Minor in Latin American & Caribbean Studies

Minor

 

Program Overview

WPI's Latin American & Caribbean Studies (LACS) curriculum allows students to sharpen their knowledge and skills related to the region, while enabling them to reach across linguistic, geographic, cultural, and disciplinary boundaries. Students in the program explore topics and themes associated with cultures, societies, environments, technologies, economic relations, and political alignments found within Latin America and the Caribbean in the past and the present. Our instructors focus particular attention on introducing students to diverse individuals, groups, institutions, perspectives, and ways of knowing that shape the region and its relationships with other parts of the world.

Students can build from earning their Humanities & Arts depth in Latin American and Caribbean Studies to participate in our Minor program, which allows them to incorporate coursework and projects from across WPI’s departments and disciplines as they advance through the program. 

Course offerings in Spanish, International & Global Studies, Environmental Studies, History, and Development can also serve as preparation for students who travel to project centers around the region to complete their HUA, IQP, and MQP degree requirements. The LACS curriculum provides students with a truly interdisciplinary experience—inside and outside the classroom.

Visit our program site for more information on Latin American and Caribbean Studies events, affiliated faculty, research areas, scholarly output, and more.

Curriculum

Students can focus their Humanities & Arts courses – their “depth” – in Latin American and Caribbean Studies.

In addition, those who go on to pursue the Minor in Latin American & Caribbean Studies complete a total of two units of work (six courses) either through the International & Global Studies/History Sequence or the Spanish Sequence outlined below.

A list of applicable courses is available on the Minor Completion Form. Other courses may be applicable to the Minor at the discretion of an advisor.

Only three courses applied to the Minor (of the six required) may overlap with the requirements of a university degree requirement (HUA, IQP, MQP) or another Minor/Major.

 

Students who select the International & Global Studies/History Sequence must complete:

  • One unit (three courses) of core offerings in Latin American and Caribbean Studies in History (HI), International & Global Studies (INTL), and/or Humanities (HU)
  • One unit (three courses) of courses related to Latin American and Caribbean Studies in History (HI), International & Global Studies (INTL), Humanities (HU), English (EN), Philosophy & Religion (PY/RE), Development (DEV), Environmental Studies (ENV), Spanish (SP), or other areas based on advisor approval.

Applicable courses for the International & Global Studies/History Sequence include (but are not limited to): Introduction to Latin America (INTL 1300), Modern Latin America (INTL 2310), Environmental Justice and Sustainability in the Global Caribbean and Latin America (INTL 2320), Atlantic Worlds (HI 1345), Welcome to Paradise: The US and the Caribbean (HI 2345), Topics in Latin American History (HI 2930), Latin America and the World (HU 3900)

 

Students who select the Spanish Sequence must complete:

  • One unit (three courses) of advanced offerings in culture and media taught in the Spanish language program.
  • One unit (three courses) of courses­­ related to Latin American and Caribbean Studies in History (HI), International & Global Studie­s (INTL), Humanities (HU), English (EN), Philosophy & Religion (PY/RE), Development (DEV), Environmental Studies (ENV), Spanish (SP), or other areas based on advisor approval.

­­Applicable courses for the Spanish Sequence include (but are not limited to): Topics in Latin American Literature (SP 3523), Comparative Business Environments (SP 3526), Caribbeanness: Voices of the Spanish Caribbean (SP 3529), Contemporary US Latino Literature and Culture (SP 3531), Ecocrítica: Environmental Cultural Production in Latin America (SP 3533), Intersections of Science, Engineering, Art, Literature, and Film in Latin America and the Caribbean (SP 3534).

 

Faculty Advisors

Students interested in discussing the requirements for the Latin American & Caribbean Studies Minor program should reach out to a potential faculty advisor: 

Grant Burrier (Political Science/DIGS), Laureen Elgert (Environmental Studies/DIGS), John Galante (History/International & Global Studies), Courtney Kurlanska (Anthopology/DIGS), Aarti Madan (Spanish/International & Global Studies), Lina Muñoz-Márquez (Spanish), Ángel Rivera (Spanish/International & Global Studies), or William San Martín (Environmental Studies/International & Global Studies/DIGS).

 

 

Application Process

Students interested in a minor in Latin American & Caribbean Studies should complete the Minor Completion Form.
 
Any student at WPI is eligible to pursue the Latin American & Caribbean Studies Minor as long as at least one unit of work for these requirements does not overlap with the requirements for other minors or majors.
 
Students interested in discussing the requirements for the Latin American & Caribbean Studies minor program should reach out to a potential faculty advisor: Laureen Elgert (SSPS/Environmental Studies), John Galante (History/International & Global Studies), Aarti Madan (Spanish/International & Global Studies), Ángel Rivera (Spanish/International & Global Studies), or William San Martín (History/International & Global Studies).