Center for Latin American Studies

Welcome to CLAS!   At Georgetown we are proud of the long-standing links between the University and Latin America.  From its founding over 200 years ago, when the College’s first catalogue was printed in English, French and Spanish, Georgetown has welcomed students from throughout the Americas, many of whom completed their secondary education in Jesuit High Schools.  In 1959 the University created one of the first interdisciplinary Master’s degrees in Latin American Studies in the United States, a program that is now housed in the Center for Latin American Studies (CLAS) of the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service.  Today CLAS is one of the leading centers for the study of the Western Hemisphere in the world.  In the United States it is one of ten stand-alone, comprehensive National Resource Centers funded by the U.S. Department of Education through its Title VI grants.

Through its interdisciplinary teaching, research, and outreach activities CLAS has focused on democratic consolidation and governance, economic development and trade, poverty and inequality, indigenous peoples, culture and society, inter-American affairs and other subjects.  Over the years, with funding support from numerous foundations, international organizations, government agencies, and corporate sponsors, CLAS has paid particular attention to Mexico, Colombia, Central America, the Caribbean, Brazil and the Andean Region and runs overseas study programs in Ecuador, Chile and Brazil.

Students in the MA program follow a rigorous interdisciplinary program of study and language training that prepares them for careers in diplomacy, international organizations, journalism, human rights, development, business, finance, teaching, and cultural affairs. 

Georgetown’s location in Washington D.C. provides students with a unique opportunity to study in one of the world’s most important cities, where key decisions are made everyday affecting the fate of people everywhere. Not only is it the seat of the Federal Government of the United States, it also houses international financial institutions and organizations such as the IMF, the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, the Organization of American States, and countless advocacy, research, and media organizations dealing with the most important issues of our time.   Through internships and job opportunities in a city that may hire more experts on Latin America than any other city, students can combine academic training with a practical and concrete path to pursuing diverse career opportunities.

I am delighted to invite you to look at our Center web pages for information on our programs of study and the activities and resources that Georgetown provides in Latin American and Hemispheric studies.  We look forward to hearing from you and are ready to answer any questions you may have.

Arturo Valenzuela

Director