Universidad Veracruzana

Introduction

The accelerated spatial expansion of processes of marginalization, segregation, ecological deterioration, and territorial conflicts requires understanding the concatenation and interaction—over time—of factors, agents, and actors of a diverse nature. In this sense, academic research must begin with a review of the epistemological and axiological foundations involved in the reproduction of narratives that point toward the hasty generation of solutions, many of which result in ineffective strategies. It is for this reason that the main commitment of the METP (Master’s in Space, Territory, and Landscape Studies) lies in the value of scientific knowledge in the pursuit of the common good. Consequently, the program’s design places great emphasis on understanding different research models (multi-, inter-, and transdisciplinary) and analytical approaches (space, territory, and landscape) used in socio-spatial studies. On this basis, and through solid methodological learning, the curriculum advances toward courses that reflect the specific interests, research lines, and capabilities that the group of academics offers for the training of students.

Thus, the METP emerged within the Institute of Historical-Social Research (IIHS) of the Universidad Veracruzana, a product of interaction between academic bodies and researchers—both from the institute itself and from other university entities, and particularly with colleagues from the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH)—who have dedicated themselves to studying processes occurring in specific geographical areas. This exchange of ideas, approaches, and findings gave rise to seminars, colloquia, thesis supervisions, and shared research projects.

Based on this, work was done to build a master’s program that—in dialogue with the existing graduate programs at the IIHS, and particularly with the Doctorate in History and Regional Studies—would focus on objects of study, phenomena, and processes of a socio-spatial nature.

With this in mind, our analyses and the academic training we seek to offer students start from recognizing the historicity of phenomena and processes—that is, the recognition that what is observed in the present is the product of the concatenation of processes whose origin stretches back in time—the contributions of interdisciplinarity, and the unavoidable importance of considering the perspective of social actors. We also consider all possible spatial spheres—the body, housing, place, public space, city, *ejidos* and rural communities, territories, regions, nation-states, borders, digital and global spaces—as relevant objects of study within the METP.

Foundations of the Teaching Process

As a graduate program oriented toward interdisciplinary research, its epistemological foundation lies in the proposals of Immanuel Wallerstein (1996), Edgar Morin (1992), and Rolando García (2017), who postulate that understanding reality requires transcending disciplinary boundaries to construct and understand specific research problems that arise when a set of relationships and processes is identified. This purpose is therefore not reduced to adding knowledge from different academic areas, nor is it about generating knowledge situated between two or more disciplines, but rather about «thinking differently.» It thus starts from the recognition of the confluence of multiple factors that interact in ways that are not isolable and which consequently cannot be described simply by adding together disciplinary studies.

In this context, the epistemological framework that underpins this particular conception of interdisciplinarity is associated with the constructivist postulates of Jean Piaget and I. Prigogine (Brussels School). On this basis, Rolando García (2017) argues that observing reality as a set of organized totalities entails assuming fundamental principles. The first principle states that knowledge partitioned by disciplines identifies a series of features of reality that are not the same as when the focus is placed on the relationships between elements and between processes, which will reveal «emergent features.» The second principle points to assuming that changes occurring in reality require a view from historicity; what Braudel called the “long term”, distinguishing processes that occur at different speeds and particular temporal scales. However, while recognizing this spatial-temporal integration in the construction of the research problem, being able to concretize a study of this nature requires defining its scope in these two dimensions.

In this process, the Master’s in Space, Territory, and Landscape Studies adopts an approach of interdisciplinarity and constructivism in the educational process, as well as a competency-based learning approach (Tardif, 2008). This approach posits that the learning process occurs at several levels: affective, cognitive, and meta-cognitive. For Tardif, a competency can be defined as a «complex  situational knowledge,» and its gradual development demands the mobilization of resources of a different nature: sensory, cognitive, emotional, and social. This approach fosters in students: analytical capacity, reflection, self-critique, and axiological positioning.

• Mission

To offer an academic training program focused on research, which seeks to work from an interdisciplinary, historical approach that privileges the perspective of social actors, within the framework of a set of values guided by sustainability, Buen vivir, justice, equality, and human rights.

