Bachelor of Arts (BA) Degree with a Major in Latin American Studies
Program Learning Outcomes for the BA Degree with a Major in Latin American Studies
Upon completing the BA degree, students majoring in Latin American 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 Studies
For general university requirements, see Graduation Requirements. Students pursuing the BA degree with a major in Latin American 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.
- At least 1 semester studying abroad.
- A language competency requirement.
- A capstone requirement.
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 Studies | 30 | |
| Total Credit Hours Required for the BA Degree with a Major in Latin American Studies | 120 | |
Degree Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Requirement | ||
| LASR 158 / SPPO 158 | INTRODUCTION TO LATIN AMERICAN STUDIES 1 | 3 |
| Elective Requirements | ||
| Select 8 courses from department approved electives (see course list below) 2 | 24 | |
| Additional Requirements | ||
Study Abroad 3 | ||
Language Competence 4 | ||
| Capstone Requirement | ||
| LASR 491 | LATIN AMERICAN STUDIES CAPSTONE 5 | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours Required for the Major in Latin American 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 major requirements may additionally meet distribution 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 spend at least one semester studying at a Rice-approved, semester-abroad program in which the primary language of instruction is Spanish, Portuguese, or under special circumstances French. Courses taken abroad may count toward completing the Latin American Studies major and toward meeting the distribution requirements. Study abroad courses cannot count for more than 4 courses (12 credit hours) toward the major. While the semester abroad is ideal, under very special circumstances, the advisor to the major can approve a 12-week summer program as the equivalent of a semester, provided the program allows students to complete at least 3 courses (9 credit hours). |
| 4 | Students must demonstrate language competence at three different stages:
|
| 5 | The capstone is completed following the semester abroad. Students will enroll in LASR 491, which is taught by a faculty member from either Humanities or Social Sciences. As directed by this faculty member, students will write a research paper on a Latin American topic of their choice. During the course, students will be exposed to different research methodologies, theories appropriate to their field of study, and instruction on how best to incorporate research and sources that emerged from their study abroad. Interdisciplinary modes of research and writing will be a major feature of LASR 491. Students will be expected to highlight the interdisciplinary nature of their research in their completed paper. In addition, students enrolled in the capstone course will be expected to workshop their writing at different times during the semester. The completed research paper will be evaluated by the faculty member teaching LASR 491 and one other instructor appropriate to the topic. With the approval of the faculty member teaching LASR 491, this research paper may be written in English. |
Course List to Satisfy Requirements
Elective Requirements
Students must complete a total of 8 courses (24 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.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Department Approved Electives | ||
| Select 8 courses from the following: | 24 | |
| HISTORY AND ETHNOGRAPHY | ||
| LATIN AMERICAN TOPICS | ||
| KINGS, QUEENS, AND COMMONERS: THE ARCHAEOLOGY OF ANCIENT MESOAMERICA | ||
| THE ARCHAEOLOGY OF SLAVERY AND THE AFRICAN DIASPORA | ||
| BRAZIL BUILT: THE CLINIC, THE TROPICAL, AND THE AESTHETIC | ||
| SEMINAR IN ARCHITECTURE | ||
| PRACTICING UTOPIA: ARCHITECTURE, EUGENICS AND THE MODERN LATIN CITY | ||
| RACE, CLASS, GENDER IN EDUCATION | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO NATIVE AMERICAN LITERATURE | ||
