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2026-2027 Catalog
Latin American, Latinx, and Caribbean Studies
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 Return to: Academic Fields
Professors: Maiz-Peña (Hispanic Studies), Mangan (History and Latin American Studies), Peña (Hispanic Studies), Samson (Anthropology), Willis (Hispanic Studies and Latin American Studies)
Associate Professors: Botelho (Latin American Studies), Boyer (Hispanic Studies), González (Hispanic Studies)
Associate Professor of Practice: B. Crandall (Political Science)
Assistant Professors: Castañeda (Latin American Studies), Cornejo Casares (Latin American Studies)
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Major Requirements (A.B. Degree)
I. At least 9 courses in the following areas are required. A. Both of the following core courses: B. Methods OR - Two methods courses from different disciplines, with examples listed below. Please consult with the LAS Chair if you are interested in applying a method not covered below to your work in LAS, as they can approve courses to count for this, on a case-by-case basis.
C. Electives - Five Electives from the list of Electives below. Please consult with the LAS Chair or your LAS Major advisor if a course does not appear on this list but you see it as positively informing your attainment of the LAS Major Learning Outcomes.
(Those students taking two methods courses from different departments in lieu of LAS 303 to fulfill their Methods requirement can also count one methods course from the list of Methods courses from non-LAS departments as one of their five electives). D. Capstone - LAS 490 Capstone or Independent Study Capstone
- When LAS 490 does not meet the enrollment requirement of 4 students, LAS majors will take an independent study to complete the capstone requirement
II. Experienctial learning requirement.
A four-week minimum experiential or community-based learning experience that is international or Latinx-focused within the U.S., or study abroad in Latin America or the Caribbean.
A. Students should seek approval from the LAS Chair to fulfill this requirement. Examples include, but are not limited to: - Taking a CCE XL XPL 199 internship class related to LAS;
- Having an internship with a Latinx or Latin-American-focused organization, or otherwise related to work in LAS, that is four weeks or longer; 4
- Conducting a Dean Rusk-funded or other international learning experience in a Latin American or Caribbean country that is four weeks or longer;
- Spending a full semester or year abroad in a Latin American or Caribbean country.
III. Language requirement
Satisfaction of the LAS major language requirement by attaining intermediate proficiency in Spanish, which includes taking both SPA 260 and either SPA 271 or 272, or the equivalent as approved by the LAS Chair.
A. French or Portuguese can also count, if students are interested in Brazilian or Caribbean contexts. Please email the LAS Chair to set up a meeting to get French or Portuguese approved to count toward the major language requirement, via SILP, placement test, or taking FRE 205 at Davidson. The Chair can also approve indigenous languages to fulfill the major requirement, when intermediate proficiency can be demonstrated. Notes
- Up to two courses counting toward a second major or interdisciplinary minor may simultaneously count toward the LAS major with the permission of the other department 5
- chair; one course may double count toward the LAS minor and another major or minor with the approval of the other department chair.
- One independent study can be included among the five electives for the major, as approved by the LAS chair, in addition to an independent study for the capstone, or in addition to two independent studies for Honors in the major. Likewise, one independent study can count toward the minor, with approval from the LAS Chair.
- Normally, a maximum of three ungraded courses may come from another institution for the major or minor. The LAS Chair may approve a greater number of ungraded courses to count toward the major or minor under circumstances such as a rigorous year-long study abroad in Latin America or a domestic program focused on Latino/x culture.
- Please consult with the LAS Chair or your LAS Major advisor if a course does not appear on the list of LAS electives but you see it as positively informing your attainment of the LAS Learning Outcomes.
