Latin American, Caribbean, and U.S. Latino Studies (LACUSL)
Degree Requirements
Students are required to complete a minimum of 33 credits in the major, at least 15 of which must be taken at the advanced level (300 and above) in residence at UWM. The College requires that all students attain at least a 2.5 GPA on all credits in the major attempted at UWM. In addition, students must attain a 2.5 GPA on all major credits attempted, including transfer work.
Core Courses (LACS 101 and Latino 101)
Introductory courses in Latino studies and in Latin American and Caribbean studies will provide a solid foundation in the history and cultures of these areas that will inform the remaining coursework that students complete in the major. (6 credits)
Integrated Courses (course list under review)
Many of these unique courses were designed especially for this major. They contain a balanced amount of course coverage on both Latino studies and Latin American/Caribbean studies in an effort to treat the “LACUSL” world as an integrated whole. (3 credits)
Comparative Courses (course list under review)
These courses may include material and world regions that go beyond the major’s U.S. Latino and Latin American/Caribbean focus, though some attention must be paid to one or more of the LACUSL areas. The goal of this requirement is to encourage students to think comparatively and in a broader global context about the methodologies, concepts, and themes that they are encountering in the major’s courses. (3 credits)
Elective Course Clusters (course list under review)
Courses with substantial Latino and/or Latin American/Caribbean content are organized into subject clusters that cross-cut traditional department lines in order to focus students’ attention on a range of perspectives from which Latino, Latin American, and Caribbean subjects can be examined. To ensure that students gain exposure to a range of perspectives, they must select courses from at least three of the following clusters and at least three different departments. A course that appears in more than one category, including the integrated and comparative courses, may count for only one requirement in the major. (18 credits)
- Engaging Artistic, Cultural, and Literary Manifestations across the Americas
- Constructing Empires, Colonies, and Nations
- Linking Identities, Spaces, and Diasporas
- Building Sustainable Communities and Environments
- Communication, History, and Theory Across Cultures and Nations
Senior Research Project (LACS/Latino 680*)
This course Senior Research Project will serve as a culminating experience in the major. Students will learn and demonstrate research skills in examining an issue or a problem that is relevant to the major. The topic of the research project must integrate Latino and Latin American/Caribbean studies. (3 credits)