INTERNATIONAL & AREA STUDIES

 

 
       
  S T U D Y   P R O G R A M S
       
  MAJOR IN LATIN AMERICAN STUDIES / INTERNATIONAL AND AREA STUDIES
   
  Washington University offers a major and a minor in International and Area Studies on the Latin American track. This fast-growing major offers a very strong, multidisciplinary component that allows students to develop a complete understanding of the region, with classes encompassing culture, history, politics, anthropology and many other areas. I addition, the major and the minor accommodate credits from our study abroad programs in Mexico, Chile and Ecuador, as well as Latin American-based SIT programs, so we offer the exciting chance to do a substantial part of your major abroad:

• One core civilization class (Latin American Studies 165) (3 credits)

• Crossing Borders I and II (3 credits each for a total of 6 credits)

• 18 credits of advanced course work with Latin American content offered by at least three different departments, e.g. History, Political Science, Anthropology, Romance Languages and Literatures.

• At least 3 credits must be at the 400 level. No more that 3 credits may be from directed readings, research or internships excluding the honors thesis. (18 credits)

• Although 3 to 9 300 level credits may be satisfied with courses taught in Study Abroad programs, 400 level credit must be earned on campus or in WU courses taught abroad that have been specifically designated and approved by disciplines involved.

• The 18 advanced units must be unique to the IAS major.

• Students whose prime major is IAS must participate in a capstone experience. This may take the form of an honors thesis, completion of a senior project, or successful completion of a specially designated 400 level course. All of these options are available for credit and may fulfill the 400 level credit requirement.

• Total is a minimum of 27 graded units plus 4 semesters of a Latin American language.
   
   
     
     
  If you have particular interest in the cultures and societies of Latin America, but would like to study them from a comparative, interdisciplinary perspective, you may want this concentration. This program offers a wide range of courses, beginning with a thorough study of ancient civilizations up through to modern times. Washington University, with its Latin American Studies program, was one of the ten founding institutions funded by a Ford Foundation grant in 1964. Students in this track generally acquire a high level of competency in Spanish or Portuguese, depending on field of specialization. Our overseas program in Chile would be especially appropriate for students of Spanish.

Language requirement
All majors and minors must satisfy a foreign language requirement. You may satisfy this requirement with the successful completion of the first four semesters of language instruction in the language program of choice (other than English) or the equivalent. Entering students wishing to prove equivalency must take the Washington University Placement test for the language in question or score a 5 on the AP test. Students claiming the status of native speakers may be exempted from the placement test by the undergraduate director or by the section coordinator of the language program in question. We encourage students interested in IAS who have achieved a high level of language competency before entering Washington University to continue their language study, either in the same language or in an additional language.
 
     
     
     
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