Degree Requirements

Students majoring in Latin American Studies (declare your major) select their courses from the Latin American and related offerings of the various departments and work out their programs with the assistance of the LLILAS undergraduate adviser. Although most courses on Latin America are upper-division, first- and second-year students interested in this degree should seek advice relative to course prerequisites and language preparation.

2008-2010 LAS Degree Plan Checklist (PDF, 29K)
Sample Four-year Plan (PDF, 153K)

Undergraduate studies leading to the bachelor of arts degree have been designed to provide both a general, broad-based knowledge of Latin America, through the core curriculum required of all majors, and an opportunity for each student to pursue a more specialized area of interest. Students should consult the LLILAS undergraduate adviser concerning the fulfillment of coursework requirements common to all majors and the development of an area of special emphasis or concentration within the major. In many cases, a semester of approved study at a Latin American university can be included in the degree program. LLILAS maintains linkages with a number of leading institutions of the region to facilitate study abroad.

Students who meet the required qualifications may participate in the honors program within Latin American Studies with the aim of writing a thesis based on independent research.

Candidates for the B.A. in Latin American Studies must satisfy the following requirements for a total of 36 hours:

• 15 hours of specified core courses:
  • LAS 301 - Key Ideas and Issues in Latin America (only offered fall semesters)
  • GOV 328L - Introduction to Latin American Government and Politics
  • Any anthropology, geography, economics, or sociology course cross-listed with Latin American Studies
  • Any upper-division history course cross-listed with Latin American Studies on colonial Latin America or any of its nations before Independence
  • Any upper-division history course cross-listed with Latin American Studies on modern Latin America or any of its nations since Independence
• 21 hours in a concentration, selected from one of the following areas:

  anthropology | art history | business | economics | geography | government | history | Portuguese | sociology | Spanish

A special concentration in another area may be organized with the approval of the undergraduate adviser and the College of Liberal Arts. Special concentrations may include such areas as Brazilian studies, ecology, and others.

Twelve of the 21 hours must be in upper-division courses and at least 12 hours must be in Latin American content courses.

With some advance planning early in a student's undergraduate program, it is possible, by taking only a few additional courses, to receive Texas teaching certification along with the B.A. in Latin American Studies. Students interested in this option need to consult the undergraduate adviser early in their programs.

Doing a Special Concentration within Latin American Studies

Within the Latin American Studies major, every student chooses a 21-hour disciplinary concentration. Most of the time, a concentration is within a single discipline in the College of Liberal Arts. Within the concentration, each student must take 12 hours with Latin American content, 12 hours of upper-division work (which can overlap with the Latin American content courses) and 9 additional hours in the discipline. The regular disciplines include anthropology, art history, business, economics, geography, government, history, Portuguese, sociology, and Spanish.

You may find, however, that your particular interests do not fit within the confines of a single discipline. In that case, you may want to consider doing a "special concentration" within the major. The requirements for a special concentration are the same as for a regular concentration (12 hours LAS content, 12 hours upper-division, and 9 additional hours in the discipline), but the focus straddles two or more approved disciplines and is tailored to your particular academic interests. A special concentration allows for flexibility in your academic program, but it is crucial that the courses all contribute to a clear-cut, focused academic objective. Some examples of special concentrations include:

Women’s studies | Communications | Ecology/Conservation | Radio/Television/Film | Public Health | Religious studies | Brazilian studies

The key to putting together a special concentration is that you must be able to identify at least four Latin American content courses that relate to your special concentration. While we may not necessarily offer all four Latin American content courses on campus, you can take advantage of courses and internships abroad to help fulfill this requirement. A special concentration may require more resourcefulness, personal initiative, and patience than a regular concentration, but we at LLILAS and the College of Liberal Arts will do all we can to support your legitimate academic objectives.

A special concentration requires the approval of the LAS undergraduate adviser and the Associate Dean of Students in the College of Liberal Arts. To apply for a special concentration, you must submit an Agreement for a Special Concentration (available at LLILAS) to the LLILAS undergraduate adviser. Final approval of a special concentration rests with the Associate Dean of Students.

Doing Business as a Concentration in the Latin American Studies Major

Business is a possible area of concentration for Latin American Studies majors. However, majors need to understand that doing business as a concentration will take extra effort on the student's part to get all the courses needed to graduate on time. Due to the fact that the University of Texas does not offer four courses in business with specific Latin American content, you must find your content courses elsewhere, most likely via study abroad in Latin America.

Remember that within our major, the requirements for a concentration demand 21 hours in a single discipline. Twelve hours must be upper-division and 12 must have Latin American content. While the UT business school does offer one or two undergraduate courses with Latin American content, it does not offer four such courses, which you must have to complete this concentration.

Here is one possible solution to this problem:

Take some business courses with Latin American content at the Instituto Tecnologico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (Monterrey Tech, or ITESM). We have a reciprocal exchange agreement with ITESM, which allows University of Texas students to pay UT tuition and receive UT credit and UT residency for courses taken at this Mexican university. If you receive financial aid at UT, you will also receive it to go to Monterrey Tech. Monterrey Tech has 26 different campuses (most UT students go to Monterrey, Mazatlan, or Guadalajara). ITESM offers courses in the summer as well as during the regular academic year, which basically follows the same schedule as the University of Texas. Some of the business courses are offered in English. For specific information on ITESM offerings, contact the UT Study Abroad office at 512.471.6490, located in Wooldridge Hall (600 W. 24th Street). Most of the campuses of ITESM also have their own websites.