Latin American, Caribbean, and Latino/a Studies Minor
Coordinator: Dr. Stephanie Opperman
The Minor in Latin American, Caribbean, and Latino/A studies is designed to introduce students to the study of Latin American culture, history, geography, language, politics, and society. The minor provides an interdisciplinary coherent unit of study that certifies competency in a subject area outside the traditional major. The minor is not designed to compete with existing programs, but rather to complement them. This program offers an opportunity for students to pursue an area of specialization that may not be offered by departmental curricula or may not be met in conventional majors. Students interested in the minor in Latin American, Caribbean, and Latino/A studies take fifteen semester hours from an approved list of courses and must achieve a grade of C or better in each class. If a student knows of a course not found on this list that focuses on Latin American, Caribbean, and Latino/a issues, he or she can petition the Latin American, Caribbean, and Latino/A studies coordinator for approval to use it in his or her program.
Students who complete this program may also apply for a certificate in Latin American and Caribbean studies through the University System of Georgia Americas Council. Students should contact the Latin American, Caribbean, and Latino/A studies coordinator for more information about this option.
Language Requirement (3 hours)
Students MUST be able to demonstrate oral and written proficiency in at least one language other than English that is spoken in Latin America and/or the Caribbean. Languages currently offered at Georgia College include Spanish and French; other languages may be added as appropriate.
The language requirement may be fulfilled in one of two ways:
- 3 hours of language course work at the 2002 level or higher (with a grade of C or better). These hours may be taken as part of a University System of Georgia approved Study Abroad program.
OR
- Demonstration of language proficiency above the intermediate level as defined by ACTFL standards through examination. Accepted demonstration consists of a passing grade on a nationally recognized language proficiency exam, or the successful completion of an oral and written examination evaluated by a qualified USG faculty member. For other languages (e.g., Haitian Creole, Quechua, Dutch), both written and oral exams must be evaluated by a qualified faculty member.
Latin American, Caribbean, and Latino/a Area (12 hours)
The 12 hours are distributed as follows:
- 12 hours of courses relating to Latino/a, Latin American and/or Caribbean perspectives, at least 9 of which must be upper division (3000-4000) courses offered at Georgia College. Study abroad courses will be subject to the approval of the program coordinator.
Honors Option
A student may receive an Honors Certificate in Latin American and Caribbean Studies if he/she:
- Maintains an overall GPA of 3.3 and a GPA of 3.5 in his/her Latin American and Caribbean Studies courses.
- Submits a Senior Honors Thesis on a Latin American/Caribbean topic to a participating program faculty member specializing in the field(s) in which, or about which, the paper was written.
Course Listing
The following courses have 100% Latin American and/or Caribbean content and count toward the minor in Latin American and Caribbean Studies:
The following courses may count toward the minor of Latin American and Caribbean Studies provided they meet the 25% of Latin American and/or Caribbean content, and have the approval of the program coordinator:
This is not an exhaustive list of courses that qualify as Latin American and Caribbean Studies courses. Students interested in the Latin American and Caribbean Studies Program should contact the program coordinator for a list of courses currently offered or for approval of courses not listed here.