| THE AMERICAN WEST AND ITS OTHERS | ||
| CHICANO/A LITERATURE | ||
| ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE | ||
| MAJOR LITERARY WORKS AND ARTIFACTS OF THE FRANCOPHONE WORLD | ||
| FRENCH CARIBBEAN ECOCRITICISM | ||
| THE CARIBBEAN IN FRENCH | ||
| A VISUAL CULTURE TRAVELOGUE: ART AND POLITICS IN MODERN LATIN AMERICA | ||
| FROM THE SUBLIME TO THE SUSTAINABLE: ART, ARCHITECTURE AND NATURE | ||
| ART AND ACTIVISM: CREATIVE PROTESTS IN THE 20TH CENTURY AMERICAS | ||
| LATIN-EUROPE/LATIN-AMERICA: THE AESTHETICS AND POLITICS OF MODERN CITIES | ||
| LATIN AMERICAN BODIES: ON MODERNISM | ||
| MEXICO: AN INTRODUCTION | ||
| THE ATLANTIC WORLD: ORIGINS TO THE AGE OF REVOLUTION | ||
| BLACKS IN THE AMERICAS | ||
| MEXICO: 1910 TO PRESENT | ||
| COLONIAL SPANISH AMERICA | ||
| LATIN AMERICAN CULTURAL TRADITIONS | ||
| MODERN LATIN AMERICA | ||
| NATIVE AMERICAN HISTORY: FROM EUROPEAN CONTACT TO THE ERA OF REMOVAL | ||
| POVERTY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE IN LATIN AMERICA | ||
| ATLANTIC SLAVE TRADE AND THE ORIGINS OF AFRO AMERICA | ||
| THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT OF THE CUBAN REVOLUTION | ||
| LATIN AMERICAN PERSPECTIVES | ||
| RIO DE JANEIRO: A SOCIAL AND ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY | ||
| MEXICAN HISTORY | ||
| RACE, EDUCATION AND SOCIETY IN THE URBAN SOUTH | ||
| TOPICS IN LATIN AMERICAN HISTORY | ||
| CONTINUITIES AND CHANGES IN BRAZILIAN HISTORY | ||
| PIRATES, REBELS, NARCOS: LATIN AMERICAN OUTLAWS IN THE POLITICAL-CULTURAL IMAGINATION | ||
| LATIN AMERICAN POLITICAL THOUGHT: IDENTITY, LIBERATION, MODERNITY | ||
| DIRECTED RESEARCH | ||
| MULTILINGUALISM | ||
| LATINO POLITICS IN THE UNITED STATES | ||
| MINORITY POLITICS | ||
| THE POLITICS AND CULTURE OF MEXICO | ||
| LATIN AMERICAN POLITICS | ||
| ELECTIONS IN THE AMERICAS | ||
| SEX, GENDER, AND POLITICAL REPRESENTATION IN LATIN AMERICA | ||
| SOCIAL INEQUALITY | ||
| RACE AND ETHNIC RELATIONS | ||
| SOCIOLOGY OF IMMIGRATION | ||
| MAPPING LATIN AMERICAN CULTURE | ||
| ART IN LATIN AMERICAN LITERATURE | ||
| LITERATURES FROM THE SOUTHERN CONE | ||
| CARIBBEAN LITERATURE | ||
| RACE, GENDER, CLASS, & ENVIRONMENT IN CENTRAL AMERICAN CULTURES | ||
| SPANISH CREATIVE WRITING | ||
| LATIN AMERICAN SHORT FICTION | ||
| DISABLED BODIES: ILLNESS AND LITERATURE IN LATIN AMERICA | ||
| THE MEXICAN REVOLUTION IN LITERATURE, MUSIC AND VISUAL ARTS | ||
| A REVOLUTION FROM WITHIN: TRENDS IN CONTEMPORARY CUBAN CULTURE | ||
| TRENDS IN HISPANIC CINEMA | ||
| THE CITY IN LATIN AMERICA | ||
| LITERATURE AND THE ENVIRONMENT IN LATIN AMERICA | ||
| BOOM-BOOM-CRACK: LATIN AMERICAN NOVEL | ||
| BORDER NARRATIVES | ||
| LATIN AMERICAN LITERATURE IN THE MOVIES | ||
| LATIN AMERICAN CINEMA | ||
| LATIN AMERICAN WOMEN'S CULTURE | ||
| TWENTIETH CENTURY MEXICAN NOVEL | ||
| WITNESSING, TRUTH & TRAUMA: TESTIMONIAL WRITING IN MEXICO & CENTRAL AMERICA | ||
| DIRECTED RESEARCH | ||
Policies for the BA Degree with a Major in Latin American Studies
Transfer Credit
For Rice University’s policy regarding transfer credit, see Transfer Credit. Some departments and programs have additional restrictions on transfer credit. 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 their academic program’s transfer credit advisor when considering transfer credit possibilities.
Program Transfer Credit Guidelines
Students pursuing the major in Latin American Studies should be aware of the following program-specific transfer credit guidelines:
- 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.
- Requests for transfer credit will be considered by the program director (and/or the program’s official transfer credit advisor) on an individual case-by-case basis.
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 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/
See https://humanities.rice.edu/student-life for tables of fellowships, prizes, and internships/practica that may be relevant to this major.