Latin American Studies Minor

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This minor is designed to reflect the interdisciplinary nature of the study of Latin American. The minor is delivered through a hands on approach that encompasses a set of predefined experiential learning opportunities that expose students to the problems of getting to know other cultures and becoming familiar with the attitudes and skill sets needed to understand cultures different from ones own.

Students must earn a minimum of 19-22 credit hours distributed among the following requirements to complete the Latin American Studies minor.

Requirements:

LAM 200 -Understanding Latin America: This course will be taught in English, with discussion sections available in Spanish and Portuguese depending student interest. The course could also be team taught by professors from different departments. LAM 200 will both introduce and structure the minor. Students must complete LAM 200 before participating in a study abroad experience.

LAM 200 - Understanding Latin America, 3 credit hours

Foreign Language Requirement:

LAM minors are required to complete foreign language coursework equivalent to one-semester of university level classes in Spanish or Portuguese starting with the class indicated by a placement test administered by the Department of Foreign Languages at BW. Students interested in fulfilling the foreign language requirement with coursework in Portuguese are strongly encouraged to enroll in the Brazilian Portuguese for Foreigners program at FAE Centro Universitário un Curitiba, Brazil. Students with native speaking ability are exempt from the language requirement. Students who complete university level language coursework elsewhere must show transcript that includes such a course. Students who are exempt from language requirement are strongly encouraged to take a 3-credit hour elective course in Spanish or Portuguese to complete the minimum requirement of the 19 credit hours.

Interdisciplinary Coursework in Latin America: (choose 2 courses from 2 disciplines)

In order to provide an interdisciplinary basis to understanding Latin America all LAM minors will choose two courses from two disciplines from among the courses listed below. These courses aim to provide LAM minors with a preliminary understanding of historical and current issues affecting Latin America as a region. Students are responsible for meeting any prerequisites which exist for the Spanish courses listed below.

Area Specific Courses: (6 credits)

The aim of an area-specific course is to expose the LAM minor to particular issues and topics related to a specific region or country of Latin America. Students will have access to these area-specific courses as part of coursework embedded in a BW faculty-led study trip or at a BW-recommended, study abroad program in Latin America.

Unlike minors at most other institutions, LAM minors will be required to complete a study abroad trip either in the form of a faculty-led study trip or by studying at a BW-recommended, semester abroad program in a Latin American country. Only BW-recommended study abroad programs that automatically carry BW credit will count toward completion of the 6 credit hours requirement in area specific courses. For faculty-led study abroad trips, these area-specific courses will be included as part of the credits that students are required to complete for the study abroad experience. For students who participate in a BW-approved semester abroad program, equivalency for the 6 credits of area-specific courses will be pre-approved by the LAM Advisory Committee.

Integrative/Culmination Element: (1-3 credits)

This portion of the LAM minor entails the incorporation of a student’s coursework and the study abroad experience in Latin America into an integrative/culmination experience that allows the LAM student to engage in a rich learning opportunity that connects the LAM minor and the student’s own academic major or career goals. Below find a non-exhaustive list of how the LAM student can fulfill this portion of the minor:
     —Service Learning Project                             —Internship/Experiential Learning
     —Independent Study/Research                      —Faculty-Student Collaborative Project
     —Presentation at Ovation                              —Research Paper/Capstone Seminar
Students can also complete this integrative/culmination element with coursework or an equivalent experience included in a BW faculty-led study abroad trip. Students must complete the integrative culmination requirement of the LAM minor within six months after returning from the study abroad experience. For LAM minors who participate in a BW-recommended study abroad program in Latin America, the LAM Faculty Advisory Committee will assign a committee member who will serve as a mentor and assist the student to complete the integrative/culmination requirement. The LAM Faculty Advisory Committee will design guidelines to typify what sort of coursework students must complete given the variability in number of credit hours for this component of the minor.