• Vision

To become a master’s program that, in the short term, achieves national recognition and, in the medium term, international recognition for the quality of its academic training, developing in its graduates the skills necessary to make valuable contributions in the academic field of Space, Territory, and Landscape Studies; research that can inform decision-making in relation to strategic issues at different scales.

Academic group

 

Full time
	Name	Degree	SNI	Institution
1	Juan Ortiz Escamilla	PhD in Historia (El Colegio de México)	Emeritus	IIHS UV
2	Martín Gerardo Aguilar Sánchez	PhD in Political Sciences (Universidad Pierre Mendés)	2	IIHS UV
3	Malik Tahar-Chaouch	PhD in Latin American societies (Universidad de la Sorbona)	3	IIHS UV
4	Martha Elena Nava Tablada	PhD in Sociology (Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla)	2	IIHS UV
5	Fernando Winfield Reyes	PhD in Architecture (Universidad Politécnica de Madrid)	2	Architecture faculty UV
6	Virginie Thiébaut	PhD in Geography (Université de Nancy)	1	IIHS UV
7	Gualberto Díaz González	PhD in History and Regional Studies (Universidad Veracruzana)	1	Sociology faculty UV
8	Álvaro Alcántara López	PhD in History (UNAM)	—	INAH Veracruz
9	Anabell Muñoz Hernández	PhD in Architecture and Urbanism (Universidad Veracruzana)	C	IIHS UV
10	Sandra Ramírez García	PhD in Rural Development (Universidad Autónoma de Chapingo)	C	Posdoc Secihti
11	Dora Cecilia Sánchez-Hidalgo	PhD in Latin American History (Universidad de Chicago)	—	IIHS UV
12	Ana Isabel Fontecilla Carbonell	PhD in Environment and Development (University of Leeds)	—	IIHS UV
13	Román Chávez Díaz	Master in Geography (UNAM)	—	Geography School UV
14	Luis Alberto Montero García	Master in History and Ethnohistory (ENAH)	—	INAH Veracruz

 

Partial time
Name	Degree	SNI	Adscription
Zoila Martínez Cortés	PhD in Sustainable Regional Development (El Colegio de Veracruz)	—	Posdoc UNAM
Phidel Cedillo Martínez	Master in Sociology (University of Bologna)	—	Geography School UV
Adriana Gil Maroño	PhD in Latinamerican Studies (Universidad de Alcalá)	—	INAH Veracruz
Julio Urbina Bustamante	Master in Geography UNAM	—	UV

 

Administration and support

Name	Function	Contact
Araceli Velasco Vega	Students´ record	(228) 812 4719 ext. 13847
María Hilda Huesca Lagunes	METP Coordination Assistant	(228) 81247 19 ext. 13803
Lic. Elizabeth Martel	Academic planning	(228) 8124719 ext. ext.13846
L. A.E. Nelida Espinosa Maranto	Administration	nespinoza@uv.mx (228) 8124719, (228) 8421700 ext. 13805
Ricardo Martínez Luna	Computer centre	228 8124719 ext. 13830
Edith Alarcón Trujillo	Library	228 8194719 ext.  ext.  13804

Applicant profile

Applicants for the METP are expected to meet the following profile:

Knowledge

• Basic theoretical and methodological foundations that will enable them to develop a research project in the field of Space, Territory, and Landscape Studies.
• Basic command of data and text processing software.

Skills

• Ability to abstract and analysis.
• Logical reasoning.
• Oral and written argumentation skills.
• Basic command of qualitative and quantitative methods to conduct reasoned and critical research.
• Ability to write academic papers.

Attitudes

• Willingness to sustain long periods of intensive and comprehensive reading.
• Openness to interdisciplinary and teamwork.
• Commitment to academic work and professional responsibility.

Values

• Respect for gender, social, and cultural diversity.
• Honesty and integrity.
• Conviction that academic work can contribute to social change for the common good.
• Responsibility and professional ethics.

