Latin American and Caribbean Studies (BA)

Program Description

The major and minor in Latin American and Caribbean studies allow students to design an interdisciplinary course of study around their interest in the region, drawing on a range of fields including politics, history, literature, anthropology, social and cultural analysis, art history, and more. The College of Arts and Science boasts a distinguished, dynamic faculty in Latin American and Caribbean studies, with leading scholars of the Caribbean, Central America, the Andes, and Latinx studies. The program encourages students to study away at NYU Buenos Aires, where a range of courses has been developed for majors and minors, and equally encourages them to experience New York City as an eminently Latinx metropolis. NYU also boasts rare and innovative programs in the study of Haitian Kreyol and of Quechua. Students benefit from the ample programming and resources of NYU’s Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies (CLACS, as.nyu.edu/clacs) and the vast resources related to the region in the city. The undergraduate major and minor are offered jointly by the Department of Spanish and Portuguese Languages and Literatures and the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies. They are administered by the Department of Spanish and Portuguese Languages and Literatures.

Honors Program

To qualify for the honors program in Latin American and Caribbean Studies, students must maintain at least a 3.65 general average and a 3.65 major average; students should also consult with the director of undergraduate studies in the second semester of their junior year. During their senior year, students register for the Senior Honors Seminar (SPAN-UA 498 Senior Honors Seminar (fall); formerly SPAN-UA 995) in the fall and then enroll in the Honors Thesis Seminar (SPAN-UA 499 ; formerly SPAN-UA 996) the following spring. The honors thesis is an extended research paper written on a topic of the student's choice and directed by a faculty adviser. The two-semester honors seminar sequence covers such areas as choosing a topic, compiling a bibliography, conducting library and web-based research, properly documenting sources, and developing research and writing methods for graduate- or professional-level study. Students give an oral presentation on the honors thesis and its bibliography.

Admissions

New York University's Office of Undergraduate Admissions supports the application process for all undergraduate programs at NYU.  For additional information about undergraduate admissions, including application requirements, see How to Apply. 

Program Requirements

The major requirements (36 credits) must be completed with a grade of C or better. The major allows students to design a course of study drawing on the offerings of the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies and the Department of Spanish and Portuguese, as well as courses in other departments and programs across the University, including anthropology, art history, cinema studies, comparative literature, economics, history, performance studies, politics, sociology, and more. Individual programs of study are planned with and approved by the director of undergraduate studies.

¹

The foreign language requirement is satisfied upon successful completion through the Intermediate level of a language. This may be accomplished in fewer than 16 credits, but those credits must then be completed as elective credit.

²

Pertinent to the study of Latin America and the Caribbean, chosen in consultation with the director of undergraduate studies.

In addition, students are required to demonstrate proficiency in two languages, chosen from: SPAN-UA 50 ; formerly SPAN-UA 100 or SPAN-UA 51 Advanced Spanish for Spanish-Speaking Students, formerly SPAN-UA 111 Literary Translation; Portuguese through the intensive elementary level; and indigenous and diasporic languages (including Quechua, Haitian Kreyol, Nahuatl, and/or Mixtec) through the full elementary level. These language courses (and any more advanced language electives) cannot be applied toward the nine courses required for this major.

Sample Plan of Study

¹

Required language proficiency for the major; does not count toward its requirements.

²

Pertinent to the study of Latin America and the Caribbean, chosen in consultation with the director of undergraduate studies.

Note: Students may choose the "extensive" sequence of SPAN-UA 1, 2, 3, and 4 in lieu of the "intensive" sequence of SPAN-UA 10 and 20, as well as the "extensive" sequence of PORT-UA 1 and 2 in lieu of PORT-UA 10, and graduate with the minimum 128 points.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of program requirements, students are expected to have acquired:

1. Proficiency at the intermediate level or above in Spanish, or beginning proficiency or above in Portuguese, Quechua, Haitian Kreyól, Nahuatl, or Mixtec.
2. A critical understanding of the history, literature, cultures, politics, and social dynamics within Latin America and the Caribbean as well as across its different political and linguistic boundaries.
3. A critical toolkit for examining developments, publications, policies, cultural frameworks, movements, paradigms, and other dynamics in and about Latin America and the Caribbean.
4. A comparative knowledge of the literary and cultural works, as well as the cultural politics, of and in relation to Latin America and the Caribbean.
5. Skills in understanding and applying the key concepts of textual/literary, archival, ethnographic, and/or quantitative research methods used in studying Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as their uses in critical writing, presentations, and research in a manner that critically engages the implications of studying the Global South.
6. Experience in engaging with the diversity of ever-evolving Latin American, US Latina/o/x, and Caribbean diasporic communities in and around New York City.

Policies

Credit-Sharing Policy

Majors may share (double count) two courses with a second major, with permission from the other department/program.

NYU Policies

University-wide policies can be found on the New York University Policy pages.

College of Arts and Science Policies

A full list of relevant academic policies can be found on the CAS Academic Policies page.