Latin American and Caribbean Studies

lacs.northwestern.edu

The Program in Latin American and Caribbean Studies allows students to pursue a coherent interdisciplinary course of study on this region of the world, including courses offering a variety of perspectives: social, historical, linguistic, political, and cultural. The program requires a set of core courses and also offers a series of elective courses in several different departments. Students also are encouraged to study in a Latin American or Caribbean country through the programs offered by the Global Learning Office.

Program of Study

LACS Learning Objectives

Students should be able to...

  • Identify and analyze the nations cultures, societies, and peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean, engaging with scholarship that highlights the historical and contemporary structures, human-environment relationships, and intercultural dynamics that shape these regions.
  • Conceptualize the historical trajectories of Latin America and the Caribbean across pre- and post-Conquest periods, and interrogate how these histories shape contemporary realities—particularly through the lens of colonialism, empire, and resistance.
  • Employ interdisciplinary methods and perspectives—including but not limited to anthropology, history, political science, and cultural studies—to explore the social, political, environmental, and cultural foundations of these regions, and to situate them within broader global processes.
  • Critically examine the enduring legacies and present manifestations of colonialism, and related phenomena such as migration, diaspora, sustainability, ethnicity, and indigeneity, both within the region and in global contexts.
  • Articulate the interconnectedness of Latin America and the Caribbean with other world regions, emphasizing the dynamism, mobility, and intersectionality of identities, traditions, and geopolitical relations across time and space.
  • Demonstrate linguistic and cultural competence by reading, writing, speaking, and conducting research in one or more of the region’s languages, thereby developing the necessary skills to grapple with key global issues such as cultural reception, appropriation, diplomacy, and transnational exchange.

Courses

This list reflects only Latin American and Caribbean Studies courses listed under the LATIN AM course code; see LACS minor page and other parts of this catalog for courses under related subject areas.

LATIN_AM 101-7 College Seminar (1 Unit)   Small, writing and discussion-oriented course exploring a specific topic or theme, and introducing skills necessary to thriving at Northwestern. Not eligible to be applied towards a WCAS major or minor except where specifically indicated.

LATIN_AM 101-8 First-Year Writing Seminar (1 Unit)   Small, writing and discussion-oriented course exploring a specific topic or theme, and focused on the fundamentals of effective, college-level written communication. Not eligible to be applied towards a WCAS major or minor except where specifically indicated.

LATIN_AM 391-0 Topics in Latin American and Caribbean Studies (1 Unit)   An interdisciplinary introduction to significant topics in Latin American and Caribbean studies. Content varies from year to year; may be repeated for credit with a different topic.