CEDLA IS TURNING 50 THIS YEAR!

• Founded in 1964, the Centre for Latin American Research and Documentation (CEDLA) is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2014. To commemorate this special occasion, CEDLAis organizing various events and activities throughout the year. Keep up to date by signing up for our newsletter.
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Centre for Latin American Research and Documentation (CEDLA)

The inter-university Centre for Latin American Research and Documentation (CEDLA) was founded in 1964 at the University of Amsterdam. In 1971 CEDLA became an inter-university institute with its activities carried out on a national scope. For information on our current activities, see Events, Research and Courses. The CEDLA Annual Report 2012 was published in December 2013. 

The study programme of CEDLA is divided into Bachelor’s and Master’s courses. Bachelor’s courses are given in Dutch, and Master’s courses in English. In addition to the Introductory course (Basiscursus), there are various other courses offered at the Bachelor level. These can be combined to lead to a minor in Latin American Studies. Most of the Master’s courses at CEDLA are seminars that are closely related to the on-going research of each of the CEDLA research staff members. It is also possible to take a 15-month Master of Arts in Latin American Studies at CEDLA, the CMP.

There are also other possibilities for study and research such as intensive seminars and guided literature courses (Lecturas Guiadas of Tutorials). Supervision is also given for internships and research training, fieldwork research in Latin America, and writing a thesis.

Schedule

The Bachelor’s and Master’s courses are for the most part given in two time periods:

Stage 1: September – January
Stage 2: January – July

The exact start and finish dates are given with the description of each course. All courses are given at CEDLA, Keizersgracht 395-397 in Amsterdam, unless otherwise specified.

Credits

The course load is determined according to the ECTS-system (European Credit Transfer System). One credit equals 28 hours of study. Most of the Bachelor’s courses carry a course load of 6 EC’s. Most of the Master’s courses carry a course load of 12 EC’s. If you wish to take a heavier course load, you can add a literature assignment or the Lecturas Guiadas. To do so, contact the respective research staff member.

Assessment

Courses are concluded by an examination and/or another form of assessment, such as a presentation or a paper. Participants are responsible for fitting each course into their own study programme. If students wish the results of their CEDLA course to be credited to their own study programme, they must request approval from their own university department or college beforehand. Examinations are always written, mostly in the form of essay questions (with the exception of the Basiscursus – Introductory Course). Generally speaking, if a course is concluded by an examination, it will cover the required literature list and course lectures. All requirements must be completed by a given date. The definite and final date for all course work to be turned in will be given at the start of each course.

It goes without speaking that plagiarism is not permitted. Copying the electronic or written texts of others – other than as a citation with its exact source – in an assignment, paper or thesis is a serious offence. The program Ephorus is used to thoroughly check all work. If there is proof of plagiarism, the research staff member will deny the student further enrollment in the course or supervision of the thesis, and the student’s university will be notified. At the same time, the examination committee of CEDLA will deny the student registration for any other CEDLA courses.

Participation and registration

CEDLA courses are primarily reserved for students from Netherlands universities. Non-students who are interested are welcome in some of the courses. The following information is for students and non-students.

General registration

Registration is required to be enrolled in a course. Registration closes two weeks before the start of the course, and the number of registrations are counted. Most courses have a maximum number of participants. If there are too many registrations, a selection will be made. In this case, students will have priority over non-students. It is advisable to register as soon as possible. If there is a waiting list, all students who have registered will be requested to formally withdraw from the registration list so that others on the waiting list can be enrolled. If a student does not withdraw and does not take the course after all, this student will be placed at the bottom of the list at the next registration period. Students are required to be present at all the lectures, and if they will be absent, they must report this beforehand. If they attend less than three fourths of the lectures, they can be excluded from taking the final examination.

Registration for students

A knowledge of Spanish and/or Portuguese is required for some of the courses. A basic knowledge of these languages of also useful for the other courses because this makes it easier to study the literature. There are no costs involved in registering for the student, or for his/her university. But the cost of photocopies, books or syllabi are for the students themselves. Registration is done by filling out the electronic registration form (inschrijfformulier) for each particular course. All students will be asked to show their “collegekaart” for the current school year. Everyone who has registered will receive a confirmation of enrolment by email before the course starts. If the student cannot show a valid “collegekaart”, CEDLA cannot provide the student with a “tentamenbriefje” (exam note with grade). Those students who wish to take CEDLA courses at the Master’s level must have already completed their Bachelor’s.

Registration for non-students

Interested persons who are not registered as students at a university may participate in some courses under certain provisions. They may always attend the Basiscursus (Introductory course), provided there is space available. Those interested persons should briefly state their background, their background knowledge and their special interest in taking the course. Non-students can register for the course through the website, and then pay for the course by transferring the correct amount to the giro account of CEDLA. If the course is other than the Basiscursus – Introductory Course, the amount should be paid only after the non-student has been formally enrolled by the respective research staff member. The amount due should be paid in full no later than two weeks after the start of the course. The cost of a CEDLAcourse is €25.00 per credit. The amount due should be transferred to giro number 4990722, and made payable to Centrum voor studie en documentatie van Latijns Amerika, Amsterdam. Please make sure you also give your name and the title of the selected course with your payment transfer.

Please do not hesitate to contact the Secretariat with any questions you may have. We are open each workday from 9.00 to 17.00 hours.
Telephone: +31 20 525 3498 / 2521
Fax: +31 20 625 5127
Email: secretariat@cedla.nl