Design the Regular Major Track

The Latin American, Latinx, and Caribbean Studies major is the student-designed program housed in the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies. The major requirements are intended to encourage both breadth and depth of the study of Latin American, Latinx, and Caribbean cultures in a variety of disciplines.

Guidelines

The regular Latin American, Latinx, and Caribbean Studies Major (10-14 courses) allows focused, flexible, interdisciplinary attention to Latin American, Latinx, and Caribbean issues through the social sciences, humanities, and the arts.  

Please use this  to enter the LALC courses you have taken and those that you hope to take in the future. Email either of the LALC Co-directors, Rosa Carrasquillo or Bridget Franco to make an appointment to discuss your initial course plans and please attach your worksheet.

Courses and Planning

Students wishing to major in Latin American, Latinx and Caribbean studies can choose from a number of courses from around the College each semester. Course availability varies by department and term, however, so be sure to make selections to meet the major requirements outlined in the dropdown menus below.

LALC majors must take one gateway course.

“Gateway” courses feature a broad focus on Latin America, the Caribbean, and global Latinx communities. Courses are approved by the LALC Director and may include:

LALC 101 Intro to Latin American, Latinx and Caribbean Studies
HIST 126 Colonial Latin America
HIST 127 Modern Latin America
HIST 128 Latino History
ANTH 266 Culture & Politics in Latin America
POLS 251 Latin American Politics
POLS 200 US and Latin America
SPAN 304 Aspects of Spanish-American Culture
SPAN 322 Latin American Art

Similar courses with a broad focus on Latin America may be approved by the LALC Director.

 

LALC majors must take at least one course in History.  Qualifying courses with a focus on Latin American, Latinx, or Caribbean history are approved by the LALC Director.

Note that the History requirement exists independently of the Gateway course. Students who wish to count a History course as a Gateway must take a second course to satisfy the History requirement.

At least 4 courses from 4 disciplines or programs at the 200 level or above. 

For interdisciplinary breadth, students should choose courses from at least four different disciplines or programs (including Latin American, Latinx, and Caribbean Studies) at the 200 level. One of these courses must be in History and approved for LALC credit.    

See current and previous LALC Course Lists for reference.

LALC majors must take three advanced LALC-approved courses that focus on academic research and presentation (normally at the 200-level and above). These courses will vary by semester. See the list below for some examples. To confirm whether a course not listed below may meet this requirement, please consult with your professor and the LALC Director.

*Courses listed below that are in bold font with an asterisk will be approved as fulfilling one of the LALC Academic Research and Presentation courses only when students focus course assignments on LALC-related topics. Approval by the Director, who will consult with the instructor, is necessary.

ANTH 266

Culture and Politics of Latin America

EDUC 340

Multicultural Education

ECON 205

Economics of Development*

ECON 330

International Finance*

ENGL 367

LatinX Literature

ENGL 379

Confrontations with Christianity

POLS 251

Latin American Politics

POLS 273

Race and Politics in the Americas

RELS 290

Teologia Andina

RELS 295

Un tal Jesus

SPAN 305

Introduction to Textual Analysis

SPAN 366

Creative Writing in Spanish

SPAN 407

Topics in Spanish and Spanish American Modern Poetry

SPAN 409

Topics in Colonial Spanish American Literature

SPAN 410

Topics: Literature of Exile, Immigration & Ethnicity

SPAN 420

Latin American Film

SPAN 450

Latinidades in Literature and Pop Culture

Majors must demonstrate knowledge of a Latin American language other than English at an advanced intermediate level or higher. This requirement can be met by completing SPAN 202, FREN 202, or the equivalent (as demonstrated by a language placement exam, AP scores, or other such recognized measures).

In the case of Latin American languages not taught at the College, such as Portuguese, Haitian Creole, or indigenous languages, speakers can have their language level certified by a faculty member or other competent authority in that language.

How language courses count:

Courses taken to meet the minimum language requirement (202-level and below) will not be counted toward the major.

More advanced language courses (301-level and above) fulfill the language requirement and may count toward the major provided they have been approved as meeting the learning goals of the LALC program. Examples include:

  • Spanish 301, 302, and others in the Spanish Department at the 300-level and above that feature Latin American literature and culture
  • Courses taught in Spanish in other departments such as HIST 278 Raza e Identidad, RELS 290 Teología Andina, or RELS 295 Un tal Jesús
  • Comparable courses approved by the LALC Director, including courses at other institutions and abroad

Please note: Courses such as French 301, whose content does not meet the learning goals of the LALC program, fulfill the language requirement but will not be counted toward the major.

In your planning, please remember the rules regarding the number of courses that you can count for more than one program: 

  • a LALC major may overlap a maximum of two (2) courses from another plan of study (e.g., your other major) or three (3) courses from two other plans of study (e.g., your other major and a second minor). 
  • No single course may count for three plans of study (e.g., two majors and a concentration)

A single course may meet more than one of the requirements for the LALC major. For instance, ANTH 266 Culture and Politics in Latin America, POLS 251 Latin American Politics, and CISS 200 US and Latin America can be used to meet the Gateway requirement, count as one of the four courses from four different departments at a 200 level, and satisfy the research and writing requirement. Remember, though, that the total number of courses required is at least ten. Feel free to consult with the LALC Director with questions. 

Normally, no more than two courses from any one discipline or program may count towards the major. However, a third course from the Spanish department may be accepted if, and only if, one of the three deals with art content, such as SPAN 312 Filmmaking in Spanish, SPAN 420 Latin American Film, and SPAN 366 Creative Writing in Spanish.

Up to three courses in Study Abroad programs in Latin America  can be approved for Major credit upon review and approval of the LALC Director. Only two courses with Latin American, Latinx, and Caribbean Studies topics can be applied to the Major for students studying abroad in Spain upon review and approval of the LALC Director.