The Master’s Degree in Space, Territory and Landscape Studies seeks to recruit graduates with bachelor’s degrees in geography, anthropology, history, sociology, urban planning, ecology, or other academic fields in which spatial analysis is central to their training, and who, in the judgment of the selection committee, are considered suitable for admission to the graduate program. The main admission requirement is the presentation of a solid, articulated, and substantiated research proposal in the field of Spatial, Landscape, and Territorial Studies.

Admission requirements

The University of Veracruz has general admission requirements that are published in the joint call for applications from the Graduate Studies Unit.

Professional experience requirements

Admission to the graduate program does not require specific professional experience; however, preference will be given to those with extensive research experience, which can be demonstrated by documentation demonstrating the development of a research thesis, participation in projects, and/or academic publications.

Admission procedure

The admission process will adhere to the guidelines established in the call for applications from the UV Graduate Studies Unit.

Applicants for the Master’s in Space, Territory and Landscape Studies must upload all their documents to the online platform of the Unidad de Estudios de Posgrado UV (insert link here). The preliminary project can also be sent, in the established data, to the following email address: metp@uv.mx.

Additionally, as part of the special evaluations, the applicant must complete —in person and on a scheduled date— a written essay based on a pair of proposed readings and attend an interview. In exceptional cases, due to travel restrictions, some applicants will be authorized to complete the essay and conduct the interview through a virtual session (by prior arrangement with the METP Coordination).

More information:

METP Coordination
Instituto de Investigaciones Histórico Sociales
Teléfonos 2288124719

Documents (PDF) that the file of an applicant must contain:

1. Copy of birth certificate.
2. Copy of CURP (National Identity Document).
3. Copy of bachelor’s degree or degree exam transcript.
4. Certificate of bachelor’s GPA.
5. Curriculum vitae with supporting documentation.
6. Letter explaining the reasons for wanting to study the METP, addressed to the METP Coordinator, with a copy to the Admissions Committee.
7. Letter explaining academic interests, specifying which LGAC(s) you think your research project could be included in and the names of one to three NAB academics you believe could lead your research; you must provide an academic justification. This letter must also be addressed to the METP Coordinator, with a copy to the Admissions Committee.
8. Two letters of academic recommendation (not members of the Academic Core).
9. EXAVER 1 certificate (English) or equivalent.
10. Research draft (covering the following sections: title, statement of the research problem, research questions, general objective and specific objectives, methodological proposal, and references in APA 7 format).
11. Letter of commitment to full-time dedication to the program.

Graduate profile

Upon graduation from the METP, students will have developed the following competencies, knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values.

Capabilities

The graduate will be competent to:

• Analyze problems within the METP’s field of research, both individually and as part of research teams.
• Write scientific articles and other academic texts, with the aim of contributing to the generation, application, dissemination, and social distribution of knowledge.
• Participate, innovate, and make valuable and relevant contributions in the field of spatial, territorial, and landscape studies.

Knowledge

• Up-to-date and solidly grounded in the state of the art and debates related to their line of research.
• Broad and sufficient understanding of the concepts, theories, and methodologies related to spatial, territorial and landscape studies.

Skills

• Ability to conduct an in-depth and critical analysis of spatial, territorial, and landscape dynamics.
• Be able to design, develop and report scientific research with rigor and consistency.

Attitudes

• Intellectual autonomy.
• Self-criticism
• Willingness and interest in collaborative work.
• Critical and constructive stance toward newly acquired knowledge and how to apply it.

Values

• Solid professional and scientific ethics, both for research and for the generation and application of knowledge with social equity.
• Equity, solidarity, equality, justice, respect, and tolerance, both in the academic field and in relation to individuals in general, particular social groups, and societies.
• Conviction that academic knowledge can contribute to social change and for the collective benefit.

