Curriculum for Accelerated Master of Arts


Basic Requirements (9 hours)

9 hours of core Latin American & Caribbean Studies courses: (LAA 100, LAA 300, and LAA 450)

LAC 100 Latin American Culture and Society (3 CR)

LAC 300 Interdisciplinary Themes in Latin American Studies (3 CR)

LAC 450 Capstone Course in Latin American Studies (3 CR)


Language Requirements (12 hours)

The college language requirement must be met in either Spanish, Portuguese, Haitian Creole, or an indigenous Latin American language (through 4th semester or equivalent).

SPAN 216

Intermediate Spanish II

SPAN 217

Honors Intermediate Spanish II

SPAN 220

Intensive Intermediate Spanish

PORT 216

Intermediate Brazilian Portuguese II

PORT 220

Intensive Intermediate Brazilian Portuguese

HAIT 240

Intermediate Haitian II

KQKL 234

Intermediate Kaqchikel Maya II

LAA 302

Intermediate K'iche' Maya II


Requirements for the Major (33 hours)

All majors earn a minimum of 33 semester hours in substantive courses on Latin America. In addition, majors must meet the College language requirement in Spanish, Portuguese, Haitian Creole, or an indigenous Latin American language. Note: Students earning a double major must have 15 hours unique to each major.

All courses must have at least 25 percent Latin American and Caribbean content to count toward the major. In classes with comparative content in which students are allowed to choice research/paper topics, students must select a topic related to Latin America and the Caribbean.

Courses with a blank (_____) at the end of their titles are typically topics or seminar courses that may be repeated for credit. Usually these courses offer different topics each time they are taught. Students should check with the course instructor about the requirements to take the course and what the topic will be when it is offered.

A minimum of 24 hours (8 different courses) is required. These courses may also be used toward a minor. Students must take 9 hours in two of the following disciplinary groups. The remaining 6 hours can be taken in any disciplinary group. No more than 9 hours can be taken at the 100-200 level:

ANTH 160 The Varieties of Human Experience (3 CR)

ANTH 162 The Varieties of Human Experience, Honors (3 CR)

ANTH 360 The Varieties of Human Experience (3 CR)

ANTH 379 Indigenous Traditions of Latin America (3 CR)

ANTH 380 Peoples of South America (3 CR)

ANTH 382 People and the Rain Forest (3 CR)

ANTH 465 Genocide and Ethnocide (3 CR)

ANTH 506 Ancient American Civilizations: Mesoamerica (3 CR)

ANTH 507 The Ancient Maya (3 CR)

ANTH 508 Ancient American Civilizations: The Central Andes (3 CR)

ANTH 561 Indigenous Development in Latin America (3 CR)

ANTH 562 Mexamerica (3 CR)

ANTH 569 Contemporary Central America and Mexico (3 CR)

ANTH 587 Multidisciplinary Field School in Partnership with the Chorti Maya (3 CR)

ANTH 595 The Colonial Experience (3 CR)

ANTH 603 Shamanism Past and Present (3 CR)

ANTH 665 Women, Health, and Healing in Latin America (3 CR)

LAA 310 Topics in LAA - Anthropology: _____ (3 CR)

LAA 334 Indigenous Traditions of Latin America (3 CR)

LAA 510 Topics in LAA - Anthropology: _____ (3 CR)

LAA 634 Indigenous Traditions of Latin America (3 CR)

LAA 665 Women, Health, and Healing in Latin America (3 CR)

WGSS 665 Women, Health, and Healing in Latin America (3 CR)

HIST 120 Colonial Latin America (3 CR)

HIST 121 Modern Latin America (3 CR)

HIST 122 Colonial Latin America, Honors (3 CR)

HIST 123 Modern Latin America, Honors (3 CR)

HIST 210 Brazil and Africa: Atlantic Encounters (3 CR)

HIST 303 Sin Cities (3 CR)

HIST 325 The Spanish Inquisition (3 CR)

HIST 326 Native American Civilizations and their European Conquerors (3 CR)

HIST 331 Atlantic Societies, 1450-1800: A Comparative History of European Colonization (3 CR)

HIST 354 Spanish Borderlands in North America (3 CR)

HIST 355 U.S. Borderlands Since 1848 (3 CR)

