Global Studies: Global Latin America Emphasis
Available starting August 2026
Description
Explore Latin America and its global connections through the Global Studies: Global Latin America emphasis. This program builds the historical, cultural, political, and economic knowledge needed to understand and address today’s challenges across the region. Students focus on areas such as the Andean region, Brazil, Central America, Mexico, and the U.S.-Mexico border.
Coursework is interdisciplinary and covers key themes, including human rights and migration; race, identity, and politics; environment, health, and development; violence, conflict, and peacebuilding; democracy and colonial legacies; and indigenous peoples, gender, and social movements.
Faculty come from fields like anthropology, political science, and geography and are active in public debates on current Latin American issues. They bring real-world insight into the classroom and work closely with students through research, internships, community projects, and study abroad opportunities, helping connect academic learning with practical experience.
Learning Outcome
Students will be able to analyze how major themes (e.g. race, ethnicity, gender, development, democracy, coloniality, health, environment, human rights, the arts) are constructed historically and situated in contemporary global Latin America.
Emphasis Courses
AFAS/LAS 310: Afro-Latin American Literature
AFAS/LAS 345: Caribbean Politics
ANTH/LAS 334A: Ancient Maya Civilization
GEOG/LAS 311A: Geography of Mexico
GEOG/LAS 311B: Geography of Central America and the Caribbean
GWS/ENG/MAS 312: Latina/o Pop: Race, Gender, Sexuality & Popular Culture
HIST/LAS 309: Banned! Histories of Censorship in the Americas
HIST/LAS 352: Slavery in Latin America
HIST/LAS 465Z: History of Central America
LAS 150B1: Modern Latin America: Race, Rights and Revolutions
LAS 150B2: Understanding Mexico Today
LAS/HITS 206L Introduction to Central American Studies: History, Culture, and Language
LAS/POL 215: Security in Latin America: Critical Approaches to State Repression and Community Resistance
LAS/GLS 230: Latin America: Food and Culture
LAS/AFAS/ANTH/PORT/SPAN 280: Brazilian Identity: Class, Race, and Citizenship
LAS/ANTH 308: Health, Harm, and Healing in Latin America
LAS/PA/POL 312: Global Power and U.S.-Latin American Relation
LAS/ANTH/GWS/RELI 316: Sex and Salvation in Latin America
LAS/ANTH/POL 348: Drug Wars and Oil Fortunes in Latin America
LAS 354: Drugs and Violence in Mexico
LAS/PA/POL 356: Indigenous Resistance in Latin America: Democracy from Below
LAS/AFAS/ANTH/PORT/SPAN 363: #Black Lives Matter Across The Americas: Race & Racism in Latin America
LAS/POL 364: Development in Latin America
LAS/GEOG 365: Human Rights, Immigration Enforcement and the US-Mexico Borderlands Today
LAS/FOOD 405: Sabores de Mexico: From Farm to Table
LAS/ANT 422: Health Beyond Borders
LAS/GWS 460: Film and Feminism in Latin America
LAS 462: Special Topics in Contemporary Latin America
LAS/AFAS/ANTH 466: Racism and Resistance in Latin America
LAS 489: Central American Migration: Root Causes and Lived Experiences
LAS 493: Internship
LAS 493L: Legislative Internship
MUS/LAS 337: Mexican Music and Culture
MUS/LAS 468: Studies in Latin American Music
POL/LAS 347: Politics of Latin America
PORT/LAS 430: Brazilian Civilization
RELI/LAS 335: Rap, Culture and God
SOC/LAS 440: Transnational Crime: Causation, Victimization, and Control in an Era of Increased Globalization