About the Minor in Latin American and Caribbean Studies
The College of Liberal Arts offers the interdisciplinary minor of Latin American and Caribbean Studies. This program provides students with a critical understanding of the rich and diverse cultures, histories, and societies of Latin America and the Caribbean. By integrating various academic approaches, this program aims to develop students' critical thinking and intercultural competencies, preparing them for careers related to this globally significant region.
The minor has two emphases: general and language-focused. These emphases are designed for students who want to focus on regional knowledge and those who wish to enhance their language skills in Spanish, Portuguese, and/or French. Students tailor the minor to their interests and future plans.
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Program Information
Degree
Emphases
General; Language-focused
Required Credit Hours
18
Program Type
Minor
Program Location
School
Academic Requirements
Students minoring in LACS must complete 18 credit hours in one of the two emphases. A grade of C or higher is required in all courses applied toward the minor.
General Emphasis:
Up to 6 hours of 200-level Spanish, Portuguese, or French may count toward the minor. Students must choose at least 12 hours from the approved course list below in two different departments, excluding Modern Languages. Courses at the 100-level in Spanish, Portuguese, or French cannot be applied to the general emphasis track.
Language-Focused Emphasis:
Students must complete 9 hours in one language chosen from any Spanish, Portuguese, or French courses from the list below at the 300-level or above. The remaining 9 hours must be non-language courses from the approved list below in at least two different departments. Courses at the 100 and 200-level in Spanish, Portuguese, and French do not count toward the language-focused track.
Approved Courses:
Anthropology
- ANTH 325: Archaeology of Mesoamerica
- ANTH 326: Archaeology of Maya Civilization
- ANTH 328: Culture and Society in Latin America
- ANTH 329: Crime, Insecurity, and Law in Latin America
- ANTH 394: Mesoamerican Art
History
- HST 160: Introduction to Latin American History
- HST 360: Colonial Latin America, 1450-1820
- HST 361: Latin America since 1820
- HST 362: History of Mexico and Central America
- HST 363: History of the Caribbean
- HST 364: Independence of Latin America, 1760-1830
- HST 366: Race and Ethnicity in Latin America
- HST 367: Social Revolutions in Latin America
- HST 368: Latin America and the Cold War
International Studies
- INST 362: Medicine & Revolutions in Latin America
Political Science
- POL 321: Politics of Latin America
- POL 342: Politics of Mexico and Central America
- POL 345: Politics of South America
French
- FR 361: French and Francophone Cinema
- FR 561: Advanced French and Francophone Cinema
- FR 587: Introduction to Francophone Literature
Portuguese
- PORT 310: Portuguese for Other Romance Language Speakers II
- PORT 321: Brazilian Culture and Civilization
Spanish
- SPAN 322: Spanish American Civilization and Culture
- SPAN 341: Spanish in the U.S.
- SPAN 565: Spanish American Women Writers
- SPAN 579: Survey of Spanish American Literature I
- SPAN 580: Survey of Spanish American Literature II
- SPAN 587: Spanish American Short Story
- SPAN 588: Spanish American Poetry
200 Level Language Courses
- FR 201: Intermediate French I
- FR 202: Intermediate French II
- FR 211: Intensive Intermediate French
- PORT 201: Intermediate Portuguese I
- PORT 202: Intermediate Portuguese II
- SPAN 201: Intermediate Spanish I (iStudy only)
- SPAN 202: Intermediate Spanish II (iStudy only)
- SPAN 211: Intensive Intermediate Spanish
Why Latin American and Caribbean Studies?
"The Latin American and Caribbean Studies Minor is committed to educating global citizens who understand the political, cultural, linguistic, and historical contexts of this large and diverse region. We believe intercultural competence and interdisciplinary depth of knowledge are crucial to train students for careers that help create stable and strong international relationships, whether in politics, business, law, journalism, literature, art, or other fields. We aim to ensure that students are prepared to succeed in an increasingly interconnected world."
Heather Allen and Marcos Mendoza
Co-Directors of the Latin American and Caribbean Studies Minor
Affiliated Faculty
Julio Acuna Garcia
- Croft Instructional Assistant Professor of Economics
Heather Allen
- Associate Professor of Spanish
Julia Bussade
- Instructional Assistant Professor of Modern Languages and Director of Elementary Spanish and Portuguese Programs
Katherine Centellas
- Croft Associate Professor of Anthropology
Miguel Centellas
- Instructional Associate Professor of Sociology and Sociology Undergraduate Program Coordinator
Felice Coles
- Professor of Modern Languages
Enrique Cotelo
- Senior Lecturer in Spanish
Jesse Cromwell
- Associate Professor of Colonial Latin American History and Undergraduate Program Coordinator
Samuel Souza da Cruz
- Instructional Assistant Professor of Spanish
Simone Delerme
- Associate Professor of Anthropology and McMullan Associate Professor of Southern Studies
Stephen Fafulas
- Associate Professor of Modern Languages
Maria Fionda
- Associate Professor of Spanish
Carolyn Freiwald
- Associate Professor of Anthropology
Ian Gowan
- Instructional Associate Professor of Spanish and Croft Associate Director
Jeffrey Jackson
- Chair of Sociology and Anthropology and Professor of Sociology
Gregory Love
- Professor of Political Science
Diane Marting
- Professor of Modern Languages
Marcos Mendoza
- Associate Professor of Anthropology and Associate Chair
Maria Garcia Otero
- Croft Instructional Associate Professor of Spanish
Anne Quinney
- Professor of Modern Languages
Holly Reynolds
- Associate Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Assistant Professor
Doug Sullivan-Gonzalez
- Professor of History
Nora Sylvander
- Croft Assistant Professor of Anthropology and International Studies
Daniel Valle Arevalo
- Assistant Professor of Spanish Linguistics
Robyn Wright
- Associate Professor of Spanish
Related Careers to Latin American and Caribbean Studies?
- public policy analyst
- international business
- cultural anthropologist
- language teacher
- healthcare provider
- journalist
- lawyer
- linguist
- economist
- intelligence officer/security analyst
- social worker
- historian
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