Latin American, Latino and Caribbean Studies

Chair: Desirée J. Garcia 

Professors:  Mary K. Coffey (Art History and LALACS), Matthew J. Garcia; Associate Professors: Desirée J. Garcia , Reighan A. Gillam; Assistant Professors: Jorge E. Cuéllar, Marcela A. Di Blasi; Visiting Professors: Peter DeShazo, Christina Gómez; Senior Lecturer: Douglas J. Moody; Lecturers:  Mario R. Machado ; Fellows: Gabrielle Cabrera, Sofia J. Chavez, Henrique Yagui Takahashi. 

Latin American, Latino, and Caribbean Studies (LALACS) is an interdisciplinary department. LALACS offers the opportunity to take courses in the social sciences, humanities, and interdisciplinary studies that examine borders and borderlands, race and representation, film and media, literature, visual arts and art history, food systems and climate, and history across the Americas. An exchange program in Havana, Cuba and a Foreign Study Abroad program in Brazil provide international experiences for students.

We offer a major, modified major, and minor that involve introductory and more advanced courses and are designed to ensure both a broad exposure to Latin American, Latino, and Caribbean Studies and the theoretical and empirical rigor of study in a single discipline or area of scholarship.

Major Requirements

One Prerequisite

• Demonstrated Language Competency in Spanish or Portuguese equivalent to:

• SPAN 3 or PORT 3. Must be satisfied before the end of the sixth term.
  

Ten Required Courses 

• Two survey courses from the following:

  • LACS 1 Introduction to Latin America and the Caribbean

  • LACS 4 History, Culture and Society: The Many Faces of Latin America

  • LATS 3 Introduction to Latino Studies

  • LATS 5 Complexities of Latino Identity

• Seven LACS/LATS courses 

  • Four of the seven courses must constitute a concentration that reflects a disciplinary or scholarly focus. 

• One Senior Seminar course that serves as the Culminating Experience in the fall of senior year.

Three courses from the Cuba FSP may be counted towards the major. Two courses from the Spanish FSP in Argentina or the Portuguese FSP in Brazil may be counted toward the major.

Modified Major Requirements

The Modified Major consists of six courses in LALACS plus four courses above the prerequisite level in one or more other department(s) or program(s). A written rationale including an explanation for how all courses meet the requirements of a unified and coherent modified major must be submitted. 

One Prerequisite

• Demonstrated Language Competency in Spanish or Portuguese equivalent to:

• SPAN 3 or PORT 3. Must be satisfied before the end of the sixth term.

Ten Required Courses

• One survey course from the following:

  • LACS 1 Introduction to Latin America and the Caribbean

  • LACS 4 History, Culture and Society: The Many Faces of Latin America

  • LATS 3 Introduction to Latino Studies

  • LATS 5 Complexities of Latino Identity

• Four LACS/LATS courses from at least two different regions. 

• One Senior Seminar course that serves as the Culminating Experience in the fall of senior year.

• Four courses above the prerequisite level in one or more other department(s) or program(s).

Minor Requirements

• Two survey courses from the following:

  • LACS 1 Introduction to Latin America and the Caribbean

  • LACS 4 History, Culture and Society: The Many Faces of Latin America

  • LATS 3 Introduction to Latino Studies

  • LATS 5 Complexities of Latino Identity

• Four LACS/LATS courses from at least two different regions. 

Modified Major with LALACS as the Secondary Department Requirements

Five Required Courses

• One survey course from the following:

  • LACS 1 Introduction to Latin America and the Caribbean

  • LACS 4 History, Culture and Society: The Many Faces of Latin America

  • LATS 3 Introduction to Latino Studies

  • LATS 5 Complexities of Latino Identity

• Four LACS/LATS courses from at least two different regions. 

Honors Program 

Senior Honors Project Requirements and Application Process

1. Have two completed survey courses before the end of your junior year from the following.

• LACS 1 Introduction to Latin America and the Caribbean

• LACS 4 History, Culture and Society: The Many Faces of Latin America

• LATS 3 Introduction to Latino Studies

• LATS 5 Complexities of Latino Identity

1. Meet the minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.3 for all Dartmouth courses and 3.3 in the LALACS Major.

2. Obtain a faculty advisor.

3. Write a project proposal, have it signed by your faculty advisor, and submit it to the LALACS Dept. Administrator by May 15 of the junior year.

4. By week 9 of fall term of the junior year, submit a five- to seven-page project prospectus to the LALACS Dept. Administrator to be reviewed and approved by the LALACS Dept. Steering Committee.

5. Enroll in LACS 98 in the fall of your senior year, and LACS 99 in the winter. If necessary, LACS 99 may continue in the spring term. In this case, a grade of  ON (ongoing) will be assigned for LACS 99 for the winter term, and the final grade will be assigned at the end of the spring term.

6. Honors Projects must be completed by the eighth week of spring term of the senior year. Students missing this deadline may be liable to lose eligibility for honors.

Associated Courses for LACS/LATS

LACS - Latin American and Caribbean Studies Courses

LATS - Latino Studies Courses