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Major in LAC Studies

Program Director: Pablo Piccato, 834 International Affairs Building

Student Affairs Coordinator: Eliza Kwon-Ahn, 830 International Affairs Building

The undergraduate major in Latin American and Caribbean Studies encompasses people, social and cultural phenomena that transcend physical boundaries. The new major has a focus on multidisciplinary training on politics, history, culture, economy and society—multidisciplinary dialogues that are transnational yet remain anchored in the common historical experience of Latin American societies.

For a Major in Latin American and Caribbean Studies

Up to 12 credits for requirements 4 and 5 can be earned through study abroad. Students are strongly encouraged to explore study abroad options before their junior year. Upon return, they should submit syllabi and all coursework related to each course taken abroad for approval by the director of undergraduate studies.

The major requires a minimum of 31 points as follows:

  1. Two Spanish and Portuguese courses: one of two Latin American humanities courses, SPAN W3490 or SPAN W3491, plus another non-language course in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese.
  2. Two of the following three history courses: 
  3. POLS G4461 Latin American politics
  4. A specialization consisting of four courses in a discipline or theme of choice with substantive focus on Latin America. One of these courses must be a seminar. Students whose disciplines of choice are history or Spanish and Portuguese must replace one of these courses with a course which focuses on Latin America from another department, for a total of five courses on their specialization plus a course in another field or discipline. The director of undergraduate studies advises students on areas of specialization and must approve courses with substantial Latin American or Caribbean contents not included in the list of eligible courses.
  5. One course on Spanish, Portuguese, or an indigenous language at the intermediate or advanced level. If students can demonstrate advance knowledge of one of these languages they can replace this course with a course on other languages at any level.

Disciplines and Themes for Specialization

A list of courses that can fulfill requirements is updated every year and includes any courses offered by faculty affiliated to ILAS or courses with substantive Latin American content in the departments of Spanish and Portuguese, History, Political Science, Anthropology, Sociology, Economics, or English and Comparative Literature; or in the centers for the Study of Ethnicity and Race or Comparative Literature and Society; or in the institutes for Research on Women's and Gender Studies and Latin American Studies.

Students are able to concentrate on one discipline from the departments listed above or a field of study defined in consultation with the director of undergraduate studies. Examples of these fields are gender, race and ethnicity, the environment, migration, crime and security, international relations.

For a Concentration in Latin American and Caribbean Studies

Up to 6 credits for requirements 4 and 5 can be earned through study abroad. Students are strongly encouraged to explore study abroad options before their junior year. Upon return, they should submit syllabi and all coursework related to each course taken abroad for approval by the director of undergraduate studies.

The concentration requires a minimum of 18 points as follows:

  1. One of two Latin American humanities courses, SPAN W3490 or SPAN W3491
  2. One of the following three history courses:
  3. POLS G4461 Latin American politics
  4. A specialization consisting of two courses in a discipline or theme of choice with substantive focus on Latin America. Students whose disciplines of choice are history or Spanish and Portuguese must replace one of these courses with a course which focuses on Latin America from another department. The director of undergraduate studies advises students on areas of specialization and must approve courses with substantial Latin American or Caribbean contents not included in the list of eligible courses.
  5. One course on Spanish, Portuguese, or an indigenous language at the intermediate or advanced level. If students can demonstrate advance knowledge of one of these languages they can replace this course with a course on other languages at any level.

The Institute of Latin American Studies coordinates the major and offers access to research support, study abroad options, and linkages and credits toward the new MA program in Latin American and Caribbean Studies.