Bachelor of Arts (BA) Degree with a Major in Latin American and Latinx Studies
Program Learning Outcomes for the BA Degree with a Major in Latin American and Latinx Studies
Upon completing the BA degree, students majoring in Latin American and Latinx Studies will be able to:
- Demonstrate the ability to speak and read fluently, and conduct research in a foreign language.
- Interpret the historic, cultural, and political dynamics that comprise a specific region selected by the student for in-depth study.
- Apply critical perspectives on legacies and ongoing forces that are local and global in scope from the field of Latin American Studies.
- Define a research problem and analyze it from several different disciplinary fields, including appropriate theory, methodology, and concepts for the topic.
Requirements for the BA Degree with a Major in Latin American and Latinx Studies
For general university requirements, see Graduation Requirements. Students pursuing the BA degree with a major in Latin American and Latinx Studies must complete:
- A minimum of 10 courses (30 credit hours) to satisfy major requirements.
- A minimum of 120 credit hours to satisfy degree requirements.
- A minimum of 6 courses (18 credit hours) taken at the 300-level or above.
- A maximum of 4 courses (12 credit hours) from study abroad or transfer credit. For additional departmental guidelines regarding transfer credit, see the Policies tab.
- Demonstration of advanced language proficiency in Spanish, Portuguese, French, or an indigenous language spoken in Latin America.
The courses listed below satisfy the requirements for this major. In certain instances, courses not on this official list may be substituted upon approval of the major’s academic advisor or, where applicable, the department's Director of Undergraduate Studies. (Course substitutions must be formally applied and entered into Degree Works by the major's Official Certifier.) Students and their academic advisors should identify and clearly document the courses to be taken.
Summary
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Total Credit Hours Required for the Major in Latin American and Latinx Studies | 30 | |
| Total Credit Hours Required for the BA Degree with a Major in Latin American and Latinx Studies | 120 | |
Degree Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Requirement | ||
| LALX 158 / SPAN 158 | INTRODUCTION TO LATIN AMERICAN STUDIES 1 | 3 |
| Elective Requirements | ||
| Select 9 courses as Electives from department approved electives (see course list below) 2 | 27 | |
Select at least 2 courses from course offerings in the School of Humanities | ||
Select at least 2 courses from course offerings in the School of Social Sciences | ||
| Advanced Language Proficiency | ||
| Students must demonstrate advanced language proficiency in Spanish, Portuguese, French, or an indigenous language spoken in Latin America. 3 | ||
| Total Credit Hours Required for the Major in Latin American and Latinx Studies | 30 | |
| Additional Credit Hours to Complete Degree Requirements * | 59 | |
| University Graduation Requirements * | 31 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 120 | |
Footnotes and Additional Information
| * | Note: University Graduation Requirements include 31 credit hours, comprised of Distribution Requirements (Groups I, II, and III), FWIS, and LPAP coursework. In some instances, courses satisfying FWIS or distribution requirements may additionally meet other requirements, such as the Analyzing Diversity (AD) requirement, or some of the student’s declared major, minor, or certificate requirements. Additional Credit Hours to Complete Degree Requirements include general electives, coursework completed as upper-level, residency (hours taken at Rice), and/or any other additional academic program requirements. |
| 1 | This course both introduces and structures the major. This course is taught in English, with discussion sections available in Spanish or Portuguese pending student interest. |
| 2 | At least 2 courses (6 credit hours) must be in the humanities and at least 2 courses (6 credit hours) must be in the social sciences. |
| 3 | Students must demonstrate advanced language proficiency in Spanish, Portuguese, French, or an indigenous language spoken in Latin America. This proficiency requirement may be demonstrated by coursework taken at the upper-level (300-level or above) or other means. Students are encouraged to consult with a major advisor regarding this point. |
