Undergraduate Programs

Latin America and Caribbean Studies – Major and Minor

The Latin American and Caribbean Studies major combines language study in Spanish and Portuguese with work in history, the humanities, and the social sciences. It provides a comprehensive, interdisciplinary understanding of this major world region, emphasizing themes such as economic development, popular movements, critical analysis, and hemispheric relations. At the same time, it gives students the option to develop their own particular disciplinary and thematic interests.

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Major in Latin America and Caribbean Studies

Course # Title Credits Quarter
JSIS 201 The Making of the Twenty-first Century 5 Winter or Spring
Latin American & Caribbean History -2 Courses Choose from Approved List: HSTLAC 185, 282, 285, 384, 385, 386, 481, 482, 488 Approved History Courses 10 Varies
Contemporary Latin American & Caribbean Studies Contemporary LACS courses in social sciences and humanities fields from approved list 15 Varies
Latin American & Caribbean Electives 3-400 level electives from an approved list 15 Varies
JSIS A 492 Interdisciplinary Seminar 5 Varies
LACS Senior PaperJSIS 493 Senior paper written with a Jackson School Professor 15 pages minimum. 2 Any QuarterUsually Senior Year
2 Languages:2 years of 1 and1 year of another
  • Proficiency through 2nd year college level or 3rd quarter of 2nd year college level of a primary language (Spanish, French, Portuguese)
  • Proficiency through the 1st year college level or 3rd quarter of 1st year college level of a second language
Minimum Grade Minimum grade 2.0 in all courses applied to major.
Total Credits: 52

Minor in Latin America and Caribbean Studies

30 credits as follows, plus foreign language:

  1. One year of Spanish or Portuguese, or equivalent proficiency
  2. At least 5 credits in History chosen from an approved list*
  3. At least 15 credits chosen from an approved list of courses on Contemporary Latin America*
  4. At least 10 additional credits chosen from the History or Contemporary Latin America lists, or from an approved list of electives.*
  5. At least 20 of the 30 credits must be completed at the University of Washington (UW Foreign Study programs included).
  6. Minimum grade of 2.0 required in each course applied toward the minor.

Latin America and Caribbean Studies Courses

Quarterly Course Lists

Major Courses

CORE COURSES

Course # Title Credits Instructor
JSIS 201 Making of the 21st Century 5 various

LATIN AMERICAN HISTORY

Course # Title Credits Instructor
ARCHY 304 New World Prehistory 5  Minichillo
HSTCMP 247 Before Global Health: The Histories of Public Health and International Health in the Global South 5 A. Warren
HSTRY 388* Colloquium: Introduction to History(when LA content) (History majors only) 5, max 10
HSTRY 494* Colloquium in Historiography (when LA content) (History majors only 5
HSTRY 498* Colloquium in History (when LA content) (History majors only) 5
HSTLAC 185 Race, Gender, and Class in Latin America and the Caribbean 5
HSTLAC 282 The Social History of Mexico 5 A. Warren
HSTLAC 285 Latin American History Through Film 5
HSTAA 290* Topics in American History (when LA content) 5, max 10
HSTLAC 384 Latin America: Inter-American and Intra-Continental Relations 5
HSTLAC 385 Colonial Society & Negotiation of Rule in L.A. and Caribbean 5  A. Warren
HSTLAC 386 Challenges of Post-Coloniality in L.A. and Caribbean 5 Rodriguez
HSTLAC 481 History of Peru and the Andean Region 5 A. Warren
HSTLAC 482 History of Brazil: Colonial Period to the Present 5
HSTLAC 488 History of Central America and the Caribbean 5
HSTLAC 490 Topics in Latin American & Caribbean History 2-5, max. 15
*Courses with asterisk are Special Variable Topic Courses, open to History majors ONLY until registration period 3. These may count only if the course has predominantly Latin America content.

