
Master in Iberian and Latin American Studies (Leuven)
Leuven, Belgium
DURATION
1 Years
LANGUAGES
Spanish
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Request application deadline
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2025
TUITION FEES
EUR 2,533 / per year *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* tuition fee
Introduction

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What is the program about?
As a Belgian university deeply marked by its multicultural past (and present), KU Leuven offers a multidisciplinary post-initial master's degree focused on the interaction between different cultures in the Iberian and Ibero-American world. The historical and cultural ties between the former Netherlands and Spanish and Portuguese-speaking countries (visual arts, music, architecture...) are studied, as well as linguistic variation among Spanish speakers and the mutual influences between Spanish and Spanish-American literatures and cinemas. Contemporary theoretical perspectives on interculturality and globalization are explicitly integrated into the discussion.
Structure
In the core of the programme, you take one compulsory subject from each of the four disciplines: linguistics, literature, history and art history. In addition, you write a master's thesis related to one of these four disciplines or to one of the elective courses, and you attend a seminar to support the master's thesis.
You can customize your program by completing it with elective courses in the four disciplines mentioned above or in film, philosophy, theology, economics, sociology and anthropology. You can also take additional courses (in French and Spanish) at the partner university in Louvain-la-Neuve.
There is the possibility of opting for a four-month stay in Spain, Portugal or a Latin American country.
Curriculum
Linguistics
- Linguistic diversity in the Iberian Peninsula and Latin America
Literature
- Hispanic literature of displacement
- Hispanic literature and identities
History
- Inquisition and society in the early modern Hispanic world, 1500-1800
- History of Spain and Latin America
History of art
- "Culture of Exchange" Artistic Relations between the Iberic World and the Low Countries
Master's thesis
- Master's thesis
- Master's thesis support seminars.
Other subjects at KU Leuven
- Race, Ethnicity and the Postcolonial Condition
Subjects at the Université catholique de Louvain
- Analyze socio-politics of Latin America
- Socio-economic analysis of Latin America
- History of Latin America
- Problems of the history of Spanish literature
- Theory and analysis of Latin American literary texts
- Explanations of literary texts in Spanish
Ideal Students
Profile
- Are you interested in improving and broadening your understanding of artistic, linguistic, literary and cultural development in the Iberian and Ibero-American world and critically reflect on the place they occupy today?
- Do you already have an initial Master's degree or equivalent? Most students come from studies in philology (linguistics and literature), applied linguistics, literature, history and art history, but there may also be candidates from other areas of the humanities (e.g. political and social sciences, anthropology, etc.).
- Do you have a very good command of Spanish (native speaker or level C1-C2) and a good knowledge of English (level B2 or more)?
- Do you have a good academic record and corresponding writing skills?
- Do you want to meet people from very diverse backgrounds? Our students come not only from many different majors, but also from various countries. Interaction with students of different nationalities fosters professional and human relationships beyond studies.
Admissions
Program delivery
Courses are taught in Spanish.
Program Outcome
- Credits: 60 ECTS
- Degree Type: Advanced Master's Degree
- Specifications: Master of Arts.
Program Tuition Fee
Why study at KU Leuven
What sets us apart as a university?
A highly ranked university
KU Leuven is among the best 100 universities in the world according to both Times Higher Education World Rankings and QS World University Rankings. All of KU Leuven’s disciplines proudly belong to the top 100 of their field. Furthermore, KU Leuven was ranked by Reuters as the most innovative university in Europe in 2016.
Research-based education
Education at KU Leuven is research-based, which means students will learn from the same professors who are performing the ground-breaking research you read about in the press. New insights are instantly integrated into classes and students are encouraged to perform their own research. In our FabLab, students can use a number of high-tech machines to create whatever they want – all free of charge.
Affordable tuition fees
Higher education is highly valued in Belgium and therefore subsidised by the government. This allows KU Leuven to keep tuition fees relatively low, which gives you a price/quality ratio very few top-100 universities can match. We take pride in keeping our programmes as accessible as possible to allow the brightest students from around the globe to join our courses.
International student life with respect for diversity
According to Times Higher Education, KU Leuven is in the top 50 of most international universities worldwide with staff and students from over 150 different nationalities. For all our international students, the Pangaea student centre is their home away from home. Our university also strives for diversity and inclusion and wants to work together on a pact for more respect.
Announcements
Rankings
KU Leuven is ranked among the top 100 universities in the world according to the Times Higher Education World Rankings and the QS World University Rankings . All disciplines at KU Leuven proudly belong to the top 100 in their field. In addition, Reuters ranked KU Leuven as the most innovative university in Europe in 2016.
Accreditations
Gallery
Career Opportunities
The career opportunities for this programme are in a variety of fields: in addition to the possibility of continuing research in doctoral programmes, doors are opened in the fields of education, international relations, journalism or translation, as well as in specific business sectors, for example, the world of publishing or the cultural sector.