HIST 365 Invention of the Tropics (3 CR)

HIST 368 A History of Afro-Latin America (3 CR)

HIST 370 Violence and Conflict in Latin American History (3 CR)

HIST 371 Tequila, Tango, Carnival, City (3 CR)

HIST 372 Violence and Conflict in Latin American History, Honors (3 CR)

HIST 470 Popular Culture in Latin America and Africa (3 CR)

HIST 471 Social History of South America (3 CR)

HIST 512 Foodways: Latin American (3 CR)

HIST 551 Spain and its Empire, 1450-1700 (3 CR)

HIST 573 Latin America in the 19th Century (3 CR)

HIST 574 Slavery in the New World (3 CR)

HIST 575 The Many Faces of Mexico (3 CR)

HIST 576 History of the Caribbean and Central America (3 CR)

HIST 579 The History of Brazil (3 CR)

HIST 580 Economic History of Latin America (3 CR)

LAA 311 Topics in LAA - History: _____ (3 CR)

LAA 511 Topics in LAA - History: _____ (3 CR)

SPAN 326 Spanish for Health Care Workers (3 CR)

SPAN 346 Transatlantic Hispanic Cultures (3 CR)

SPAN 429 Spanish Phonetics (3 CR)

SPAN 442 Special Topics Latin American Literature and Cultures: _____ (1-3 CR)

SPAN 447 Latin American Cultures: _____ (3 CR)

SPAN 448 Spanish Language and Culture for Business (3 CR)

SPAN 460 Colonial Spanish-American Studies: _____ (3 CR)

SPAN 461 Nineteenth Century Spanish-American Studies: _____ (3 CR)

SPAN 462 Twentieth Century Spanish-American Studies: _____ (3 CR)

SPAN 463 National Traditions in Spanish America: _____ (3 CR)

SPAN 471 Studies in Spanish-American Culture and Civilization: _____ (1-3 CR)

SPAN 475 Studies in Latin-American Literature and Culture: _____ (1-3 CR)

SPAN 540 Colloquium on Hispanic Studies: _____ (3 CR)

SPAN 560 Colloquium on Latin American Film (3 CR)

SPAN 566 Latin American Folklore (3 CR)

LAA 312 Topics in LAA - Spanish American Literature and Culture: _____ (3 CR)

LAA 512 Topics in LAA - Spanish American Literature and Culture: _____ (3 CR)

 

PORT 300 Brazilian Culture (3 CR)

PORT 320 Introduction to Portuguese and Brazilian Literatures (3 CR)

PORT 347 Brazilian Studies: _____ (3 CR)

PORT 348 Portuguese Language and Brazilian Culture for Business (3 CR)

PORT 365 Studies in Brazilian Film: _____ (3 CR)

PORT 394 Special Readings in Brazilian Studies (1-3 CR)

PORT 471 Studies in Brazilian Culture and Civilization: _____ (1-3 CR)

PORT 475 Studies in Brazilian Literature: _____ (1-3 CR)

PORT 547 Brazilian Studies: _____ (3 CR)

PORT 548 Portuguese Language and Brazilian Culture for Business (3 CR)

PORT 565 Studies in Brazilian Film: _____ (3 CR)

LAA 313 Topics in LAA - Brazilian Literature and Culture : _____ (3 CR)

LAA 513 Topics in LAA - Brazilian Literature: _____ (3 CR)

AAAS 333 Introduction to Caribbean Literature (3 CR)

ENGL 305 World Indigenous Literatures (3 CR)

ENGL 337 Introduction to U.S. Latino/a Literature (3 CR)

ENGL 339 Introduction to Caribbean Literature (3 CR)

ENGL 573 U.S. Latina/o Literature: _____ (3 CR)

LAA 314 Topics in LAA - Latino and Caribbean Literature: _____ (3 CR)

LAA 503 Race, Gender, Ethnicity, and Nationalism in Latin America (3 CR)

LAA 505 U.S. Latino and Latin American Film and Literature (3 CR)

LAA 506 Race, Gender, Ethnicity, and Nationalism in Latin America, Honors (3 CR)

LAA 514 Topics in LAA - Latino and Caribbean Literature: _____ (3 CR)

SPAN 464 Reading and Analysis of U.S. Latino/a Literatures: _____ (3 CR)

