Kirstin Erickson
Director of Studies
330 Old Main
479-575-5600
http://last.uark.edu/

Students interested in Latin America and wishing to maximize their potential for academic, business, professional, or government careers related to the area, may earn a second major or a minor in Latin American and Latino studies together with a primary major in another discipline in Fulbright College. Advice on appropriate combinations of Latin American and Latino studies with other primary majors as well as individual approval of such combinations may be obtained from the Latin American and Latino studies program director. New students in this program must officially declare both majors and notify the Latin American and Latino studies program director. Degree checks must also be cleared with the program director. Freshmen and sophomores considering this program are advised to begin their study of Spanish or Portuguese as early as possible.

Requirements for a Second Major in Latin American and Latino Studies

In addition to the requirements of a primary departmental major, students pursuing a second major in Latin American and Latino Studies must complete the following:

Language Competence: The student must complete SPAN 2013, PORT 2013, or equivalent. Provisions are available for recognition of language skills gained by other means than formal course work taken at the University of Arkansas: See information under the entry in the department of world languages. Further functional work in Spanish or Portuguese as well as study and residence in a Latin American nation can serve to strengthen language competence and are encouraged.

Colloquium: The student must complete at least three hours in the interdepartmental colloquium, LAST 4003. The Colloquium may be repeated, with the adviser’s approval, provided the topic is different.

Electives: The student must complete 18 hours, in addition to LAST 4003, in courses with specific Latin American or Latino content, or individualized study options under instructors teaching Latin American or Latino studies. Students choosing to take individualized readings or directed research courses must obtain the approval of the director of the area studies program. In the selection of the electives, the following conditions apply:

1. Courses must be selected from at least three different departments,
2. A maximum of nine hours may be submitted from courses taken in any one department.

The following courses and individualized study options may be taken in fulfillment of elective requirements:

Requirements for a Minor in Latin American and Latino Studies: Students wishing to minor in Latin American and Latino studies must fulfill the Colloquium (LAST 4003) and the language requirements described above, and must complete at least 12 hours from among the electives listed above. Electives must include courses from at least two different academic departments. Included in the 12 hours may be 3 additional hours of LAST 4003, provided the topic is different.

Requirements for Honors in Latin American and Latino Studies: The Honors Program in Latin American and Latino studies gives junior and senior students of high ability the opportunity to enroll in enriched courses and conduct independent research culminating in an honors thesis. In addition to satisfying the general Fulbright College requirements for graduation and the basic eligibility requirements for honors as established by the Honors Council, candidates for honors in Latin American and Latino studies must complete 12 hours of honors credit in partial satisfaction of requirements for the co-major. One to six of these may be thesis hours (LAST 399VH). The preferred method for satisfying the remaining hours is to enroll in the colloquium at least once for honors credit (LAST 4003H) and to take relevant honors colloquia or graduate courses (with permission) in one of the departments contributing to this interdisciplinary area study. The thesis committee shall include a representative from the major discipline (in the case of multiple majors, from the discipline contributing most significantly to the topic). Successful completion of these requirements will be recognized by the award of the distinction “Latin American and Latino Studies Scholar Cum Laude” at graduation. Higher degree distinctions are recommended only in exceptional cases and are based upon the whole of the candidate’s program of honors studies.