Requirements to guarantee permanence as a METP student

Students must comply with the permanence rules stipulated in the current General Regulations for Graduate Studies:

1. Earn the total number of credits corresponding to each academic period.
2. Pass all courses with a minimum grade of 70 on a grading scale of 1 to 100 and maintain a minimum average of 70. Students must also comply with the guidelines stipulated in the current scholarship system, if they apply for and obtain one.
3. Attend the tutoring sessions scheduled on the respective calendar during the semester.
4. Submit a semester progress report on their thesis project, approved by their advisor, at least fifteen days prior to the presentation of their semester research project to the tutorial committee.
5. Submit a progress report on their thesis project to the tutorial committee at the end of each semester, in writing and, where appropriate, orally. 6. Complete all postgraduate activities: courses, seminars, workshops and conferences.
6. Fulfill all program-specific activities: courses, seminars, workshops, and conferences.

A student will be permanently dismissed according to the provisions of the 2008 Student Statute and the current General Regulations for Graduate Studies:

1. For obtaining a failing grade in an educational experience.
2. For failing to submit a thesis progress report approved by the Thesis Director to the Educational Program Coordinator each academic term.
3. At the request of the graduate student.
4. For exceeding the permanence limit within the study program.
5. For failing to comply with the academic aspects determined by the graduate program.

Administrative Graduation Requirements

Graduate students will be promoted when they have earned the total credits required for the program, choosing their educational experiences as established in the curriculum.

Degree Requirements

To qualify for the degree of Master in Space, Territory, and Landscape Studies, the following requirements must be met:

1. Have completed 100% of the 109 credits of the study plan.
2. Have taken and accredited all the courses and seminars included in the curriculum map and study plan with a minimum average of 70 on a grading scale of 1 to 100.
3. Have paid the corresponding tuition and retake fees.
4. Have passed the EXAVER II English exam or its equivalent in any other language. Accreditation of a language other than English must be endorsed by the UV Language Centre.
5. Have passed the degree exam, which will consist of the public defense of their thesis work before a jury composed of three examiners.

The timeframe for degree completion will be governed by the current UV General Regulations for Postgraduate Studies.

Degree Completion Procedure

The procedure for degree completion will follow the stipulations of current university legislation.

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Curriculum

Study plan

The study plan for the METP is centered on the construction of knowledge from an interdisciplinary approach. This acknowledges the complexity inherent in formulating research problems in the field of space, territory, and landscape studies, in terms of the ideas put forward by thinkers such as Edgar Morin, Immanuel Wallerstein, or Rolando García. It is also designed as a flexible and personalized training program.

To this end, in the first semester, all students will take the compulsory course EE «General Theory,» where they will review and discuss different perspectives for interdisciplinary work. Upon completing this course, they will be able to distinguish and contrast disciplinary, interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary, and transdisciplinary studies. Also in this first semester, they will choose from the range of courses offered for the EE «Elective 1», the one that best corresponds to the interest expressed in their research project. Furthermore, the student group will meet in the «Collective Research Seminar» to learn about and exchange ideas regarding their individual research projects. Finally, all will take the compulsory methodological EE «Cartography and Landscape Reading,» which will allow them to practice landscape readings, as well as learn to read, interpret, and design different types of maps

In the second semester, each student will choose from the three options offered for the «Theoretical Focus», the perspective that provides them with the greatest analytical capacity in their research project. That same semester, the entire group must take two compulsory methodological courses—»Historiography and Social Thought» and «Ethnography»—to learn how to analyze sources from a historical perspective (historiography), as well as the foundations and strategies that characterize ethnographic work. In this period, they must work with their supervisor on the EE «Research Project I».

The third semester will focus on the generation of documentary or field data. Students may have had preliminary approaches in this regard; however, given the course load, it is considered that they will be able to devote themselves fully to this task during this period. During this semester, a period of empirical work (archival or field) will be carried out, according to the student’s approved protocol. The discussion of thesis progress will be held with their director in the EE «Research Project II.» In this semester, each student can select from the range of courses corresponding to the EE «Elective 2», so that this choice allows them to complement or support their thesis work. During the two years of the program, each student must accredited an academic activity consisting of presenting a paper at an academic event, producing a documentary, or writing an academic article, which will account for 4 credits.

The final semester will be dedicated to concluding their analysis and writing the thesis, for which students must complete the EE «Thesis Seminar.»

