Zapata, García Márquez, Khalo, Peron, Che, Rigoberta Menchú. Do you know who these people are? Do you want to know how they have impacted the culture and politics of the lands that lie South of the United States? This is the major for you. Latin American Studies is an interdisciplinary field, reaching over many academic areas. Students combine language coursework with work in almost all of the humanities, focusing, of course, on Latin America. Many Latin American Studies programs offer areas of concentration within the major such as 20th century literature, gender issues, or history of the Caribbean. Students in Latin American Studies generally must become proficient in Spanish or Portuguese. Most programs strongly suggest (if not require) that students in this major spend some time studying in Mexico, South America, or the Caribbean.

Preparation

Courses in Spanish are the best preparation for a major in Latin American Studies. Additional work in history and sociology will be useful. Obviously, if your school offers any classes on Latin America, you should take them.