CONTEMPORARY LATIN AMERICA COURSES – 15 Credits Required

Course # Title Credits Instructor
ANTH 404 South America 5
ANTH/CHSTU 416 Comparative Social Movements: Mexico and the United States 5 Peña
ANTH 418 Indian Heritage of Mexico and Central America 5
CMS 320* Cinema & Nation (when LA content) 5 Steele
C LIT 321 Studies in Literature of the Americas 5
C LIT 357* Literature & Film (when LA content) 3 to 5 Steele
CHSTU 255 Mexican Women: Past and Present 5 Salas
CHSTU 352 Mexican Immigration: A Comparative Analysis 5 Gamboa, Salas
ECON 492 Economic Issues in Contemporary Latin America 5 Brock
GEOG 330 Latin America: Landscapes of Change 5 Lawson
GEOG 403 Transnational Latinx Migrations 5 Ybarra
GEOG 430 Contemporary Development Issues in Latin America 5 Lawson
GEOG 495* Special Topics (when Latin America in the World Economy) 5
HSTCMP 247 Before Global Health: The Histories of Public Health and International Health in the Global South 5 A. Warren
HSTLAC 282 Social History of Mexico 5 A. Warren
HSTLAC 285 Latin American History Through Film 5 Bergquist
JSIS 396* Latin America Study Abroad (when contemporary LA content) max 15
JSIS 480 Special Topics – Latin America max 15
JSIS A/POL S 322 International Political Economy of Latin America (joint w/ POLS) 5 Sinkler
JSIS A 324/ LSJ 322 Human Rights in Latin America 5 Godoy
JSIS A 325 Modern Mexico: Culture, Politics, and Society 5 Freije
JSIS A/ POL S 342 Government and Politics of Latin America 5 Lucero
JSIS A 489/SPAN 489* The Mexico US Border in Literature and Film (joint w/SPAN) 5 Steele
JSIS D 451 Cultural Geography of Latin America 5
MUSIC 317 Music Cultures of the World: “The Americas” 5 Dudley
MUSIC 433 Music of Latin America 3
PORT 310 Introduction to Lusophone Literature 3
PORT 335 Twentieth Century Brazilian Literature in English 5
SPAN 206 Arts and Culture of Oaxaca 3 Gonzalez
SPAN 307 Introduction to Latin American Literature: Colonial Era to Early Independence 3/5 Donnelly
SPAN 308 Introduction to Latin American Literature: Independence to Present 3
SPAN 317 Spanish and Latin American Literature in English Translation 5
SPAN 319 Mexican Literature 3
SPAN 334 Latin American Film 3 Steele
SPAN 340 Introduction to Latin American Poetry 3
SPAN 395 Special Topics in Latin American Literature 5
SPAN 442 Latin American Colonial Theater and Performance 5 Donnelly
SPAN 447 Modern Latin American Theater 5
SPAN 461 Topics in Latin American Cultural Studies 5 Donnelly/O’Hara
SPAN 468 Latin American Women 5
SPAN 473 Latin American Fiction: Nineteenth Century 5 Donnelly
SPAN 474 Latin American Fiction: Twentieth Century 5 Flores
SPAN 476 Contemporary Latin American Poetry 5
SPAN 477 Latin American Essay 5 O’Hara
SPAN 479 The City and Latin American Literature 5 O’Hara
SPAN 484 Latin American Literature: Modernismo to the Present 5 O’Hara
SPAN 486/JSIS A 486 Photography and Cultural Studies in Latin America 5 Steele
SPAN 487 Mexican Cinema 5 Steele
SPAN 488 The Fantastic in L.A. Literautre: Augusto Monterroso 5 O’Hara
SPAN 489 The Mexico-U.S. Border in Literature and Film 5 Steele
SPAN 492 Individual Authors and Special Topics in Latin American Literature 5,max 10
UW Tacoma Courses – For guidelines on cross-campus enrollment, see:http://www.washington.edu/uaa/advising/registration/ccregi.php
T HISP 277 Latin American Literature 5
T HISP 323 The Making of Mexico 5
T HISP 325 Mexico: Problems and Perspectives 5
T HISP 376 Latin American Film 5
T HISP 410 Caribbean Basin: Selected Topics 5
T HISP 462 Women in Latin America 5
T HISP 463 Contemporary Cuban Culture 5
T HISP 476 Latin American Women Writers 5
TPOL S 224 Modern Latin America 5 Griesse
TPOL S 434 Popular Movements in Latin America 5
TRELIG 461 Religion and Church in Latin America 5
*Courses with asterisk are Special Variable Topic Courses, open to students from that major ONLY until registration period 3. These may count only if the course has predominantly Latin America content.

LATIN AMERICAN ELECTIVES – 15 credits required (additional from History, Contemporary or Interdisciplinary lists may also apply)

