Tulane’s Roger Thayer Stone Center for Latin American Studies (SCLAS) recently announced that it will launch an intensive 10-month Master of Arts in Latin American Studies program in Costa Rica.

The program is designed to give graduate students an immersive educational experience focused on Latin American culture. Participants will take a total of 30 credit hours at the Centro de Investigación y Adiestramiento Político Administrativo (CIAPA), a Tulane-affiliated campus outside San Jose, Costa Rica.

At the end of the 10 months, participants will graduate with a master’s degree.

This master’s program, however, is about more than just earning a degree. Students will have opportunities to get internships, connect with policymakers and institutions in the area and create a project at the end of their 10 months that is comparable to a capstone or thesis.

“The idea is to set up a unique graduate program abroad and to have it really be focused more on the policy dimensions and a kind of applied or experimental kind of graduate program,” James Houck, SCLAS assistant director for graduate programs, said.

This untraditional master’s program is designed for anyone with an interest in Central America who would like to further their education with an interactive academic experience.

The application is open for students interested in participating in the program beginning summer 2018. The application process is similar to that of any other graduate program, as students must submit GRE scores, recommendations, transcripts and other materials in addition to the written application.

The Stone Center has launched an advertising campaign to spread the word about the new graduate program to students who may be interested. Whether or not the program will run as planned will depend on the number and strength of the applications received.

This new program in Costa Rica is just one of the many opportunities that the Stone Center offers. It also hosts a 6-week summer study abroad program in Costa Rica for Tulane undergraduates, performs community outreach and engagement in New Orleans and aids students and faculty in conducting field research and attending conferences.

“We’re always innovating and trying to think of new ways to understand and promote scholarship on the region, so this is just one of a number of things planned,” Houck said.