Five College Certificate in Latin American Studies
The Five College Certificate in Latin American Studies offers students the opportunity to show an area of specialization in Latin American studies in conjunction with or in addition to their majors. The program provides a disciplined course of study allowing students to draw on the rich resources of more than 50 Latin Americanist faculty members in the Five College area and is designed to enhance students' understanding of the complex region that composes contemporary Latin America.
Minimum Requirements
Minimum of 3 credits each:
- A broadly based introductory course providing an overview of the social and political history of Latin America (such as HST 260a/261b).
- One course in the humanities, including courses focusing on Latin American culture from the pre-Columbian period to the present (such as art, art history, dance, film, folklore, literature, music, religion and theatre).
- One course in the social sciences, including anthropology, economics, geography, political science and sociology, that offers substantial attention to Latin America and/or the Caribbean.
- Four other courses that should be more advanced and more specific in focus.
- A seminar that gives the student's course work in Latin American studies an interdisciplinary force.
Other Requirements
- Proficiency in Spanish or Portuguese through the level of the fourth semester of college language study. Students must take one of these languages to the intermediate level and/or demonstrate in an interview the ability to conduct a normal conversation and read and interpret a text.
- Students must receive a grade of B or better in every course that qualifies for the minimum certificate requirement.
- At least three of the eight courses must be taken either at another of the five colleges or be taught by a faculty member not of the student's own institution.
- The certificate adviser on each campus is the director of the Latin American studies program at that campus or another individual designated by that body.
