Master Latin American Studies will be discontinued as of 1 September 2028

The Master’s programme in Latin American Studies will be discontinued as of 1 September 2028. From the 2027/2028 academic year onwards, no new students will be admitted, although admissions will continue for the coming academic year (2026/2027). According to the notes of the Executive Board meeting, the faculty will ensure that all current students “can graduate within a reasonable timeframe”.

The Master’s programme is hosted by the Centre for Latin American Research and Documentation (CEDLA). Barbara Hogenboom, director of CEDLA, calls it “a real shame” that the Master’s programme is coming to an end. They are currently developing a new, replacement Master’s track, “within which CEDLA’s expertise will have a place”. It is not yet clear exactly when this will be launched.

The reason the master’s programme is being discontinued is financial: as it is a post-initial master’s programme, it is not covered by the Ministry of Education’s standard funding. When the special funding ran out, the possibility of applying for standard funding was explored. That was not feasible, Hogenboom explains, because the average number of students is around fifteen and there is also a Master’s in Latin American Studies at Leiden University. Hogenboom repeats that it is “a real shame”: “It was a successful international programme that students, lecturers and accreditation committees have always been very enthusiastic about.”

Despite the discontinuation of the Master’s programme, CEDLA is “fortunately doing reasonably well”, according to Hogenboom. In addition to the Master’s in Latin American Studies, CEDLA is also responsible for the minor in Latin American Studies, and for the past two years has been running the minor in Global Justice. Within the Bachelor’s programme in Spanish and Latin American Studies, CEDLA offers one course.