• Program of Concentration in Latin American Studies
• Latin American Studies 4 + 1 M.A. Program
• Honors Program
• Minor in Latin American Studies

Program of Concentration in Latin American Studies

For more than fifty years Vanderbilt has shown a concern for and commitment to Latin American Studies, becoming one of the first U.S. universities to establish a program of research and teaching in Latin American area studies. Dedicated to excellence in teaching, research, and community outreach, Vanderbilt’s Center for Latin American Studies promotes greater understanding of the region’s history, culture, political economy and social organization. The Center draws upon renowned Vanderbilt faculty from the Departments of Anthropology, Economics, Art and Art History, History, Political Science, Sociology, and Spanish and Portuguese as well as faculty from our education, music, and medical schools. It fosters a lively research community on campus by sponsoring colloquia, conferences, films, and a speakers series that brings distinguished scholars, government and business leaders, and social activists to campus.

The Center’s special strengths lie in Mesoamerican anthropology and archaeology; the history, politics, languages, and literatures of Brazil; Iberian and Spanish-American literature and languages; comparative political systems; and Caribbean Studies. Members of our faculty conduct research and publish on most countries in Latin America.

For undergraduates, the Center offers a broad-based, interdisciplinary education through its major and minor programs in Latin American Studies. The program encourages students to study abroad in Latin American countries and Spain. An honors program is available.

Latin American Studies Brochure.pdf

The major in Latin American Studies consists of 36 hours plus a language requirement. 

Core Courses	6 hours
Distribution Requirements	12 hours
Area of Concentration	12 hours
CLAIS Electives	6 hours
Language Requirement	demonstrated proficiency

Note: No course may be counted twice in calculating the 36 hours. Only three hours may be counted towards a double major.  Normally, no more than six hours of work in a 100-level courses may be counted towards the major.


1. Language Requirement
A student must acquire advanced knowledge of one Latin American language and an intermediate knowledge in another Latin American language. The requirement to acquire advanced knowledge of a Latin American language may be satisfied by completing Spanish 203, or any course with a higher number taught in Spanish, or Portuguese 202, or any course with a higher number taught in Portuguese. The requirement to acquire intermediate knowledge of another Latin American language may be satisfied by successfully completing Spanish 104, Portuguese 200, Anthropology 269, or Anthropology 276. Individual standardized testing may also be used to demonstrate knowledge.

Why Learn Portuguese.pdf

2. Core Area Requirement
Students are required to complete 6 hours of core area courses, consisting of the following:

LAS 201 Introduction to Latin America
LAS 290 Interdisciplinary Research Methods

3. Area of Concentration Requirement
(12 hours from one of the following areas; special topics and independent study courses must be approved for sufficient LAS content by major advisor):