Course List to Satisfy Requirements
Elective Requirements
Students must complete a total of 9 courses (27 credit hours) from the following department approved electives, which will focus on a specific region, area, or country in Latin America. This area focus will shape each student’s proposed course of study. Each course of study and an area focus must be approved by the advisor to the major. At least 2 courses (6 credit hours) must be in the humanities and at least 2 courses (6 credit hours) must be in the social sciences. EDUC 304 may be substituted for either 1 of the Department Approved Electives - School of Humanities courses or 1 of the Department Approved Electives - School of Social Sciences courses.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Department Approved Electives - School of Humanities | ||
| ARTS 240 | BLACK LATINX IN REGGAETON & HIP-HOP: BLACKNESS, FEMINISMS, AND PERFORMANCE | 3 |
| EDUC 304 | RACE, CLASS, GENDER IN EDUCATION | 3 |
| ENGL 369 / SWGS 329 | THE AMERICAN WEST AND ITS OTHERS | 3 |
| ENGL 371 / SPAN 396 / SWGS 354 | CHICANO/A LITERATURE | 3 |
| ENST 301 | ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE | 3 |
| ENST 311 | TOPICS IN ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE | 3 |
| FREN 313 | THE FRANCOPHONE WORLD | 3 |
| FREN 433 | FRENCH CARIBBEAN ECOCRITICISM | 3 |
| FREN 478 / ARCR 478 | THE FRENCH CARIBBEAN | 3 |
| HART 265 | A VISUAL CULTURE TRAVELOGUE: ART AND POLITICS IN MODERN LATIN AMERICA | 3 |
| HART 302 | FROM THE SUBLIME TO THE SUSTAINABLE: ART, ARCHITECTURE AND NATURE | 3 |
| HART 315 | ART AND ACTIVISM: CREATIVE PROTESTS IN THE 20TH CENTURY AMERICAS | 3 |
| HART 375 / ARCH 375 | LATIN-EUROPE/LATIN-AMERICA: THE AESTHETICS AND POLITICS OF MODERN CITIES | 3 |
| HIST 176 | MEXICO: AN INTRODUCTION | 3 |
| HIST 188 | THE ATLANTIC WORLD: ORIGINS TO THE AGE OF REVOLUTION | 3 |
| HIST 215 | BLACKS IN THE AMERICAS | 3 |
| HIST 220 | MEXICO: 1910 TO PRESENT | 3 |
| HIST 221 | UNITED STATES AND LATIN AMERICAN RELATIONS | 3 |
| HIST 227 | LATIN AMERICAN CULTURAL TRADITIONS | 3 |
| HIST 228 | MODERN LATIN AMERICA | 3 |
| HIST 239 | NATIVE AMERICAN HISTORY: FROM EUROPEAN CONTACT TO THE ERA OF REMOVAL | 3 |
| HIST 312 | ENVIRONMENT, MEDICINE AND PUBLIC HEALTH IN LATIN AMERICA | 3 |
| HIST 328 | POVERTY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE IN LATIN AMERICA | 3 |
| HIST 330 | ATLANTIC SLAVE TRADE AND THE ORIGINS OF AFRO AMERICA | 3 |
| HIST 331 | THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT OF THE CUBAN REVOLUTION | 3 |
| HIST 366 / ARCH 366 | RIO DE JANEIRO: A SOCIAL AND ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY | 3 |
| HIST 420 | MEXICAN HISTORY | 3 |
| HIST 421 | RACE, EDUCATION AND SOCIETY IN THE URBAN SOUTH | 3 |
| HIST 429 | BORDERLANDS HISTORY | 3 |
| HIST 478 | TOPICS IN LATIN AMERICAN HISTORY | 3 |
| LALX 238 | SPECIAL TOPICS | 1-4 |
| LALX 251 / HIST 251 | CONTINUITIES AND CHANGES IN BRAZILIAN HISTORY | 3 |
| LALX 330 | SUBVERSIVE STORYTELLING IN LATINX TV & FILM | 3 |
| LALX 332 | WRITING TO HEAL: U.S. LATINE NARRATIVES ON MENTAL HEALTH | 3 |
| LALX 350 | PIRATES, REBELS, NARCOS: LATIN AMERICAN OUTLAWS IN THE POLITICAL-CULTURAL IMAGINATION | 3 |
| LALX 360 | LATINX POETICS: SENSING & (MIS)REPRESENTING LATINX STUDIES | 3 |
| LALX 378 | LATIN AMERICAN POLITICAL THOUGHT: IDENTITY, LIBERATION, MODERNITY | 3 |
| LALX 492 | DIRECTED RESEARCH | 3 |
| PLST 306 | THE RIVER AND THE WALL: LAW OF BORDERS AND MIGRATION | 3 |
| PORT 303 | BRAZIL: LITERATUREA E CULTURA | 3 |
| PORT 331 | BRASIL ATUAL | 3 |
| SPAN 328 | GAZING AT DISASTER: VISUAL CULTURE AND CATASTROPHE IN LATIN AMERICA | 3 |
| SPAN 333 | CURRENT HEALTHCARE ISSUES IN LATINE COMMUNITIES | 3 |
| SPAN 343 | ART IN LATIN AMERICAN LITERATURE | 3 |
| SPAN 344 | MAPPING LATIN AMERICAN CULTURE | 3 |
| SPAN 356 | RACE, GENDER, CLASS, & ENVIRONMENT IN CENTRAL AMERICAN CULTURES | 3 |
| SPAN 368 | LATIN AMERICAN SHORT FICTION | 3 |
| SPAN 370 | DISABLED BODIES: ILLNESS AND LITERATURE IN LATIN AMERICA | 3 |
| SPAN 373 | TWENTIETH CENTURY MEXICAN NOVEL | 3 |
| SPAN 376 | THE MEXICAN REVOLUTION IN LITERATURE, MUSIC AND VISUAL ARTS | 3 |
| SPAN 383 | SPANISH CREATIVE WRITING | 3 |
| SPAN 384 | LITERATURES FROM THE SOUTHERN CONE | 3 |
| SPAN 390 / SWGS 390 | HISPANIC CINEMA | 3 |
| SPAN 391 | CARIBBEAN LITERATURE | 3 |
| SPAN 392 / FILM 339 / HART 304 | A REVOLUTION FROM WITHIN: TRENDS IN CONTEMPORARY CUBAN CULTURE | 3 |
| SPAN 402 | THE CITY IN LATIN AMERICA | 3 |
| SPAN 403 | LITERATURE AND THE ENVIRONMENT IN LATIN AMERICA | 3 |
