Bachelor of Arts in Latin American Studies

About
Requirements
Academic Plan

Learn more about the Bachelor of Arts in Latin American Studies.

The Latin American Studies major offers an interdisciplinary approach to learning about the politics, economics, cultures, and societies of Latin America and the Caribbean. It uses this region as a framework for exploring thematic issues in such disciplines as anthropology, art, history, political science, Spanish and Portuguese, and communication studies. Courses are offered in departments from every school and college, and our affiliated faculty research diverse topics from development economics to immigrant healthcare, from Latin American music to colonial literature. To complete the major, students must take twelve 3-credit courses in Latin American Studies and demonstrate a reading and speaking knowledge of Spanish or Portuguese.

Summary of Degree Requirements

University Requirements:

MATH 0701 (4 s.h.) and/or ENG 0701 (4 s.h.), if required by placement testing.
All Temple students must take a minimum of two writing-intensive courses as part of the major. The specific courses required for this major are LAS 4097 and one of the following: LAS 2097, LAS 2098, LAS 4698.
Students must complete requirements of the General Education (GenEd) Program. See the General Education section of the Undergraduate Bulletin for more details.

College of Liberal Arts Requirements:

Completion of a minimum of 123 credits, including:
- 90 credits in CLA/CST courses;
- 45 credits of which must be at the upper level (numbered 2000-4999).
  - For Social Science majors, 6 upper level credits (numbered 2000-4999) must be taken in Humanities Subject Areas: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, German, Greek (Ancient), Greek and Roman Classics, Hebrew, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Philosophy, Religion, Russian, and Spanish in the College of Liberal Arts, Art History in the Tyler School of Art and Architecture, or any department in the College of Science and Technology.
- A minimum GPA of 2.0, cumulatively, in CLA/CST coursework, and in the major.
- Only courses in which a student receives a grade of at least C- can satisfy GenEd, major, minor, or CLA Foreign Language and Global Studies requirements.
- Professional Development Requirement
  - All students in the College of Liberal Arts are required to take a 1 credit seminar in professional development. CLA 1002 Professional Development for Liberal Arts Majors is the appropriate course option for this major. Other courses that fulfill this requirement may be found on the CLA College Requirements page. Only one course in this category may count towards graduation.
- Foreign Language/Global Studies Requirements:
  - All students must complete or test out of the first and second levels of a foreign language - these courses are numbered 1001 and 1002;
  - All students must complete at least one course from the GenEd Global/World Society category; and
  - All Bachelor of Arts students must complete one of the following options:
    - Third semester of a foreign language;
    - Demonstrated proficiency beyond the third semester in a foreign language (placement exam or certification from the language department);
    - Take one Global Studies course from the list on the CLA College Requirements page;
    - Study Abroad at an approved program; or
    - Take a second General Education Global/World Society course.
  - Notes on Foreign Language Study
    - The third level of language is numbered 1003 in French, German, Spanish, and Portuguese and numbered 2001 in all other foreign language subjects.
    - Students are strongly encouraged to take the third level of a foreign language as it is the minimum required for election to the prestigious honor society Phi Beta Kappa. (Taking the course does not guarantee admission but not taking it guarantees exclusion.)
    - See the College of Liberal Arts Policies section of this Bulletin for more information on the Foreign Language Placement, Regression in Coursework, and guidelines for students' other experiences with language.

General Electives are typically one-third of a student's program of study and can be focused on a second major, a minor, or towards some other personal enrichment or professional goals. See an academic advisor for assistance in developing an academic plan for these courses.

Major Requirements (36 credits):

Course List
Code	Title	Credit Hours
Introduction to Latin American Studies
LAS 1001	Perspectives on Latin America ¹	3
Writing Intensive Course
Select one of the following:		3
LAS 2097	Writing Seminar I
LAS 2098	The Legacy of Mesoamerica
LAS 4698
Latin American Studies Electives
Select eight Latin American Studies Electives numbered 1000-4999 ²		24
Spanish-American Literature Courses
Select one of the following:		3
SPAN 3241	The Cultures of Latin America
SPAN 3243	The Culture of Puerto Rico
Any 4000+ level Spanish-American literature course taught in Spanish ³
Capstone
LAS 4097	Latin American Studies Seminar (offered only one time per year) ⁴	3
Total Credit Hours		36

Students who have completed the Latin American Studies Semester may waive this course.

Excluding courses used for another part of the major. Select from the approved list of undergraduate courses in Latin American Studies. See advisor for this list.

From the approved list of undergraduate courses in Latin American Studies.

⁴

Indicates Writing Capstone for the Major.

Distinction in Major

Latin American Studies majors may graduate with distinction in the major if they have a GPA of at least 3.5 in the major and a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0.

Suggested Academic Plan