DANC 330 Approaches to World Dance (3 CR)

DANC 490 Introduction to Flamenco Dance Technique (3 CR)

FMS 316 Cinemas of the Southern Cone: Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay (3 CR)

FMS 540 Cuban Cinema (3 CR)

FMS 542 Latin American Film (3 CR)

MUSC 305 Music of Latin America (3 CR)

MUSC 312 Music in the Andes (3 CR)

MUSC 313 Music in Mexico and the Caribbean (3 CR)

MUSC 339 Introduction to Music in World Cultures (3 CR)

MUSC 560 Music in World Cultures (3 CR)

THR 429 Postcolonial Theatre and Drama (3 CR)

LAA 315 Topics in LAA - Film Music Arts: _____ (3 CR)

LAA 515 Topics in LAA - Film Music Arts: _____ (3 CR)

EVRN 140 Global Environment I: The Discovery of Environmental Change (5 CR)

EVRN 142 Global Environment II: The Ecology of Human Civilization (5 CR)

EVRN 144 Global Environment I: Discovery of Environmental Change, Honors (5 CR)

EVRN 145 Global Environment II: The Ecology of Human Civilization, Honors (5 CR)

EVRN 148 Scientific Principles of Environmental Studies (3 CR)

EVRN 149 Scientific Principles of Environmental Studies, Honors (3 CR)

GEOG 570 Geography of American Indians (3 CR)

GEOG 591 Geography of Latin America (3 CR)

GEOG 592 Middle American Geography (3 CR)

GEOG 593 Central American Peoples and Lands (3 CR)

GEOG 597 Geography of Brazil (3 CR)

GEOG 601 Indigenous Peoples of the World (3 CR)

LAA 316 Topics in LAA - Geography and Environment: _____ (3 CR)

LAA 516 Topics in LAA - Geography and Environment: _____ (3 CR)

ECON 584 Economic Development of Latin America (3 CR)

ECON 604 International Trade (3 CR)

ECON 605 International Finance (3 CR)

IBUS 410 Introduction to International Business (3 CR)

IBUS 415 Business in Latin America (3 CR)

LAA 317 Topics in LAA - Politics, Society, Business and Economy: _____ (3 CR)

LAA 332 Language and Society in Latin America (3 CR)

LAA 333 Language and Society in Latin America, Honors (3 CR)

LAA 335 The Politics of Language in Latin America (3 CR)

LAA 504 Politics of Culture in Modern Latin America (3 CR)

LAA 517 Topics in LAA - Politics, Society, Business and Economy: _____ (3 CR)

SOC 130 Comparative Societies (3 CR)

SOC 131 Comparative Societies, Honors (3 CR)

SOC 260 America's Latinos/Latinas (3 CR)

SOC 332 The United States in Global Context (3 CR)

SOC 342 Sociology of Immigration (3 CR)

SOC 531 Global Social Change (3 CR)

SOC 630 Latin American Society (3 CR)

SOC 650 Transnational Migration (3 CR)

AAAS 106 The Black Experience in the Americas (3 CR)

AAAS 210 Brazil and Africa: Atlantic Encounters (3 CR)

AAAS 301 Haiti: Culture and Identity (3 CR)

AAAS 302 Contemporary Haiti (3 CR)

AAAS 574 Slavery in the New World (3 CR)

AAAS 565 Gender, Culture, and Migration (3 CR)

AMS 260 America's Latinos/Latinas (3 CR)

AMS 320 Border Patrolled States (3 CR)

AMS 332 The United States in Global Context (3 CR)

LAA 318 Topics in LAA - Transatlantic and Transnational: _____ (3 CR)

LAA 518 Topics in LAA - Transatlantic and Transnational: _____ (3 CR)

No more than 6 hours may be taken in this group. Students interested in pursuing graduate studies are encouraged to consider taking courses from this group to provide grounding in disciplinary methods and theories applicable to their interests in Latin America and the Caribbean.

