PhD at the Centre for Latin American and Caribbean Studies

The School of Advanced Study at the University of London brings together eight internationally renowned research institutes to form the UK's national centre for the support of researchers and the promotion of research in the humanities.

Among them, the Centre for Latin American and Caribbean Studies (CLACS) was established as part of the Institute of Languages, Cultures and Societies in April 2021 and continues the activity of the Institute of Latin American Studies (ILAS), which was founded in 1965.

CLACS occupies a unique position at the core of academic study of the Latin American and Caribbean region in the UK. Internationally recognised as a centre of excellence for research promotion and facilitation, it serves the Latin American Studies community in the UK and worldwide through the development of a range of scholarly initiatives, resources and networks.

Undertaking doctoral research allows you to develop in-depth knowledge, while making a meaningful contribution to your chosen field.

The degree can be taken full time over three years (or a maximum of four) or part time over five years (or a maximum of six), with entry in October and January. You will initially be registered for our MPhil and, providing your progress has been satisfactory, will then be upgraded to our PhD programme.

The primary activity of the PhD programme is the writing of a thesis of up to 100,000 words. There is no formal coursework, but you are encouraged to participate in the regular seminars held at CLACS during the academic year. An extensive research training programme is on offer, with sessions provided from leading scholars and practitioners. After submission of the thesis, you will attend an oral examination conducted by an internal examiner from the University of London, and an external examiner, normally from another UK university. 

This degree presents the opportunity to gain expertise in your area of interest while also honing a range of transferable skills. On completing this course, you'll be well prepared for specialist career paths both within academia and beyond.

Subject areas

The Centre for Latin American and Caribbean Studies offers doctoral research supervision in the following broad areas:

• Colonial history
• Postcolonial history
• Political and legal anthropology
• Ethnographic research
• Human and cultural geography
• Environmental humanities
• Cultures of migration and mobility
• Sociolinguistics and multilingualism
• Cultural Studies
• Digital research
• Latin American Literature (Spanish and Portuguese)

Research degrees in the field of Latin American Studies are also available through the Refugee Law Initiative, part of the Institute of Commonwealth Studies. 

Before submitting an application you are advised to contact a member of staff at the CLACS who has interests in your proposed field of study to discuss your proposal.

This programme will soon be available to study as a PhD by Practice, giving you the opportunity to develop a body of creative work as part of your doctoral research. Unlike a traditional PhD, you will be assessed on the creative output of your research in addition to a shorter written thesis.

Examples of the creative output could include an exhibition, art installation, or piece of software. This element is worth two-thirds of the whole award, with the 30,000-word written critical component contributing the final third.

The PhD by Practice will be available to study on campus or by distance learning, with the same admission criteria as our other research degrees.

Register your interest to be the first to hear about the PhD by Practice programme updates and application openings.

Before submitting an application you are advised to contact a member of staff at the CLACS who has interests in your proposed field of study to discuss your proposal.

Dr Ainhoa Montoya
Director of the Centre for Latin American and Caribbean Studies / Senior Lecturer

Email | Research Profile

Topics:  

• The anthropology of violence and conflict
• The anthropology of democracy and state transformation
• The ethnography of the law
• The anthropology of the environment
• Social movements and citizenship practices
• Transitional justice, human rights and memory work

Dr Montoya’s research focuses on post-conflict violence and conflicts over natural resources. She accepts PhD students with an interest in bringing an anthropological perspective to the study of violence and conflict, democracy and state transformation, the law, the environment and natural resources, social movements, or human rights.

Dr Jamille Pinheiro Dias
Lecturer in Environmental Humanities and Modern Languages

Email | Research Profile

Topics:  

• Languages and the Environment
• Socially and Environmentally Engaged Literature, Film and Aesthetics in Latin America
• Indigenous Poetics and Aesthetics in Latin America, particularly in Brazil
• Translation Studies
• Cultural Production in the Pan-Amazonian Region
• Brazilian Literature, Film and Culture
• Art and Activism in Latin America

Dr Dias works on cultural, artistic and literary traditions, Indigenous knowledges, Translation Studies and the intersection between environmental and aesthetic activism in Latin America, with a focus on Brazil. She is interested in working with PhD students who wish to pursue research on socially and environmentally engaged literature, film and aesthetics, pan-Amazonian cultural production, Indigenous poetics and aesthetics, and translation in the region.

Dr Naomi Wells
Lecturer in Modern Languages (Italian and Spanish) with Digital Humanities​​
Email

Topics:  

• Cultures of migration and mobility to and from Latin America
• Sociolinguistics and multilingualism in Spanish-speaking contexts
• Digital culture in Spanish-speaking contexts
• Social media and internet research
• (Digital) discourse analysis and (digital) ethnography

Dr Wells specialises in the area of multilingualism and migration in Spanish and Italian-speaking contexts, with her current research focusing on digital spaces of communication and representation. She has conducted fieldwork in Spain, Italy, Chile, and the UK, and her research incorporates transdisciplinary methods and approaches drawn primarily from applied and sociolinguistics, translation and cultural studies, migration studies, and digital humanities and digital culture studies. She is joint Section Editor of the Digital Modern Languages Section on Modern Languages Open, and provides postgraduate research training in qualitative and online research methods.

