BA with a Major in Latin American and Latino Studies
Degree Requirements
To earn a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts and Sciences degree from UIC, students must complete university, college, and program degree requirements. The Department of Latin American and Latino Studies degree requirements are outlined below. Students should consult the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences section for additional degree requirements and college academic policies.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Summary of Requirements | ||
| Major Requirements | 33 | |
| General Education and Electives to reach minimum Total Hours | 87 | |
| Total Hours | 120 | |
General Education
See General Education and Writing-in-the-Discipline in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences section for information on meeting these requirements.
Major Requirements
For the Bachelor of Arts, 33 semester hours are required as distributed below.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| LALS 101 | Introduction to Latin American Studies a,b | 3 |
| LALS 102 | Introduction to Latino Studies b,c | 3 |
| LALS 301 | Research Methods in Latin America and Latino Studies d | 3 |
| Three LALS electives with at least two courses (6 hours) at the 300 level or above | 9 | |
| Five total courses selected from any of the following thematic categories. At least two of the courses (6 hours) must be at the 400 level. | 15 | |
| Gender, Sexuality, and Feminism | ||
| Gender in Latin America | ||
| Latinas in the United States | ||
| Issues of Race, Class, and Gender Among Latinos | ||
| Politics of the Latinx Body | ||
| Latina and Latin American Feminist Thought | ||
| Chicanas and Latinas: Self and Society | ||
| Latinx Youth: Coming of Age in the U.S. | ||
| Politics, History, and Society | ||
| Latinos in Chicago | ||
| Government and Politics of Latin America | ||
| Latinos and Politics | ||
| History of Modern Puerto Rico | ||
| Mexican-American History | ||
| Social Movements in Latin America | ||
| Latino Social Movements in the United States | ||
| Urban Field Research in Latino/a Communities | ||
| Criminal Governance in Latin America | ||
| Media, Culture, and the Arts | ||
| Indigenous Storytelling in Latin America | ||
| Latin American/Latino Film Studies | ||
| Issues in Latino Identity | ||
| Latino Literary Studies | ||
| Latinx Sound Studies | ||
| Latino/a Religions in the US | ||
| Latin@ Futurity | ||
| Literature of the Americas | ||
| Borders, Migration, and Transnationalism | ||
| Politics of Immigration Enforcement | ||
| Child Migration Across the Americas | ||
| Undocumented Social Movements | ||
| Latin American Migration to the U.S. | ||
| Borders and Borderlands: Method and Theory | ||
| Global Migrations Across the Americas | ||
| Total Hours | 33 | |
- a
This course is approved for the Exploring World Cultures General Education category.
- b
This course is approved for the Understanding the Past General Education category.
- c
This course is approved for the Understanding U.S. Society General Education category.
- d
LALS 301 fulfills the Writing-in-the-Discipline requirement.
Recommended Plan of Study
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall Semester | Hours | |
| ENGL 160 | Academic Writing I: Writing in Academic and Public Contexts | 3 |
| Elective | 4 | |
| Quantitative Reasoning | 3-5 | |
| General Education Requirement course | 3-5 | |
| Hours | 13-17 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| ENGL 161 | Academic Writing II: Writing for Inquiry and Research | 3 |
| LALS 101 or LALS 102 |
Introduction to Latin American Studies or Introduction to Latino Studies |
3 |
| Elective | 4 | |
| General Education Requirement course | 3 | |
| General Education Requirement course | 3-5 | |
| Hours | 16-18 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| LALS 101 or LALS 102 |
Introduction to Latin American Studies or Introduction to Latino Studies |
3 |
| LALS elective a | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| General Education Requirement course | 3-5 | |
| General Education Requirement course | 3 | |
| Hours | 15-17 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| LALS thematic course b | 3 | |
| LALS elective (300-400 level) a | 3 | |
| Elective | 4 | |
| General Education Requirement course | 3 | |
| General Education Requirement course | 3 | |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| LALS 301 | Research Methods in Latin America and Latino Studies | 3 |
| LALS thematic course b | 3 | |
| General Education Requirement course/Elective | 3-5 | |
| General Education Requirement course/Elective | 3 | |
| Electives | 3 | |
| Hours | 15-17 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| LALS thematic course (400 level) b | 3 | |
| LALS elective (300-400 level) a | 3 | |
| Electives | 9 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| LALS thematic course (400 level) b | 3 | |
| Electives | 12 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| LALS thematic course (400 level) | 3 | |
| Electives | 12 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Total Hours | 120 | |
- a
Students are required to take three LALS electives (9 semester hours), with at least two of courses (6 hours) at the 300 level or above.
- b
Students are required to take a total of five courses (15 semester hours) selected from the LALS thematic categories, with courses chosen from any of the categories. At least two of the courses (6 hours) must be at the 400 level.