AAAS 429 Postcolonial Theatre and Drama (3 CR)

AAAS 510 Global Ethnic and Racial Relations (3 CR)

AAAS 557 Cities and Development (3 CR)

AAAS 560 Race, Gender, and Post-Colonial Discourses (3 CR)

AMS 345 Cultural Studies (3 CR)

AMS 360 Theory and Method (3 CR)

AMS 534 Global Ethnic and Racial Relations (3 CR)

AMS 565 Gender, Culture, and Migration (3 CR)

ANTH 304 Fundamentals of Physical Anthropology (3-4 CR)

ANTH 308 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology (3-4 CR)

ANTH 310 Introduction to Archaeology (3-4 CR)

ANTH 320 Language in Culture and Society (3 CR)

ANTH 321 Language in Culture and Society, Honors (3 CR)

ANTH 367 Introduction to Economic Anthropology (3 CR)

ANTH 389 The Anthropology of Gender: Female, Male, and Beyond (3 CR)

ANTH 418 Summer Archaeological Field Work (1-8 CR)

ANTH 419 Training in Archaeological Field Work (1-6 CR)

ANTH 430 Linguistics in Anthropology (3 CR)

ANTH 442 Anthropological Genetics (3 CR)

ANTH 460 Theory in Anthropology (3 CR)

ANTH 462 Field Methods in Cultural Anthropology (3 CR)

ANTH 580 Feminism and Anthropology (3 CR)

ANTH 583 Love, Sex, and Globalization (3 CR)

ANTH 582 Ethnobotany (3 CR)

ECON 510 Energy Economics (3 CR)

ECON 515 Income Distribution and Inequality (3 CR)

ECON 516 Income Distribution and Inequality, Honors (3 CR)

ECON 520 Microeconomics (3 CR)

ECON 521 Microeconomics Honors (3 CR)

ECON 522 Macroeconomics (3 CR)

ECON 523 Macroeconomics Honors (3 CR)

ECON 526 Introduction to Econometrics (3 CR)

ECON 550 Environmental Economics (3 CR)

ENGL 308 Introduction to Literary Criticism and Theory (3 CR)

ENGL 508 Contemporary Literary Theory (3 CR)

EVRN 304 Environmental Conservation (3 CR)

EVRN 335 Introduction to Soil Geography (4 CR)

EVRN 336 Ethics, Ideas and Nature (3 CR)

EVRN 371 Environmental Geopolitics (3 CR)

EVRN 385 Environmental Sociology (3 CR)

EVRN 410 Environmental Applications of Geographic Information Systems (3 CR)

EVRN 412 Ecology: Fundamentals and Applications (3 CR)

EVRN 414 Principles of Ecology (3 CR)

EVRN 460 Field Ecology (3 CR)

EVRN 542 Ethnobotany (3 CR)

EVRN 550 Environmental Economics (3 CR)

FMS 376 Cinematography (3 CR)

FMS 411 Television Studies (3 CR)

FMS 412 Cyberculture Studies (3 CR)

FMS 530 Classical Film/Media Theory (3 CR)

FMS 531 Contemporary Concepts in Media Studies (3 CR)

GEOG 210 Computers, Maps, and Geographical Analysis (3 CR)

GEOG 304 Environmental Conservation (3 CR)

GEOG 311 Introductory Cartography and Geovisualization (4 CR)

GEOG 316 Methods of Analyzing Geographical Data (4 CR)

GEOG 335 Introduction to Soil Geography (4 CR)

GEOG 336 Introduction to Environmental Hydrology and Water Resources (3 CR)

GEOG 352 Economic Geography (3 CR)

GEOG 354 Globalization (3 CR)

GEOG 358 Principles of Geographic Information Systems (4 CR)

GEOG 360 Computer Programming for Mapping and Spatial Analysis (3 CR)

GEOG 370 Introduction to Cultural Geography (3 CR)

GEOG 371 Environmental Geopolitics (3 CR)

GEOG 373 Political Geography (3 CR)

GEOG 377 Urban Geography (3 CR)

GEOG 513 Cartographic Design (3 CR)

GEOG 514 Visualizing Spatial Data (4 CR)

HIST 301 The Historian's Craft (3 CR)

HIST 302 The Historian's Craft, Honors (3 CR)

HIST 324 History of Women and the Body (3 CR)

HIST 336 Ethics, Ideas, and Nature (3 CR)

HIST 337 History, Ethics, Modernity (3 CR)

LAA 319 Topics in LAA - Methodology and Theory: _____ (3 CR)

LAA 519 Topics in LAA - Methodology and Theory: _____ (3 CR)