Lines of Generation and Application of Knowledge

• Landscape, Nature and Society – This LGAC proposes to generate a space for study, reflection, and knowledge production aimed at the diachronic and synchronic understanding of the nature-society-culture relationship, as well as analyzing how these interactions are reflected in landscapes. This involves understanding the processes of symbolization, valuation, appropriation, and (re)production with and of the environment; assuming that these are permeated by various forms of domination and exploitation. It is assumed that processes of change—slow and progressive in some cases, or the product of an abrupt rupture (political, economic, environmental) in others—have produced dynamic and changing landscapes, which are, at the same time, «practiced,» perceived, and valued by the societies that inhabit them. It is important to appreciate these changes from different spatial scales and to consider that they may manifest historical features of medium and long duration.
• City, Urban Movements, and Experiences of Living. – This line of research studies the formation of cities from a historical perspective, focusing on the agents and actors involved in this process.  The investigative process seeks a holistic and interdisciplinary view from the normative, political, economic, and symbolic spheres. Of particular interest to this line are urban movements, understood as contingent processes that signify and re-signify the imaginaries of the city. The aim is thus to explain the correlations between conjunctural and structural changes, as well as the deeper trends of transformation and permanence; which together give cities their character as historical subjects. At the same time, it is of interest to approach the diverse perspectives of different social actors and their experiences, who through their interactions give meaning to and produce what we call the urban.
• Territory and Power. – This line focuses on the relationship between territory and power, which involves looking at how territory is shaped by power relations, while also being a space of resistance and struggle. These are struggles for material and symbolic resources, but also for territoriality itself, its delimitation, and its definition. Therefore, territory is proposed as a space of struggles and a space in struggle. In turn, it is a way of looking at political processes, social conflicts, and collective action. There are, however, different ways to problematize them. Currently, the issue of globalization constitutes one of them, around processes of deterritorialization and reterritorialization, where globalization transforms territory and territory fosters resistance. Existing resources are contested between rival social logics; this can involve seeing territory as biocultural capital and knowledge inextricably linked to the collective subject that inhabits it and its diversity. Thus, in Latin America, alongside the discussion on commodification and capitalist extractivism, the question of the coloniality of power has emerged from a perspective of long, medium, and short duration. In short, this LGAC is open to all possible ways of inquiring into the relationship between territory and power, as well as the different forms of conceptualizing them.

Academic mobility alternatives

Students may undertake placements at other universities and research centers with which the program preferably has collaboration agreements and/or covenants during the last two semesters of the program. Furthermore, in the first semester, students will identify research groups and professors working on topics related to their protocol’s approach within various university networks. At the end of that semester, in dialogue with their committee, the student will establish contact with academics who might be interested in hosting them for a mobility period. The establishment of academic networks will be strengthened by the presentation of a paper or the writing of an academic article by the students during the last two semesters of the program. This strategy also involves building links with academics from other national and international research institutions, who may participate on tutorial committees or as jurors in the degree examination processes.

Tutoring

During the first semester, a tutorial committee will be assigned to each student, composed of the thesis director and two advisors. They must meet individually with the student at least twice throughout each semester to discuss and review progress on their research project. In addition to this, two tutorial committee meetings will be held each semester. One at the beginning of the semester for work planning (review of course selection and research schedule), and another at the end to review progress.

Tutoring will be conducted in accordance with the guidelines of the institutional tutoring program.

Duration of studies

The duration of the graduate academic program is two years, with the possibility for students to complete their thesis work in the following six months. If they do not do so, they must request an extension according to the guidelines of the current Graduate Regulations.

Graduate activities will be carried out within the institutional schedule, i.e., from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm, with a two-hour interval for meals.

Description of the academic degree

Once all the Educational Experiences (EEs) established in the study plan have been completed, the corresponding certificate of studies will be issued. Letters of passage will not be conferred.

Once the student has fulfilled all the academic and administrative requirements of the program, in accordance with university legislation, completed their thesis, and passed the degree examination, they will be awarded the corresponding degree. The degree obtained in this program is: “Master in Spatial, Territorial, and Landscape Studies”.