Course # Title Credits Instructor
ANTH/GWSS/JSIS B 345 Women and International Economic Development 5 Ramamurthy
ART H 309* Special Topics (When LA Content)  5
ART H 400* Art History and Criticism (When LA Content)  5
CHSTU 101 Introduction to Chicano Studies 5 Gamboa, Salas
CHSTU 200 Latinos in the United States 5 Gamboa
CHSTU 254 Northwest Latinos, History, Community, Culture 5 Gamboa
CHSTU 256 Chicanas: Gender and Race Issues 5 Salas
CHSTU 260 Introduction to Chicano Politics 5 Salas
CHSTU 330 Chicano/Chicana Autobiography 5 Flores
CHSTU 340 Latino/a Theater 5 Habell-Pallan
CHSTU 354 Unions, Labor, and Civil Rights in California and Pacific Northwest Agriculture 5 Gamboa
CHSTU 356 The Chicano Family 5 Salas
CHSTU 405 Advanced Chicano Studies 5 Gamboa
CHSTU 498* Topics in Chicano Studies-(when LAS content) 5 Habell-Pallan
ECON 491* Issues in Economic Development(when LA content) 5
GEOG 230 Urbanization and Development: Geographies of Global Inequality 5 Lawson
GEOG 335 Geography of the Developing World(joint w/ SIS) 5
GEOG 344 Migration in the Global Economy (joint w/SIS) 5 Mitchell
GEOG 371 World Hunger and Resource Development 5 Jarosz
GEOG 403 Transnational Latinx Migrations 5 Ybarra
HSTRY 490* Topics in History (when LA content) 5 Rafael
HSTAA 313* African Americans in the American West(when LA content) 5 Taylor
HSTEU 361 Spain and Its Golden Age: 1469-1700 5
IBUS 330 Business Environment in Developing Nations 4 Laschober
MUSAP 389* World Music (when LA content) 2 to 3 Rebolloso
MUSIC 319* Afro-American Music (when LA content) 5
MUSIC 445* Topics in Ethnomusicology (when LA content) 3, max 9
POL S 403* Advanced Special Topics in International Relations (when LA content) 5, max 10 Caporaso
POL S 405* American Politics Seminar (when LA content) 5, max 10 Simon
POL S 447* Comparative Politics Seminar (when LA content) 5
PSYCH 250* Racism and Minority Groups (when LA content) 5 Barrett
JSIS 200 States & Capitalism 5 various
JSIS 202 Cultural Interactions 5 various
SIS 302 Intercultural Relations (no longer offered) 5 Warren
JSIS 396 Foreign Study – Latin America max 15
JSIS 480 Special Topics – Latin America

max 15
JSIS 497 Internship (if Latin America focus)(max 5 credits applied to maj/minor) CR/NC
JSIS B 310/POL S 450 State-Society Relations in Third World Countries 5 Callahan
JSIS B 331 Political Economy of Development 5 LatschKale
JSIS B/ GWSS 333 Gender and Globalization: Theory and Process 5 Ramamurthy
JSIS B 385 Industry and the State 5 WhitingHamilton
JSIS B 433 Root Causes of Environmental Degradation in the Tropics 5 Christie
JSIS D 450 Pol. Econ. of Women & Family in 3rd World (if taught by LAS faculty) 5
SPAN 321 Introduction to Hispanic Literary Studies 3 Geist
SPAN 322 Introduction to Hispanic Cultural Studies 5
SPAN 333 Hispanic Film Studies 3
SPAN 339* Women Writers in English Translation(when LA content) 3
SPAN 350* Drama (when LA content) 3
SPAN 351* Poetry (when LA content) 3
SPAN 352* Fiction (when LA content) 3
SPAN 439* Women Writers (when LA content) 5
SPAN 465 Contemporary Chicano Literature 5 Flores
SPAN 475 Latin American Poetry: Colonial through Nineteenth Century 5 Donnelly
SPAN 483 Latin American Literature: Origins to Independence 5 Donnelly
SPAN 491* Topics in Hispanic Literature (when LA content) 5
*Courses with asterisk are Special Variable Topic Courses, open to students from that major ONLY until registration period 3. These may count only if the course has predominantly Latin America content.

INTERDISCIPLINARY SEMINARS

Course # Title Credits Instructor
ANTH 469* Special Topics (when LA content) 5 Peña
GEOG 430 Contemporary Development Issues in Latin America 5 Lawson
JSIS 480 Special Topics-Latin America 5
JSIS A 489 The US Mexico Border in Literature and Film 5 Steele
JSIS A 492 Latin American Studies Seminar 5 various
*Courses with asterisk are Special Variable Topic Courses, open to students from that major ONLY until registration period 3. These may count only if the course has predominantly Latin America content.

SENIOR PAPER WITH UW LACS PROGRAM PROFESSOR

Course # Title Credits Instructor
JSIS 493 Senior Paper/Project 2 various

Latin America and Caribbean Minor Courses

*(1) History Courses (5 credits)

ARCHY 304 New World Prehistory
ARCHY 476 New World States and Empires
HSTLAC 185 Intro to Latin American History: Columbus to Castro
HSTLAC 282 The Social History Of Mexico
HSTLAC 285 Latin American History Through Film
HSTLAC 384 Latin America: Inter-American and Intra-Continental Relations
HSTLAC 385 Colonial Society & Negotiation of Rule in L.A. and Caribbean
HSTLAC 386 Challenges of Post-Coloniality in Lat Am and Caribb
HSTLAC 480 Labor and Popular Movements in Latin America (joint w/SISLA)
HSTLAC 481 History of Peru and the Andean Retion
HSTLAC 482 History of Brazil: Colonial Period to the Present
HSTLAC 486 History of Mexico: Colonial Origins to 1822
HSTLAC 487 History of Mexico: 1822 to the Present
HSTLAC 488 History of Central America and the Caribbean
BIS 363 Bothell Conflict and Connection in the Americas

Other special topic courses may be counted when topic is Latin America.

