Loyola University Chicago is winding down its Master of Arts in Hispanic Studies, cutting off new admissions while pledging that students already enrolled will be able to finish their degrees. The move comes out of a university-wide program review that began in August 2025, a process sorting academic offerings into three buckets: continue, modify or sunset. Faculty and students say the Hispanic Studies call feels abrupt and warn it could shrink Spanish-language graduate study in Chicago.
According to the Chicago Tribune, Loyola said it “will not admit additional students to the Hispanic Studies M.A. program” as it reallocates resources. The university told the Tribune the decision reflects “responsible stewardship of resources to further the academic mission of the university.”
LASA and scholars urge reconsideration
The Latin American Studies Association issued a statement on July 22 urging Provost Douglas Woods and Vice-Provost Michael Rozier to reconsider, calling the program “a beacon of academic and socio-cultural diversity,” according to LASA. The group warned that closing the program would cut back graduate-level teaching and research on Hispanic literature and language at Loyola and limit pathways for first-generation and minority students.
Program director calls decision 'devastating'
Ana Rodríguez Navas, the program director and a professor of Latin American literature and culture, called the move “devastating,” “rushed” and a “shocking change of direction” for the university, in comments to the Chicago Tribune. She stressed that the M.A. is the only graduate program at Loyola that treats Hispanic cultures as a whole and is conducted entirely in Spanish.
Program context and how it works
The Hispanic Studies M.A. offers advanced coursework, a thesis or master’s paper option and an annual graduate symposium in Hispanic studies, according to Loyola's Hispanic Studies page. The program listing outlines degree requirements and course offerings that position students for careers in teaching, translation, research and further doctoral study.
What 'sunset' means and next steps
Loyola’s program-review FAQ explains that programs marked for sunset will be “fully taught out” and that “any student enrolled in a program will have the opportunity to complete it,” while also detailing an appeals process available to deans, according to Loyola's program review FAQ. The FAQ notes that the workgroup will weigh both quantitative and qualitative evidence, including student interest, student success and financial performance, before placing programs into categories and making recommendations to the provost.
Why this matters
Supporters argue that losing a Spanish-language graduate program in Chicago narrows the pipeline for bilingual scholars and teachers at a time when Hispanic-serving curricula and language skills are in high demand across the city. Loyola has framed the review as part of a broader effort to allocate resources strategically, while advocates and faculty groups are pushing the university either to reverse course or to lay out a clearer plan for preserving graduate-level training in Spanish.