Interdisciplinary Minor in Latin American Studies
The Latin American Studies interdisciplinary minor is open to students majoring in any department or program who wish to study the region of Latin American in-depth from the combined perspectives of the humanities and social sciences. Students may earn an interdisciplinary minor by completing a total of six approved courses drawn from at least three different academic departments and meeting a language requirement. The list of approved courses is subject to change, based on course offerings in a given year from the various departments participating in the program. 3) Four elective courses from the remaining introductory courses and the following list:
ANT 227 Environmental Justice in Latin America
ANT 251 Mesoamerican Civilizations
ANT 321 Borderlands, Identity, and Rights
ANT 323 Human Rights in Latin America ANT 327 Religious Pluralism in Latin America
ANT 354 Art and Writing of the Ancient Maya
ART 106Latin American Art
ECO 234 Latin American Economic Development
EDU 350 Latino/a Education in US
HIS 264 Latin American History
HIS 259 US Latino/a History
HIS 364 Race, Sex, Power in Latin America HIS 462 - Public Health and Society in Latin America
HIS 465 Colonialism and Imagination in Early Latin America
HIS 466 Migrations and Immigration in Latin America LAS 120 Afro-Latin America (= AFR 120)
LAS 220 Politics and Economics of Brazil (= POL 344)
LAS 222 The Political Economy of the Southern Cone (=POL 354) LAS 230 History of the Caribbean: Race, Nation, and Politics (=AFR 230) LAS 235 The Cuban Revolution (AFR 235 and HIS 362)
LAS 240 LAS 240 - Introduction to Latinx Studies LAS 300 Major Thinkers in Africana Studies: Afro-Cuban Feminisms (=AFR 300)
LAS 342 The Latin American City: Historical Narratives & Cultural Representations (= SPA 342) LAS 395 Independent Study in Latin American Studies
MUS 241 Music of Latin America (=MUS 341)
MUS 246 Music of Brazil (=MUS 346) POL 353 The Latin American Political Novel
POL 361 U.S.-Latin American Relations SPA 241 Latin American Literature in Translation SPA 244 U.S. Latino Literature in English
SPA 340 Latin American Literature I
SPA 331 Writing Amerindian Americas
SPA 343 Lat American New Weird Writing
SPA 371 Latinx Culture in the US: Race, Gender, Sexuality SPA 346 Latin American Theatre
SPA 347 Narrative Power Things & Places
SPA 352 Contemporary Latin American Cinema SPA 357 - Las modernas: Spanish Women Writers Coming of Age
SPA 358 “Writing the Amerindian Americas”
SPA 359 Contemporary Latin American/Latino Short Story
SPA 374 Caribbean Peoples, Ideas, and Art
SPA 364 Latin American Women Writers
SPA 401 U.S.- Mex Border Cultures
SPA 403 Latinx American Sexualities
SPA 405 Law, Letters, and Empire
SPA 406 Life-writing, Gender, Performativity
SPA 410 - Writing and Righting the Cuban Revolution
SPA 420 - Life-writing, Performance, and Narrative Textures
* Other SPA courses at the 300 level or above with substantive Latin American content and approval of the LAS chair 4) In addition to the six courses the minor also requires proficiency in either Spanish or Portuguese, equivalent to SPA 260. Students may show proficiency through a placement test.
Notes
- At least four courses must be taken in residence.
- In special instances and in conversation with the LAS Chair, minors may enroll in LAS 490, the Senior Capstone course for majors, as one of their four electives.
- Up to two courses may count toward the student’s major as well as the LAS interdisciplinary minor.
- In consultation with the LAS chair, one independent study course may be approved as an elective.
- All coursework required for the Latin American interdisciplinary minor must be completed with a grade of C or better.
- Courses for the interdisciplinary minor may not be taken pass/fail.
Course Numbering Rationale
The following rationale applies to courses with the prefix LAS. Please note that many courses from other departments count for the LAS major and minor, but are numbered according to the rationale used by the department associated with the prefix; therefore, the rationale below applies only to courses with an LAS prefix. 100-level LAS courses
These courses are broad surveys introducing Latin American, Latinx, and Afro-Latin American studies, with no previous knowledge expected, suitable for first-year and sophomore students, but open to all students seeking to build knowledge in these areas. 100-level courses feature a mix of lecture and discussion and encourage student participation through low-stakes assignments, such as response papers that are graded for completion. Students must demonstrate understanding of the arguments presented in specific readings as well as the content analyzed in class through summative assignments, such as quizzes and exams. In order to allow for vibrant small-group discussion and sharing out with the entire class, these courses are capped at 24.
200-level LAS courses
These courses focus on more specific topics within Latin American, Latinx, and Afro-Latin American studies. These courses do not usually have prerequisites, but students will often find their depth more gratifying if they have either taken a 100-level course in LAS or have taken courses in other departments, at any level, that count toward LAS. Course-work for these courses will include project-based group work, presentations, as well as short writing assignments. Any exams will also be essay-based. Given the focus on more writing-based assessments and the development of presentation skills, these courses are capped at 18.
Special Topics courses in LAS are also taught at the 200-level and will differ in focus from year to year, but will fulfill the same Graduation Requirements (e.g. LAS 252 fulfills SSRQ and JEC while LAS 280 fulfils SSRQ and CULT).
300-Level LAS courses
300-level courses are designed as seminars, with in-depth exploration of an instructor-designated topic in Latin American, Latinx, and Afro-Latin American studies. These seminars achieve some of their learning outcomes primarily through project-based learning, experiential learning, and/or fieldwork. They may have pre-requisites, as determined by the faculty member creating the course. 300-level courses develop scholarly research skills, resulting in student work such as annotated bibliographies, research paper proposals, a podcast, and/or a creative project accompanied by a contextualizing essay. These courses center student participation and discussion alongside collaborative work, may involve fieldwork or other forms of experiential learning, and are capped at 14 students in order to facilitate this learning.
400-Level LAS courses
400-level courses are seminars that center student-led research and have a methods course in LAS or another department as a pre-requisite. Students are guided in designing their own research questions, identifying the appropriate disciplinary or interdisciplinary methodologies for answering them, and selecting a specific format to communicate the results to a broader audience. To facilitate close faculty supervision of interdisciplinary student-led research, these courses are capped at 12 students. |
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