Program of Study
Loyola offers both a majorconcentration (Officially this is: a Major in Languages and Cultures with a Concentration in Latin American Studies) and a minor in Latin American Studies. The requirements depend on the original level of placement in Spanish.
Spring 09: Classes that count toward LAS degrees (click this link)
General description of class requirements: Among the most exciting aspects of our LAS program are 1) the freedom to take classes in a wide variety of departments and 2) the ability to select those classes that concentrate on a particular region of Latin America if the student should so wish. The distribution of classes required for both the minor and the major in Languages and Cultures with a Concentration in Latin American Studies (from here forward referred to as “minor” and “major”) depend on the level of Spanish that the student has attained coming in to the program. No matter what the student’s starting level in Spanish, upon completing the LAS degree, the student will have both an ability to negotiate the Spanish language and an expertise in various other aspects of the continent’s make-up, such as history, politics, business, biology, religion, film, literature and philosophy.
Study abroad substitutions: The LAS program strongly encourages student to participate in study abroad programs! Many of the course requirements below may be fulfilled by taking similar courses in Latin American universities in conjunction with approved study abroad programs.
Language requirement: We enthusiastically welcome students at all levels of Spanish ability: from students with absolutely no Spanish to completely fluent, native Spanish speakers. The course requirements differ because of the number of language classes that the new speaker of Spanish will need. In general the native speaker (or second-language speaker who has already attained a high level of competency) will take more classes from the Latin American Studies list of options below, while the new speaker’s program will consist of more Spanish classes in the early semesters in order to achieve a competency in the major language of Latin America. The following lays out the programs course requirements based on those criteria.
Requirements for the LAS minor:
1. Students who begin with Spanish 100 are required to take:
a. 15 hours of Spanish
i. 100,101,200,201 and
ii. either 300 or 301
Note: though the first two of these classes, Span100 and 101, do not count toward the 18 hours needed for the degree, they do count toward the general electives needed for the 121 hour degree total.
b. one of the following courses:
i. History A220 or A221 or Spanish A350 or A351
c. two more courses selected from a list of LAS options in several departments. (See list below.)
2. Students who begin with Spanish 101 are required to take:
a. 12 hours of Spanish
i. 101, 200, 201 and
ii. either 300 or 301
b. one of the following courses:
i. History A220 or A221 or Spanish A350 or A351
c. two more courses selected from a list of LAS options in several departments. (See list below.)
3. Students who begin with Spanish 200 are required to take:
a. 9 hours of Spanish
i. 200, 201 and
ii. either 300 or 301
b. one of the following courses:
i. History A220 or A221 or Spanish A350 or A351
c. two more courses selected from a list of LAS options in several departments. (See list below.)
4. Students who begin with Spanish 201 are required to take:
a. 6 hours of Spanish
i. 201 and
ii. either 300 or 301
b. one of the following courses:
i. History A220 or A221 or Spanish A350 or A351
c. three more courses selected from a list of LAS options in several departments. (See list below.)
5. Students who are placed at the 300 level are required to take:
a. either Span 300 or 301
b. one of the following courses:
i. History A220 or A221 or Spanish A350 or A351
c. four more courses selected from a list of LAS options in several departments. (See list below.)
6. Students who are native Spanish speakers are required to take:
a. two of the following courses:
i. History A220 or A221 or Spanish A350 or A351
b. four more courses selected from a list of LAS options in several departments. (See list below.)
Requirements for the major
(in Languages and Cultures with a concentration in Latin American Studies):
1. Students who begin with Spanish 100 are required to take:
a. 18 hours of Spanish:
i. 100, 101, 200, 201, 300 and 301
Note: though the first of these classes, Span100, does not count toward the 37 hours needed for the concentration area, it does counts toward the general electives needed for the 121 hour degree total.
b. two of the following courses:
i. History A220 or A221 or Spanish A350 or A351
c. five more courses (covering at least 3 disciplines) selected from the list of LAS options in several departments. (See list below.)
2. Students who begin with Spanish 101 are required to take:
a. 15 hours of Spanish
i. 101, 200, 201, 300 and 301
b. two of the following courses:
i. History A220 or A221 or Spanish A350 or A351
c. five more courses (covering at least 3 disciplines) selected from the list of LAS options in several departments. (See list below.)
3. Students who begin with Spanish 200 are required to take:
a. 12 hours of Spanish
i. 200, 201, 300 and 301
b. two of the following courses:
i. History A220 or A221 or Spanish A350 or A351
c. five more courses (covering at least 3 disciplines) selected from the list of LAS options in several departments. (See list below.)
4. Students who begin with Spanish 201 are required to take:
a. 9 hours of Spanish
i. 201, 300 and 301
b. two of the following courses:
i. History A220 or A221 or Spanish A350 or A351
c. five more courses (covering at least 3 disciplines) selected from the list of LAS options in several departments. (See list below.)
5. Students who are placed at the 300 level are required to take:
a. both Span 300 and 301
b. two of the following courses:
i. History A220 or A221 or Spanish A350 or A351
c. six more courses (covering at least 3 disciplines) selected from the list of LAS options in several departments. (See list below.)
6. Students who are placed at the 301 level are required to take:
a. Span 301
b. two of the following courses:
i. History A220 or A221 or Spanish A350 or A351
c. seven more courses (covering at least 3 disciplines) selected from the list of LAS options in several departments. (See list below.)
6. Students who are native Spanish speakers are required to take:
a. two of the following courses:
i. History A220 or A221 or Spanish A350 or A351
b. eight more courses (covering at least 3 disciplines) selected from the list of LAS options in several departments. (See list below.)
Capstone: In addition, all students earning the major in Languages and Cultures with a concentration in LAS will also complete a one hour capstone course in their last semester.
Note: Students whose entry level requires only 31 hours in the major will have 2 extra general electives at their disposal in order to meet the total 121 hour degree requirement.
Note 2: Courses used in the major cannot also be used to satisfy requirements for a minor.
LAS Multidisciplinary Course Options
A variety of courses are offered each semester: from Spanish language courses to broad surveys of history, society, and culture. Students can also take more specialized courses.
** Please note that majors must choose LAS elective courses that cover at least three different disciplines.
SOCIOLOGY
People of Latin America
Women in Latin America
Third World Revolution
Encountering the Caribbean (In order to receive credit, the student would have to do a special project)
HISTORY
Latin America I, II
Quest for Empire (Iberian Expansionism)
Modern Latin America
History of Mexico
Northern South America
Slavery/Race Relations in the Americas
Drugs, Terrorism, and Democracy in the Americas
Social Revolutions in Latin America
COMMUNICATIONS
Film Genres (Latin American Films)
The Media in Mexico (taught in Mexico)
RELIGIOUS STUDIES
Liberation Theology
SPANISH
Latin American Thought(In English)
20th Century Latin American Women Writers (In English)
Introduction to Hispanic Literature
Latin American Literature
Culture of Spanish America I, II
Latin American Narrative
Mexican Film and Fiction
Literature of Puerto Rico
Fantastic Literature of Spanish America
First and Second Year Spanish
Intensive Conversation
Syntax and Composition
BIOLOGY
Tropical Ecology (Trip to Belize for 2 weeks at the end of the course