Thesis & Defense Ressources

Thesis Committees Members  

You should, from the very beginning of the program, introduce yourself and get to know faculty members. 

• Complete Independent Readings (298s) to become familiar with the different working styles and accessibility of the faculty. 
• You will need to be working with faculty members to plan your summer research.  
• You must have all three committee members before you fill out your Advance to Candidacy paperwork. 

Students are required to have a minimum of three committee members, and two of them must be affiliated with the Latin American Studies program. 

Any faculty from an outside university (non-UC) may only serve as a fourth member on a thesis committee per petition to the Office of Graduate Studies.  A letter of explanation indicating why the faculty member should be on the committee and the faculty's CV must be submitted when you Advance to Candidacy or submit a Reconstitution Form.  

Thesis Workshops

Regular thesis workshops are organized by the program with librarian Sarah Buck Kachaluba. Attend the workshops or also make one-on-one appointment with the librarian in order to discuss ideas and plans to complete your research project. 

Writing your Thesis 

During your second year of study you will attend one of the Quarterly Thesis Formatting Workshops hosted by the Grad Division. 

LAS Guidelines for Completing your Thesis 

UCSD Latin American Studies Research Guide 

Graduate Division - Requirements for Degree Completion and Formatting Manual  

UCSD Division of Graduate Education and PostDoctoral Affairs

Please consult the Preparing to Graduate section and our Process to Degree section for more details about the completion of the Master's of Arts in Latin American Studies.