*(2) Contemporary Latin America (15 credits)

ANTH 404 Peoples and Cultures of South America
ANTH 416 Comparative Social Movements: Mexico & United States
ANTH 418 Indian Heritage of Mexico and Central America
C LIT 315 National Cinema: Mexican Film
C LIT 321 Studies in Lit. of the Americas
C LIT 357 The US-Mexico Border in Literature and Film
CHSTU 255 Mexican Women: Past and Present
CHSTU 352 Mexican Immigration: A Comparative Analysis
ECON 492 Economic Issues of Contemporary Latin America
ENGL 317 Literature of the Americas
GEOG 430 Contemporary Development Issues in Latin America
HSTAA 284 History of the Chicano People since 1848
MUSIC 317 Music Cultures of the World: “The Americas”
MUSIC 433 Music of Latin America
PORT 310 Introduction to Lusophone Literature
PORT 335 Contemporary Brazilian Literature in Translation
JSIS A 322 Political Economy of Latin America (joint w/POLS)
JSIS A 323 U.S.-Latin America Relations
JSIS A 324/LSJ 322 Human Rights in Latin America
JSIS A 342 Government and Politics of Latin America ( w/POLS)
JSIS A 355 Social Change in Latin America (joint w/SOC)
JSIS A 486 Photography & Cultural Studies in Latin America (w/SPAN)
JSIS A 196, 396 Latin American Foreign Study
JSIS 480 Special Topics: Latin American Studies
JSIS 497 Latin Am Studies Internship (max 5 cr applied to minor)
SPAN 206 Arts and Culture of Oaxaca
SPAN 307 Introduction to Latin American Literature
SPAN 319 Mexican Literature
SPAN 320 Contemporary Latin American Literature in Translation
SPAN 334 Latin American Film
SPAN 376 Introduction to Latin American Poetry
SPAN 468 Latin American Women
SPAN 474 Latin American Fiction: Twentieth Century
SPAN 476 Contemporary Latin American Poetry
SPAN 477 Latin American Essay
SPAN 478 Modern Latin American Theater
SPAN 479 The City and Latin American Literature
SPAN 483 Latin American Literature: Origins to Independence
SPAN 484 Latin American Literature: Modernismo to the Present
SPAN 487 Mexican Cinema
SPAN 488 The Fantastic in Latin American Literature: AugustoMonterroso
TCSIIN 435 Tacoma Popular Movements in Latin America
TIBCIN 461 Tacoma Religion and Church in Latin America
TSMIN 324  Tacoma Modern Latin America

*(3) Electives (10 credits)

All courses in areas (1) and (2) above, plus

ANTH 345 Women and International Economic Development(joint w/ JSIS B & GWSS)
CHSTU 101 Intro. to Chicano Studies
CHSTU 200 Latinos in the United States
CHSTU 254 Northwest Latinos, History, Community, Culture
CHSTU 256 Chicanas: Gender and Race Issues
CHSTU 260 Introduction to Chicano Politics
CHSTU 330 Chicano/Chicana Autobiography
CHSTU 340 Latino/a Theater
CHSTU 356 The Chicano Family
CHSTU 405 Advanced Chicano Studies
CHSTU 498 Special Topics in Chicano Studies (if LAS topic)
GEOG 230 Geographies of Global Inequality
GEOG 335 Geography of the Developing World (w/ JSIS B)
GEOG 344 Migration in the Global Economy (w/JSIS B)
GEOG 371 World Hunger and Resource Development
HSTEU 361 Spain and Its Golden Age: 1469-1700
I BUS 330 Business Environment in Developing Nations
PSYCH 250 Racism and Minority Groups (AUT 2000-SU2007)
JSIS 200 States & Capitalism
JSIS 201 Making of the 21st Century
JSIS 202 Cultural Interactions
JSIS B 331 Political Economy of Development
JSIS B 333 Gender and Globalization: Theory and Process
JSIS B 330 International Political Economy
JSIS B 433 Environmental Degradation in the Tropics
JSIS B 385 Industry and the State
JSIS B 310/POL S 320 State-Society Relations in Third World Countries
SPAN 321 Introduction to Hispanic Literary Studies
SPAN 322 Introduction to Hispanic Cultural Studies
SPAN 333 Hispanic Film Studies
SPAN 464 Chicana Expressive Culture
SPAN 465 Contemporary Chicano Literature

JSIS & Affiliate Latin America and Caribbean Studies Faculty

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