0 |
See degree structure and assessment for further details
United States degrees: Overview of how the degrees are structured
The United States programmes are one-year full-time programmes, but they may be taken over two years part-time. All degrees comprise a total of 3 course units (c.u.) and a dissertation of 12,000 words. Part-time students normally take two course units, including examinations, in their first year and complete the programme the following year. ISA does not offer an evening part-time programme, although classes may occasionally take place in the early evening.
Students on all programmes are permitted to proceed to the dissertation only if they have passed all the required courses. Students who fail one or more courses, or the dissertation, may be permitted to re-enter for assessment, on one occasion only, normally in the following year.
Courses are taught through lectures and seminars. There is usually a two-hour lecture /seminar each week for each course. Students make regular seminar presentations, based on extensive reading, and subsequently present these as essays for assessment.
In addition, students are strongly encouraged to attend the seminars, conferences and lectures arranged by the Institute, and those organised within the Colleges and Institutes of the University.
Assessment
The Master's degree courses are mainly assessed via essays and examinations, but other items of assessment may include oral presentations or analyses of policy documents, depending on the course. Students will take no more than three exams over the course of their degree. The combined course unit marks make up 70% of the final mark for the degree, and the dissertation accounts for 30% of the final mark. The assignments are submitted at fixed dates towards the end of November, January and March. The examinations are held in May. The dissertation is submitted towards the end of September.
Students are permitted to proceed to the dissertation only if they have passed all the required courses. Students who fail one or more courses, or the dissertation, may be permitted to re-submit or re-sit the relevant item of assessment, on one occasion only, normally in the following year.
To view further, more detailed information about this course please click here
The MA in United States Studies is the longest-established degree programme of its kind in Europe.
Structure:
- Optional courses to a total of 3 course units (1.5 c.u. per term) selected from the list below.
- Dissertation (12,000 words, written on a topic within the field of the courses)
Assessment:
Courses are mainly assessed via essays and examinations, but other items of assessment may include oral presentations or analyses of policy documents, depending on the course. Students will take no more than three exams over the course of their degree.
Course options:
Autumn Term
Courses |
Course Unit
Value |
| Cold War US Foreign Policy | 0.5 |
| Politics of US Foreign Policy | 0.5 |
| The Rise of the Sunbelt since 1945 | 0.5 |
| American History on Film (UCL) | 0.5 |
| Cinema and the Conduct of Conduct (UCL) | 0.5 |
| Martin Luther King Jr & the Civil Rights Movement (RHUL) | 0.5 |
Spring Term
Courses |
Course Unit
Value |
| US Presidents and the Presidency | 0.5 |
| Post-Cold War US Foreign Policy | 0.5 |
| US Economic Policy from the New Deal to Obama | 0.5 |
| NeoConservatism: Case Study in US Foreign Policy | 0.5 |
| Music of the Americas: Politics, Indigeneity & Performance (RHUL) | 0.5 |
| Violence in the American South (RHUL) | 0.5 |
| Hollywood Genres (UCL) | 0.5 |
| Poetry, Place and Perception (Kings) | 0.5 |
Two-Term Courses |
Course Unit
Value |
| Explaining America: Themes in the Histography of the United States (UCL) (not in 2009/10) | 1.0 |
See degree structure and assessment for further details
MSc in US Politics and Contemporary History
To view further, more detailed information about this course please click here
Structure
- Compulsory course
- Further courses to a total of 2.5 c.u. (1.5 c.u. of which must be taken in the Spring term) selected from the list below.
- Dissertation (12,000 words, written on a topic relating to US Politics/Contemporary History)
Assessment:
Courses are mainly assessed via essays and examinations, but other items of assessment may include oral presentations or analyses of policy documents, depending on the course. Students will take no more than three exams over the course of their degree.
Course options:
Compulsory
Courses |
Course Unit
Value |
| Research Methods (Autumn) | 0.5 |
Autumn Term
Courses |
Course Unit
Value |
| Cold War US Foreign Policy | 0.5 |
| Politics of US Foreign Policy | 0.5 |
| The Rise of the Sunbelt since 1945 | 0.5 |
| Martin Luther King Jr & the Civil Rights Movement (RHUL) | 0.5 |
Spring Term
Courses |
Course Unit
Value |
| US Presidents and the Presidency | 0.5 |
| Post-Cold War US Foreign Policy | 0.5 |
| US Economic Policy from the New Deal to Obama | 0.5 |
| NeoConservatism: Case Study in US Foreign Policy | 0.5 |
| Violence in the American South (RHUL) | 0.5 |
Two-Term Courses |
Course Unit
Value |
| Explaining America: Themes in the Histography of the United States (UCL) (not in 2009/10) | 1.0 |
See degree structure and assessment for further details
Structure
- Compulsory courses
- Further courses to a total of 1 course unit (0.5 c.u. in the Autumn term, and 0.5 c.u. in the Spring term) selected from the list below.