POLS 301 Introduction to Political Theory (3 CR)

POLS 302 Introduction to Political Theory, Honors (3 CR)

POLS 306 Political Science Methods of Inquiry (3 CR)

POLS 520 Political Communication (3 CR)

POLS 562 Women and Politics (3 CR)

POLS 600 Contemporary Feminist Political Theory (3 CR)

POLS 603 Democratic Theory (3 CR)

POLS 604 Religion and Political Theory (3 CR)

POLS 607 Modern Political Theory (3 CR)

POLS 608 Social Choice and Game Theory (3 CR)

POLS 658 Theories of Politics in Latin America (3 CR)

PORT 340 Textual Analysis and Critical Reading (3 CR)

SOC 304 Principles of Sociology (3 CR)

SOC 310 Introduction to Social Research (3 CR)

SOC 341 Urban Sociology (3 CR)

SOC 385 Environmental Sociology (3 CR)

SOC 500 Sociological Theory (3 CR)

SOC 534 Global Ethnic and Racial Relations (3 CR)

SPAN 340 Textual Analysis and Critical Reading (3 CR)

WGSS 324 History of Women and the Body (3 CR)

WGSS 381 Feminism and Philosophy (3 CR)

WGSS 389 The Anthropology of Gender: Female, Male, and Beyond (3 CR)

WGSS 468 Psychology of Women (3 CR)

WGSS 549 History of Feminist Theory (3 CR)

WGSS 560 Race, Gender, and Post-Colonial Discourses (3 CR)

WGSS 565 Gender, Culture, and Migration (3 CR)

WGSS 570 Men and Masculinities (3 CR)

WGSS 575 Body, Self and Society (3 CR)

WGSS 580 Feminism and Anthropology (3 CR)

WGSS 583 Love, Sex, and Globalization (3 CR)

WGSS 600 Contemporary Feminist Political Theory (3 CR)


Requirements for the M.A. Degree 

Please go to CLACS Courses to view a complete listing of graduate courses. The course list is updated every semester prior to enrollment.

In addition to the 12 credit hours of graduate coursework taken while an undergraduate, students must complete an additional 18 credit hours of graduate coursework, for a total of 30 hours of graduate credit. In the final year of graduate study, students in the Accelerated program will complete the following master’s degree requirements:

15 credit hours (at least two courses per semester) with 50% Latin American / Caribbean content at the 700 level or above. LAA 701 is strongly recommended. Whether taken while still completing the undergraduate degree or during the final year of graduate study, area content courses must:

  • Be drawn from at least two separate disciplines AND
  • Include a “specialization cluster” of at least 9 hours designed to prepare the student for the thesis / comparative research paper.  The specialization cluster may be in a topic / issue, in a geographical area, in a particular discipline, etc., and is designed in consultation with the student’s advisor and approved by the Director of Graduate Studies.

LAA 899 Research Hours (3 CR)

M.A. candidates must demonstrate comprehensive proficiency in Spanish or Portuguese. This includes aural, speaking, reading, and writing ability. Completion of SPAN 424 and SPAN 428 or a higher-level course conducted in Spanish (or with significant readings in Spanish) constitutes comprehensive proficiency in Spanish. Comprehensive proficiency in Portuguese requires completion of a 500-level or higher literature course. The language requirements should be satisfied as early as possible. Students also must complete two semesters in a second language.


Progression Requirements

Given the accelerated nature of this program, each student’s progress will be closely monitored at various points during the program:

  1. Once approved to begin graduate coursework in the Junior year, the student will meet with the LA&CS Academic Director of Graduate Studies and the Undergraduate Advisor for Global and International Studies to plan the final year of undergraduate study.
  2. In the final semester of undergraduate study, the Director of Graduate Studies will review the student’s performance in all graduate LA&CS coursework. The student must earn a B or better in each of these courses to be eligible for regular graduate admission.  
  3. Following completion and award of the undergraduate degree, the admitted student will again meet with the Director of Graduate Studies to review the courses taken in the final year of undergraduate study and review/update the course plan for the final year of graduate study. The student’s performance in the final semester of graduate courses taken as an undergraduate will be evaluated.  
  4. The student will not be permitted to enroll in additional courses for graduate credit toward the LA&CS MA degree until the baccalaureate degree has been conferred.