Becoming a major or minor in Latin American and Caribbean Studies provides you with an opportunity to learn about cultures, people, and histories that shape our world today. Take courses across multiple departments to gain a multifaceted understanding of the region’s histories, cultures, and languages. Students in our program also gain insights into the experiences of Latinos living in the United States, learning what economic, social, and political realities have shaped their lives.
Major in Latin American and Caribbean Studies
The Latin American and Caribbean Studies program offers students a broad sampling of courses from multiple disciplines. There are two tracks for students to choose based on their interests. Students who choose the General Track may have broad interests or want to sample different courses for a comparative focus, or to see Latin America and the Caribbean in its stunning diversity. A Brazilian Studies concentration enables students to focus their intellectual energy on this increasingly influential country, and to understand the Brazilian experience in regional perspective.
- General: 30 upper-division hours taken from courses offered in at least three different academic departments; 3 hours must be an upper-division course taught in a language spoken in Latin America or the Caribbean (French, Portuguese, or Spanish)
- Brazilian: Same as the general requirements, but at least 9 hours must be satisfied using upper-division courses focused on Brazil, including one upper-division course in the Portuguese language.
Minor in Latin American and Caribbean Studies
Jaime Ragos (’19) minored in LAC with a double major in Food Science & Technology and Language & World Business, which brought her to the Guatemala highlands to catalog medicinal plants.
The minor requires less from students in terms of language proficiency, but preserves the diversity of coursework options. Students can adapt this minor to their own unique interests or use it to complement their major field of study. A minor in LAC is ideal for students majoring in Hispanic or Portuguese Studies, Language & World Business, Journalism, Nursing, Sociology, History, Geography, English, or Africana Studies.
- Take 18 hours from courses offered in at least three different academic departments.
- Students in the minor only need to complete 6 hrs at the 200-level in one of the languages spoken in the region (French, Portuguese, or Spanish).
Want to try it out? Learn more about courses in the program, or service learning and study abroad programs that can take you beyond the classroom.