Latin American Studies Major
The Latin America Studies Program brings together students and faculty from Anthropology,
Government, Economics, History, and Latin American and Latino/a literature. We engage in the critical
readings and analysis of the region's distinctive cultural productions, literary texts, histories, polities, and
economies to confront enduring tensions and inequalities that challenge the region. Visiting scholars,
artists, and activists, our biannual Walker symposium, internships and independent research enhance
formal classroom learning. Our graduates emerge as active global citizens capable of analyzing and
articulating central issues affecting Latin America.
Core Classes
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Latin American Studies 173
Latin American Studies 174
Spanish 135 Must be completed before study abroad
Spanish 231 Must be completed before study abroad
Two Latin American Literature Courses (200 level or above)
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Four additional classes, 200-level or above, three of which have to be in three
different disciplines in the social sciences. The fourth class cannot be a Latin/o
American Literature class in Spanish.
US Latino
Visual
Anthropology Government History Economics Literature (in Arts &
English)
Music
At Least One Semester Abroad in a Latin American Country on an Approved
Program (Students may count up to four semester courses of foreign study credit toward the major if they study
abroad for an entire year, but only up to two semester courses if they study abroad for just one semester. Students
with transfer credits should be advised that four semester courses, combining study abroad and credits from other
institutions, is the maximum total permitted to count toward the LAS major.)
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Capstone (Senior Seminar, Advanced Independent Study, Honors Thesis)
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Course Offerings
(Subject to change)
*Asterisk indicates that course is offered in Spring 2012
+Plus sign indicates that final paper/project must be completed on Latin America
Spanish
135 Introduction to Hispanic Literature*
231 Advanced Spanish*
268 Latino/a Cultural Expressions in Film and Literature
273 Contemporary Spanish-America Short Story*
276 US Latina/Chicana Women Writers
297 Latina Feminist Writings
298 Adaptations: Latin American Texts to Films*
354 Detectives and Spies: Popular Culture in Spanish-American Fiction
371 The Colonial Experience: European and Amerindian Response to the Cultural Encounter
493A Seminar: Sexual Dissidence in Cuba
493B Seminar: The Latina Body
493C Seminar: Postmodernism in Latin America
Music
297 Music and the Global Metropolis
Anthropology
231 Caribbean Society and Culture*+
236 Illegal Drugs, Law, and the State+
242 Anthropology of Latin American City Life
297 Music and Culture of the Americas
Economics
214 Economic Policy and Performance in Contemporary Latin America*
Government
253 Latin American Politics
297 Politics of the US-Mexico Border
335 Unites States-Latin American Relations*
450 Seminar: Democratization in Latin America
History
For 173 and 174, see LAS below
272 History of Law, Society, and Rebellion in Mexico
274 Race, religion and frontiers in Colonial Latin America
275 Strongmen and Populism in Modern Spain and Latin America
277 History of the Maya from 200 B.C*
473 Historical Roots of Violence in Latin America
Latin American Studies
173 History of Latin America
174 Introduction to Latin American Studies*
483f , 484js Senior Honors Thesis*
491f, 492s Independent Study*