• History: 258, Rise of the Iberian Atlantic Empires, 1492-1700; 259, Decline of the Iberian Atlantic Empires, 1700-1820; 261, Colonial Mexico; 262, Modern Mexico; 263, Southern South America since 1800; 264, Brazilian Civilization; 265, Central America: From Conquest to Revolution; 266, Reform and Revolution in Latin America; 294, Selected Topics in History; 295, Undergraduate Seminar in History; 296, Independent SHistory; 296, Independent Study in History.
• Language, Literature, and Fine Arts: SPANISH: 203, Introduction to Spanish and Spanish American Literature; 213, Translation and Interpretation; 221, Spanish Civilization; 223, Spanish American Civilization; 230, Development of Lyric Poetry; 231, The Origins of Spanish Literature; 232, Literature of the Spanish Golden Age; 233, Modern Spanish Literature; 234, Contemporary Spanish Literature; 235, Spanish American Literature; 236, Contemporary Literature of Spanish America; 237, Contemporary Lyric Poetry; 239, Development of the Novel; 240, The Contemporary Novel; 244, Afro-Hispanic Literature; 246, Don Quixote; 251, Development of Drama; 252, Contemporary Drama; 260, Development of the Short Story; 289, Independent Study; 294, Special Topics in Hispanic Literature and Culture. PORTUGUESE: 223, Culture and Civilization of the Portuguese-Speaking World; 232, Brazilian Literature Through the Nineteenth Century; 289, Independent Study; 293, Contemporary Latin American Prose Fiction in English Translation (same as Span 293); 294, Special Topics in Portuguese and Brazilian Literature or Civilization in English Translation. FINE ARTS: 234, Twentieth-Century Mexican Literature, Film, and Art; 245, Art of Pre-Columbian America; 256, Art of the Maya; 257, Mesoamerican Art; 289, Independent Research; 294, Selected Topics.
• Social Sciences: ANTHROPOLOGY 210, Peoples and Cultures of Latin America; 212, Ancient Mesoamerican Civilizations; 213, The Archaeology of the Ancient Maya Civilization; 220, Peoples and Cultures of Mexico; 224, Political Anthropology: Crosscultural Studies in Conflict and Power; 226, Myth, Ritual, Belief: The Anthropology of Religion; 245, Art of Pre-Columbian America; 247, The Aztecs; 248, Ancient Empires and Civilizations of South America; 249, Indians of South America; 250, Shamanism and Spiritual Curing; 253, Ancient Civilizations of Mexico; 254, The Inca Empire; 288, Independent Research; 294, Special Topics. ECONOMICS: 222, Latin American Economic Development; 288, Development Economics; Problems of Development; 291a-291b, Independent Study in Economics. Students who successfully complete an Economics course on this list numbered 260 or higher may also receive Area of Concentration credit for successfully completing Economics 231 or 232. POLITICAL SCIENCE: 215, Change in Developing Countries; 217, Latin American Politics; 218, Social Reform and Revolution; 228, International Politics of Latin America; 287-288, Seminars in Selected Topics; 289a-289b, Independent Research. SOCIOLOGY: 277, Contemporary Latin America; 291, The Structure of Modern Spanish Society (offered in Madrid); 294, Seminars in Selected Topics; 299, Independent Research and Writing.

4.  Electives
(6 hours).  Any two classes listed above (or others approved by the major advisor). 

Latin American Studies 4 + 1 M.A. Program

Requirements for admission to the program:

- Must have an undergraduate major in LAS (or in exceptional cases a closely related field with sufficient LAS content)

- Must have taken LAS 201 and LAS 290 during undergraduate years

- Must apply in the student’s junior year

Requirements beyond those for the B.A. to receive the 4 + 1 M.A.:

1. Students must write a M.A. thesis (the non-thesis option is not available for 4 +1 students).
2. Students must complete 18 hours of formal LAS coursework, the distribution of which will be established by the graduate advisor in consultation with the student.
3. No independent study hours are allowed (except for thesis hours).
4. Students must complete 9 hours of work during the summer after their senior year; we encourage students to take 6 hours of thesis research and 3 hours of formal coursework (although all 9 hours may be used for thesis work).
5. Students must submit a completed thesis for defense and final approval by late March for May graduation.

Students considering the 4 + 1 program should consult with their LAS advisor as early as possible and make formal application to the program by the end of their junior year.  An application consists of a letter of intent, a copy of college transcripts, and the names of two Vanderbilt faculty who could be consulted as references.  Decisions on admission to the program will be decided by the Center’s Executive Committee.

Honors Program

An Honors Program is available, acceptance into which must be approved by the Center faculty. Students must have a minimum 3.0 general GPA and a 3.3 GPA in Latin American Studies courses to be accepted into the program. The Honors Program requires the writing of an Honors Thesis and passing an oral Honors Examination. Interested students should consult their academic advisor during their junior year.

Minor in Latin American Studies

The Center for Latin American Studies also offers a minor in Latin American Studies. Students must complete 15 hours or approved courses with Latin American content including Latin American Studies 201. In addition, students must demonstrate intermediate knowledge of one Latin American language by successfully completing Spanish 104, Portuguese 200, Anthropology 269, or Anthropology 276. Courses taken to satisfy the language requirement may not be counted toward the 15 hours of core courses. Individual standardized testing may also be used to demonstrate knowledge.