Latin American and Latinx Studies Minor
The Latin American and Latinx Studies (LALS) Program provides a multidisciplinary education on key issues and dynamics in Latin America and Latinx communities in the United States and prepares students for work and future study in an array of fields, including business, government and diplomacy, education, health care, journalism and communications, private and public development organizations and non-profits. It also offers an array of relevant programming on campus and promotes experiential learning in and related to the region.
The Minor in Latin American and Latinx Studies (LALS) equips students with multiple frameworks for understanding and analyzing significant realities in Latin America and Latinx communities. Students explore perspectives and approaches from within the region and among peoples of Latin American origins in the U.S., including those expressed in the primary languages of Latin America. By selecting courses most relevant to their primary areas of study, students prepare themselves for professional opportunities in or related to Latin America and Latinx communities.
Director
- Dr. Heather Hennes (Languages and Linguistics)
Latin American and Latinx Studies Advisory Board
- Fr. Peter Clark (Theology and Religious Studies)
- Dr. Richard Gioioso (Political Science)
- Dr. Claudia Páez-Lotero (Modern and Classical Languages)
- Dr. Michelle Ramírez (Sociology)
- Dr. Elaine Shenk (Modern and Classical Languages)
- Dr. Richard Warren (History)
Goal 1: be knowledgeable about the history, cultures, economic, business, political and/or social trends of Latin America and/or Latinx communities in the United States.
Objective 1.1: describe accurately and with substantive detail some aspect of the history, cultures, economic, business, political and/or social trends of Latin America and/or Latinx communities.
Goal 2: develop modes of analysis and ways of critical thinking about Latin America and/or Latinx communities through multiple lenses (e.g. historical, literary, political, sociological, artistic, business, economic).
Objective 2.1: apply appropriate, discipline-specific theoretical and/or analytical frameworks to interpret ideas and beliefs, events, practices, texts (broadly conceived), and/or material culture from Latin America and/or among Latinx communities.
Students complete the Minor in Latin American and Latinx Studies (LALS) with six courses. To ensure the interdisciplinary focus of the minor, courses from at least three participating departments must be represented among the six courses. Students may petition the LALS Program Director to receive credit for courses not listed below, such as courses taken abroad. Students participating in a study abroad or a study tour to Latin America are encouraged to ask the LALS Program Director about financial support for travel.
Please note: Students may count a maximum of two of the following courses towards the Minor in Latin American and Latinx Studies: SPA 201 SPA 202, SPA 301, SPA 302, SPA 303. Students studying another language of the region (French, Portuguese) can request that comparable courses count toward the LALS minor.
Course Offerings
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ARH 106 | Latin American Art & Architect | 3 |
| ECN 370 | Economic Development | 3 |
| ECN 482 | Latin American Economies | 3 |
| HIS 203 | Historical Intro to Latin Am | 3 |
| HIS 204 | Latin American-U.S. Migration | 3 |
| HIS 301 | Latin America and the U.S. | 3 |
| HIS 303 | History of Modern Mexico | 3 |
| HIS 304 | Social Protest in Latin Am His | 3 |
| HIS 474 | Seminar in Latin Am His | 3 |
| HIS 480 | Readings in Latin Amer Hist | 3 |
| HSC 368 | Just Hlth Care Dev Nations | 3 |
| POL 328 | U.S. Immigration | 3 |
| POL 331 | Latin American Politics | 3 |
| POL 337 | Contemp Cuban Pol & Society | 3 |
| POL 352 | Global Political Economy | 3 |
| SOC 314 | Culture of Latin America | 3 |
| SOC 316 | Fair Trade Coffee: Study Tour | 3 |
| SPA 201 | Intermediate Spanish I 1 | 3 |
| SPA 202 | Intermediate Spanish II 1 | 3 |
| SPA 301 | Spanish Conversation 1 | 3 |
| SPA 302 | Spanish Composition 1 | 3 |
| SPA 303 | Spanish for Heritage Speakers 1 | 3 |
| SPA 310 | Intro to Latin American Lit | 3 |
| SPA 315 | Animals in Literature | 3 |
| SPA 320 | Cur Evnts in the Sp-Lang Media | 3 |
| SPA 321 | Visions of the Nat Wld Lat Am | 3 |
| SPA 350 | Intro to Latin Amer Cultures | 3 |
| SPA 353 | Latin American Cinema | 3 |
| SPA 360 | Spanish in the Community | 4 |
| SPA 401 | Topics in Latin Am Cultures | 3 |
| SPA 415 | Iconic Women of Latin America | 3 |
| SPA 420 | Major Latin American Authors | 3 |
| SPA 422 | Culture and Dictatorship | 3 |
| SPA 423 | Latin Am Short Story | 3 |
| SPA 425 | Imagery of the Conquest | 3 |
| SPA 426 | Culture in Revolution | 3 |
| SPA 428 | Rainforest: A Literary Journey | 3 |
| SPA 431 | Commonplaces of Colonial Exp | 3 |
| SPA 466 | Spanish Dialectology | 3 |
| SPA 467 | Lang Contact & Pol in U.S. | 3 |
| THE/HSC 368 | Just Hlth Care in Dev Nations | 3 |
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Students may count a maximum of two of the following courses towards the Minor in Latin American Studies: SPA 202, SPA 301, SPA 302, SPA 303
Provisional Courses
The following courses may count toward the Minor in Latin American and Latinx Studies, depending on course content in a given semester, including the student's final project. Students who would like to include these courses in their program of study should consult with the LALS Program Director in advance to determine whether or not the course will be accepted.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ECN 321 | International Trade | 3 |
| FMK 402 | Future Issues in Food Mktg | 3 |
| HIS 491 | Philadelphia Area Internship | 3 |
| IBU 210 | Intro International Business | 3 |
| POL 403 | Capstone: Nations&Nationalism | 3 |
| POL 491 | Philadelphia-Area Internship | 3 |
| SPA 470 | Topics in Spanish | 3 |
| MCC 150 | First Year Seminar | 3 |