Professor Linda Newson
Professor Emerita

Email | Research Profile

Topics:  

• Colonial Latin American history
• Colonial Latin American geography
• The economic and social history of Latin America up to 1800
• The demographic history of Latin America to 1800
• The African slave trade to Latin America
• The history of science and medicine in Latin America
• The missionary orders in colonial Latin America
• The colonial Spanish Philippines

Professor Newson's research interests include Latin America and the Philippines during the Spanish colonial period; the impact of colonial rule on indigenous societies; the Portuguese slave trade to Spanish America; and the history of medicine in early colonial Spanish America.

Professor Catherine Davies
Professor Emerita 
Email 

Topics:  

• Latin American Literature and Culture from 1800
• Literature and Culture in Argentina 19th and 20th C 
• Literature and Culture in Cuba 19th C
• Women’s Writing
• British travellers to Latin America in 19th C
• Translation Studies
• The history of Spain and Spanish America 19th and 20th C

Professor Davies areas of research are the literatures, cultures and histories of Spain and Latin America during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Her specialisations include: the literature and history of Galicia, primarily the work of Rosalía de Castro; the history and literature of Cuba (particularly the abolitionist Rafael María de Labra); the history and literature of Argentina, especially 19th C British travellers to the River Plate and British foreign policy; gender studies and women’s writings in nineteenth and twentieth-century Spain, Latin America and Cuba; the involvement of women in the Spanish American wars of independence; translation studies and travel writing. 

As part of the School of Advanced Study (SAS), University of London, you'll benefit from a collaborative, interdisciplinary research environment. You’ll learn from leading specialists in your field; hone your research skills in our sector-leading training programme; expand your knowledge through an extensive calendar of events, conferences, and seminars and become part of a worldwide network of humanities scholars. The Institute of Languages, Cultures and Societies enjoys close links with other SAS members and is home to a diverse, international, and vibrant community of scholars covering its major language and culture areas. Throughout the academic year it is host to a lively programme of events, conferences and seminars that is at the heart of the functioning of the disciplinary area.

Meanwhile, the Centre for Latin American and Caribbean Studies possesses a world-class library collection dedicated to the study of Latin America and the Caribbean, located on the sixth floor of Senate House Library, which includes periodicals, political pamphlets, documentary films and photographs, in addition to extensive holdings of printed and digital books. CLACS publishes an open access book series in Latin American Studies with University of London Press.

Because of its function as a centre for academic interest in a very extensive range of topics, the Centre has national and international contacts with researchers in all of the fields that it represents. It is therefore particularly well placed to offer supervision for projects that cross national and disciplinary boundaries.

The Centre for Latin American and Caribbean Studies works together with national and international professional associations representing the field and actively maintains and builds ties with cultural, diplomatic and business organisations with an interest in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Distance learning offers you a more flexible way to study for a postgraduate degree in the humanities – combining innovative learning and teaching techniques with the ability to study from anywhere in the world.

We offer three master’s courses and a range of PhD supervision via distance learning. Our research degrees via distance learning allow you to study for a University of London MPhil or PhD degree from anywhere in the world. The programme is run on the same basis as campus-based programmes.

The School of Advanced Study will offer students with an appropriate topic and level of local resource the opportunity to undertake a PhD by distance learning. These students are required to attend our London campus at set intervals to complete an intensive research training module, for upgrade, and for the viva but will otherwise study at their own location. This option is available to UK, EU and international students on the same basis as our on-campus PhD programmes (three years full time, six years part time). Fees are the same as for our on-campus PhD programmes. 

Important note: It may not always be possible for all institutes and supervisors to offer the option of distance learning, as some topics are not appropriate to be studied this way. As such, we strongly recommend that you check first - before applying.

If you would like to be considered for our Research Degree programme via Distance Learning, please download and fill out the Research Degrees by Distance Learning form, to attach to your online application.

Before submitting an application, you are advised to discuss your proposal with a member of the academic staff who has interests in your proposed field of study. You can find our academic staff's contact details and areas of expertise in the Supervisors section.

Before agreeing to accept you, the School will require you to submit a research proposal, so it is worthwhile to have drafted this before formally applying. See the Guidelines on drafting your research proposal.

Candidates will normally receive an initial response to their application within 28 working days. Those who have been formally interviewed will normally be informed within one week as to whether they are to be offered a place.

Note: in accordance with regulations research students will be registered for the MPhil degree in the first instance. Upgrading to PhD will be considered in the second year for full-time students and in the third or fourth year for part-time students.

Fees are set annually and cover registration, tuition, and (in the case of research students) supervision.

Fees are quoted per annum -- that is, you will need to pay at least the fee quoted below for each year of your studies. Please note that tuition fees are subject to annual uplift. The University of London reserves the right to alter or withdraw courses and amend other details without prior notice.

See the Tuition Fees for 2024-25 - listed by Institute.

Our students fund their studies in a variety of ways including scholarships, bursaries and fellowships, as well as government loans and postgraduate loans. 

We offer a range of scholarships and bursaries that you don't need to pay back and are awarded based on personal circumstances or academic achievement. Funding at postgraduate level is competitive so it’s a good idea to plan financially before starting your course. 

For information about fees and funding from the School of Advanced Study, please visit the SAS Fees and Funding page.

The SAS Careers Service works with students and graduates of all ages and at all stages of career development across all the institutes. Our mission is to provide high-quality information about careers and skills, and professional advice and guidance. We help students with their career development, either within their current field of work or in something completely new. 

SAS students can access 1-2-1 guidance appointments throughout their studies and for up to 2 years after graduating, to help them plan their next steps, whatever they might be. We also offer CV, cover letter, and application advice as well as mock interviews with the SAS Careers Consultant who will empower you to feel more confident in your interview performance.