- Dissertation (12,000 words, written on a topic relating to US Foreign Policy)
Assessment:
Courses are mainly assessed via essays and examinations, but other items of assessment may include oral presentations or analyses of policy documents, depending on the course. Students will take no more than three exams over the course of their degree.
Course options:
Compulsory
Courses |
Course Unit
Value |
| Research Methods (Autumn) | 0.5 |
| Politics of US Foreign Policy (Autumn) | 0.5 |
| Post-Cold War US Foreign Policy (Spring) | 0.5 |
| NeoConservatism: Case Study in US Foreign Policy (Spring) | 0.5 |
Autumn Term
Courses |
Course Unit
Value |
| Cold War US Foreign Policy | 0.5 |
Spring Term
Courses |
Course Unit
Value |
| US Presidents and the Presidency | 0.5 |
| US Economic Policy from the New Deal to Obama | 0.5 |
See degree structure and assessment for further details
MA in Comparative American Studies
Structure: a total of three course units (3 c.u.) plus dissertation made up as follows:
- Three course units (a total of 1.5 c.u. in each of the Autumn and Spring terms) from THREE of the course groups listed below. With at least one course unit from each group.
- Dissertation (12,000 words, written on a topic within the field of the courses)
Assessment:
Courses are mainly assessed via essays and examinations, but other items of assessment may include oral presentations or analyses of policy documents, depending on the course. Students will take no more than three exams over the course of their degree.
Course options
Group A: United States courses
Autumn Term
Courses |
Course Unit
Value |
| Cold War US Foreign Policy | 0.5 |
| Politics of US Foreign Policy | 0.5 |
| The Rise of the Sunbelt since 1945 | 0.5 |
| American History on Film (UCL) | 0.5 |
| Cinema and the Conduct of Conduct (UCL) | 0.5 |
| Martin Luther King Jr & the Civil Rights Movement (RHUL) | 0.5 |
Spring Term
Courses |
Course Unit
Value |
| US Presidents and the Presidency | 0.5 |
| Post-Cold War US Foreign Policy | 0.5 |
| US Economic Policy from the New Deal to Obama | 0.5 |
| NeoConservatism: Case Study in US Foreign Policy | 0.5 |
| Music of the Americas: Politics, Indigeneity & Performance (RHUL) | 0.5 |
| Violence in the American South (RHUL) | 0.5 |
| Hollywood Genres (UCL) | 0.5 |
| Poetry, Place and Perception (Kings) | 0.5 |
Two-Term Courses |
Course Unit
Value |
| Explaining America: Themes in the Histography of the United States (UCL) (not in 2009/10) | 1.0 |
Group B: Latin American courses
Autumn Term
Courses |
Course Unit
Value |
| Indian and Peasant Politics in Latin America: Amazonia (Goldsmiths) | 0.5 |
| The International Politics of Latin America | 0.5 |
| Sustainable Development in Latin America and the Caribbean | 0.5 |
| The Politics of Human Rights in Latin America: Transitional Justice | 0.5 |
| The Caribbean from the Haitian Revolution to the Cuban Revolution | 0.5 |
| Text, Image and Texture: History and Archaeology in Sixteenth Century Mexico (UCL) | 0.5 |
| Culture and Identity in Brazil Part 1: The Post-Colonial Nation, Slavery and the Indian (Kings) (P) (not in 2009/10) | 0.5 |
| Development in Latin America | 0.5 |
| Brazil from Independence to the Present (Kings) | 0.5 |
Spring Term
Courses |
Course Unit
Value |
| Contemporary Issues in Latin American Economics | 0.5 |
| Democratization in Latin America | 0.5 |
| The Politics of Human Rights in Latin America: Challenges of Democratization | 0.5 |
| Music of the Americas: Politics, Indigeneity & Performance (RHUL) | 0.5 |
| Culture and Identity in Brazil Part 2: Contradictions of Modernity (P) (Kings) | 0.5 |
| Brazilian Populisum, Culture and the State (Kings) (not in 2009/10) | 0.5 |
| History of Latin America 1880s to 1980s: between Liberalism and Neo-Liberalism | 0.5 |
| Society and Development in Latin America | 0.5 |
Two-Term Courses |
Course Unit
Value |
| Brazilian Popular Music Studies (Kings) (P) (not in 2009/10) | 1.0 |
| Latin American Cultural Studies (Kings) (P) (not in 2009/10) | 1.0 |
| The Latin American Colonial Experience (Kings) | 1.0 |
| Latin American Development: From Liberalism to Neo-liberalism (LSE) | 1.0 |
| Nationalism and National Identity in Twentieth-Century Latin America (UCL) | 1.0 |
Group C: Caribbean courses
Autumn Term
Courses |
Course Unit
Value |
| The Caribbean from the Haitian Revolution to the Cuban Revolution | 0.5 |
| Imagining the Modern Caribbean (QMUL) | 0.5 |
| Social Anthropology of the Caribbean (Goldsmiths) | 0.5 |
Spring Term
Courses |
Course Unit
Value |
| Politics, Society and Development in the Modern Caribbean | 0.5 |
* only one of these courses is normally offered in any one year, depending on student numbers