|
|
Undergraduate Catalog | 2015-2016 Previous Edition
Latin American Studies, B.A.
|
|
Latin American Studies is an interdisciplinary program which involves a variety of fields, including African American studies, anthropology, Spanish and Portuguese language, literature and culture, history, philosophy, and political science. It also includes substantial training and education in Spanish and/or Portuguese. Students may either earn a Major (Bachelor of Arts) or a Minor in Latin American Studies.
Graduates of Latin American Studies (1) pursue graduate study in the humanities, social sciences, and law; (2) work for companies and agencies serving the growing Hispanic population of our region; and (3) find careers in the Foreign Service, the military, and other governmental agencies; in non-governmental organizations with an international or cross-cultural orientation; and in international business.
|
Additional Admission Requirements
Students declaring a Latin American Studies major must meet all requirements for undergraduate admission to the university. Students matriculated at UNC Charlotte and planning to change to or declare Latin American Studies as their major must have an overall GPA of at least 2.0. Transfer students from other institutions must meet all general requirements for admission to the University. Matriculated and transfer students who do not meet requirements for admission to the program because of special circumstances may petition the coordinator for acceptance into the program.
Students applying for admission to the University and acceptance into the Latin American Studies program must submit all documents specified in the current Catalog. Matriculated students requesting acceptance into the Latin American Studies program must complete the University Declaration of Major form. Students seeking to apply coursework taken at other institutions to the Latin American Studies major must provide a copy of the official course description for each course requested for consideration.
Degree Requirements
The program leading to the Bachelor of Arts degree in Latin American Studies is a 120 credit-hour program, including completion of all General Education Requirements and at least 30 credit hours in courses approved for Latin American Studies credit.
Foreign Language Courses (6 credit hours)
Students are expected to demonstrate competency in Spanish by completion of two courses at the 3000-level or above, or a combination of Portuguese through the 2000-level and reading knowledge in Spanish equivalent to the completion of SPAN 2050 .
Foundation Course (3 credit hours)
Major Courses (minimum 24 credit hours)
Select two to three courses from each of the following three perspectives (minimum of 24 credit hours):
Economy and Society Courses (6-9 credit hours)
Courses in this perspective emphasize social science approaches to the study of contemporary Latin America such as anthropology, political science, and business language. Economy and Society courses are designated in the LTAM course catalog by the numbers 21xx, 31xx, 41xx.
Examples include:
Historical Context Courses (6-9 credit hours)
Courses in this perspective focus on the historical development of Latin America since Pre-Columbian times, and they include courses in History and Archaeology. Students must take at least one course on pre-Columbian and/or colonial Latin America. Historical Context courses are designated in the LTAM course catalog by the numbers 22xx, 32xx, and 42xx. One of these courses must focus on the pre-colonial and/or colonial periods.
Examples include:
Literature and the Arts Courses (6-9 credit hours)
Courses in this perspective study the cultural production of Latin American peoples such as the arts, literature and film, and they include courses in Art History, Spanish, and Film Studies. Literature and the Arts courses are designated in the LTAM course catalog by the numbers 23xx, 33xx, and 43xx.
Examples include:
Study Abroad or Work Experience (3-6 credit hours)
Students are required to complete a study abroad or work experience in Latin American Studies. This may be fulfilled through participation in any one of the following:
Study Abroad
A formal study-abroad program of at least 45 contact hours equaling three hours of academic credit.
Work, Service, or Internship
At least 135 hours of work, service, or internship activities in Latin America or with Latino populations in the United States. 3 hours of academic credit for this option are available by enrolling in LTAM 3400 .
Coursework in Another Latin American Language
In addition to the foreign language requirement above, students may fulfill this option by completing 6 credit hours in Spanish, Portuguese, or French. Students may also elect to complete 3 hours in an indigenous language such as Yucatec Maya, Náhuatl, or Quechua. As the latter languages are currently not taught at UNC Charlotte, interested students would need to enroll in an off-campus program.
Academic credits earned in the course of fulfilling this requirement may be applied to the requirements of the major. At the discretion of an advisor, prior international experience may be considered.
Unrestricted Elective Courses
As needed.
Senior Seminar Course (3 credit hours)
Note:
This seminar may only be taken after completion of at least 18 hours in the major, including LTAM 1100 , and fulfillment of the language requirement. As the topic of this course varies, it may be taken more than once to fulfill an elective requirement. In that case, the first LTAM 4600 will fulfill a thematic requirement, and the second course will fulfill the capstone requirement.
Second Major (up to 9 credit hours)
Students doing a second major may count up to 9 hours of credit from courses fulfilling requirements in that major towards requirements for the Latin American Studies degree. Students doing a major/minor combination may count up to 6 hours credit from courses used in the minor towards the requirements for the Major in Latin American Studies. These stipulations include cross-listed courses regardless of program designation under which the course was taken. Exceptions may be approved by an advisor upon consultation with the other program or department. Note: Students exercising this option should be aware that the accuracy of the online degree audit may be affected.
Students may take LTAM 2001 , LTAM 2002 , or LTAM 2003 (Topics in Latin American Studies); or LTAM 3001 , LTAM 3002 , LTAM 3003 (Advanced Topics in Latin American Studies) to help fulfill these requirements. As the topics of these courses vary, students may repeat them for credit. An advisor will determine which perspective(s) a given section of LTAM 2001, LTAM 2002, LTAM 2003, LTAM 3001, LTAM 3002, or LTAM 3003 fulfills. With the approval of an advisor, students may also apply up to three credit hours of LTAM 3800 toward these requirements.
Transfer Credit (up to 64 credit hours)
Up to 64 credit hours may be accepted from a two-year institution. There is no limit on the number of hours that may be accepted from four-year institutions. All students must complete their last 30 credit hours in residence at UNC Charlotte, including the last 12 hours of the major.
At the discretion of an advisor, prior life, study, or work experience may be considered in exempting a student from this requirement.
Degree Total = 120 Credit Hours
Grade Requirements
To graduate, students majoring in Latin American Studies must have an overall GPA of at least 2.0, including a GPA of at least 2.0 in the major.
Honors Program
For details about the Honors Program in Latin American Studies, visit the program page .
Suggested Curriculum
For a suggested curriculum progression toward completing the major, please see the Academic Plan of Study available online at academics.uncc.edu.
|
|
|