| SPAN 405 | LATIN AMERICAN LITERATURE IN THE MOVIES | 3 |
| SPAN 406 | LATIN AMERICAN CINEMA | 3 |
| SPAN 436 | LINGUISTIC AND COGNITIVE CONCEPTUALIZATIONS: TENSE AND ASPECT | 3 |
| SPAN 451 | WITNESSING, TRUTH & TRAUMA: TESTIMONIAL WRITING IN MEXICO & CENTRAL AMERICA | 3 |
| SPAN 453 | BORDER NARRATIVES | 3 |
| SPAN 456 / SWGS 466 | LATIN AMERICAN WOMEN'S CULTURE | 3 |
| SPAN 491 | DIRECTED RESEARCH | 3 |
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Department Approved Electives - School of Social Sciences | ||
| ANTH 290 | HISTORY AND ETHNOGRAPHY | 3 |
| ANTH 361 | LATIN AMERICAN TOPICS | 3 |
| ANTH 392 | KINGS, QUEENS, AND COMMONERS: THE ARCHAEOLOGY OF ANCIENT MESOAMERICA | 3 |
| ANTH 394 | THE ARCHAEOLOGY OF SLAVERY AND THE AFRICAN DIASPORA | 3 |
| EDUC 304 | RACE, CLASS, GENDER IN EDUCATION | 3 |
| LING 419 | MULTILINGUALISM | 3 |
| POLI 328 | LATINO POLITICS IN THE UNITED STATES | 3 |
| POLI 330 | RACE, ETHNICITY, AND POLITICS IN AMERICA | 3 |
| POLI 352 | THE POLITICS AND CULTURE OF MEXICO | 3 |
| POLI 354 | LATIN AMERICAN POLITICS | 3 |
| POLI 450 | ELECTIONS IN THE AMERICAS | 3 |
| POLI 459 | SEX, GENDER, AND POLITICAL REPRESENTATION IN LATIN AMERICA | 3 |
| SOCI 301 | SOCIAL INEQUALITY | 3 |
| SOCI 309 | RACE AND ETHNIC RELATIONS | 3 |
| SOCI 340 | SOCIOLOGY OF IMMIGRATION | 3 |
Policies for the BA Degree with a Major in Latin American and Latinx Studies
Transfer Credit
For Rice University’s policy regarding transfer credit, see Transfer Credit. Some departments and programs have additional restrictions on transfer credit. Requests for transfer credit must be approved for Rice equivalency by the designated transfer credit advisor for the appropriate academic department offering the Rice equivalent course (corresponding to the subject code of the course content). The Office of Academic Advising maintains the university’s official list of transfer credit advisors on their website: https://oaa.rice.edu. Students are encouraged to meet with the applicable transfer credit advisor as well as their academic program director when considering transfer credit possibilities.
Program Transfer Credit Guidelines
Students pursuing the major in Latin American and Latinx Studies should be aware of the following program-specific transfer credit guideline:
- No more than 4 courses (12 credit hours) of transfer credit from U.S. or international universities of similar standing as Rice may apply towards the major.
Distribution Credit Information
The determination of distribution credit eligibility is done initially as part of the new course creation process. Additionally, as part of an annual roll call coordinated each Spring by the Office of the Registrar, course distribution credit eligibility is routinely reviewed and reaffirmed by the Dean’s Offices of each of the academic schools.
Faculty and leadership in the academic schools are responsible for ensuring that the courses identified as distribution-credit-eligible meet the criteria as set in the General Announcements. Students are responsible for ensuring that they meet graduation requirements by completing coursework designated as distribution-credit-eligible at the time of course registration.
Distribution courses from the Department of Modern and Classical Literatures and Cultures are broad in theme and scope and provide students with a substantial inquiry into literature, art, media, history, thought, and/or politics, including specific national traditions, linguistic contexts, and historical periods. Such courses involve a broad and often interdisciplinary spectrum of knowledge, providing students with the tools for thinking critically about the formation of modern culture, its colonial past, and its national and linguistic traditions from antiquity to the present.
Additional Information
For additional information, please see the Modern and Classical Literatures and Cultures website: https://cultures.rice.edu/.
Opportunities for the BA Degree with a Major in Latin American and Latinx Studies
Academic Honors
The university recognizes academic excellence achieved over an undergraduate’s academic history at Rice. For information on university honors, please see Latin Honors (summa cum laude, magna cum laude, and cum laude) and Distinction in Research and Creative Work. Some departments have department-specific Honors awards or designations.
Additional Information
For additional information, please see the Modern and Classical Literatures and Cultures website: https://cultures.rice.edu/.