Major Requirements

Core Classes: Students must complete PG 348  plus one (1) of the following additional courses (PG 344  or PG 347 ); three (3) of the following history courses (HIST 115 , HIST 271 , HIST 332 , HIST 333 , HIST 334 , HIST 335 A , HIST 335 B , or HIST 335 C ); and Spanish Language coursework or placement through SPAN 250  plus two (2) of the following (SPAN 310  , SPAN 350 , SPAN 360, SPAN 362, SPAN 364, or SPAN 371 ).

Cognate Courses: Two (2) of the following courses selected from different departments. ECON 353 , ECON 372 , GEOG 333 , GEOG 345 , GEOG 370 , PG 347 , (if not counted as core PG class above), PG 344 , (if not counted as core PG class above), PG 361 , PHIL 310  (Topic: Global Ethics), SOAN 300 8 , SOAN 265 , SOAN 359 , SOAN 358 , SOAN 360 . In cognate classes, students are expected to complete their assignments on Latin American topics whenever possible.

Students must also participate in an off-campus study program in a Spanish or Portuguese speaking country in Latin America. Students are expected to spend at least one semester abroad, but an approved summer program of at least 10 weeks can be substituted in extraordinary cases with the approval of the LAS faculty board. Off-campus courses can be applied towards the major requirements, the allocation of which will be determined by the LAS faculty board.

Students must prepare a senior thesis of roughly 25 pages. This research paper may be completed as part of a course in which the student is enrolled or as an independent project with a faculty member. Regardless, the paper topic must be approved in advance by the LAS board and will be read and evaluated by a panel of three or more faculty members from at least two departments. Students who are doing a thesis for another major that meets the above criteria can use the same thesis for the LAS requirement.