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The Minor in Latin American Studies

Course Requirements for the Minor: 22-30 units

The following courses, or their approved transfer equivalents, are required of all candidates for this minor.

1-3 courses required:

A minimum of third-semester competency (e.g., SPAN 201) in Portuguese or Spanish is required for the Latin American Studies minor. Students interested in Portuguese can fulfill this language requirement by taking third-semester Portuguese from an accredited program either in the United States or through study abroad. Students who have met the language competency prior to enrollment should see the minor advisor regarding completion of requirements.

SUBJ NUM Title Sustainable Units Semester Offered Course Flags
PORT 101A Beginning Portuguese I   4.0 FS  GE
Introduction to Portuguese language and its associated cultures. Emphasis on the fundamental skills of understanding, speaking, reading, and writing Portuguese. 3 hours discussion, 2 hours activity. This is an approved General Education course. (007752)
PORT 102A Beginning Portuguese II   4.0 FS  GE
Prerequisites: PORT 101A.
Continuation of PORT 101A. Emphasis on the fundamental skills of understanding, speaking, reading, and writing Portuguese. 3 hours discussion, 2 hours activity. This is an approved General Education course. (007754)
SPAN 101 First-Semester Spanish   4.0 FS  GE
Prerequisites: SPAN 101 is not available for credit to students with two or more years of Spanish within the last three years.
Introduction to Spanish language and culture. Emphasis on the fundamental skills of understanding, speaking, reading, and writing Spanish. 3 hours discussion, 2 hours activity. This is an approved General Education course. (009113)
SPAN 102 Second-Semester Spanish   4.0 FS  GE
Prerequisites: SPAN 101 or equivalent.
Continuation of SPAN 101. Emphasis on the fundamental skills of understanding, speaking, reading, and writing Spanish. 3 hours discussion, 2 hours activity. This is an approved General Education course. (009118)
SPAN 201 Third-Semester Spanish   4.0 FS  GE
Prerequisites: SPAN 102 or equivalent.
Reviewing and expanding of language skills and cultural concepts introduced in SPAN 101 and SPAN 102. This course includes composition and reading. 3 hours discussion, 2 hours activity. This is an approved General Education course. (009121)
SPAN 201N Spanish for Spanish Speakers   4.0 FS  GE
Prerequisites: Faculty permission.
Reviewing and expanding of language skills possessed by speakers of Spanish who have not studied the language formally. This course includes composition and reading. Particular focus on the Mexican-American/Latino experience. 3 hours discussion, 2 hours activity. This is an approved General Education course. (009123)

2 courses required:

SUBJ NUM Title Sustainable Units Semester Offered Course Flags
LAST 110 Introduction to Latin American Studies   3.0 FS  GE  GC
A survey of the history, geography, culture, and society of Latin America. This course is designed to provide students who are majoring in Latin American Studies, as well as General Education students, with an initial orientation in the study of Latin America on an interdisciplinary basis. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved General Education course. This is an approved Global Cultures course. (015750)
LAST 495 Seminar in Selected Topics   3.0 SP  GW
Prerequisites: Completion of GE Written Communication (A2) requirement, LAST 110.
An in-depth, interdisciplinary seminar that examines selected topics in Latin American culture and society, past and present, through critical reading of, and commentary on, recent scholarship devoted to the region. Readings may include Spanish language sources. Topics vary by semester. Required for majors and minors. 3 hours seminar. This is an approved Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement course; a grade of C- or higher certifies writing proficiency for majors. (005384)

12 units selected from:

No more than 6 units may be selected from any one subject area.

SUBJ NUM Title Sustainable Units Semester Offered Course Flags
ANTH 268 Indigenous People of Latin America   3.0 SP  GE  GC
Study of the Native peoples of South America, Mexico, and Central America from European contact to the present. The course emphasizes contemporary ethnography and interaction of indigenous people with colonialism and the modern nation-state. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved General Education course. This is an approved Global Cultures course. (021187)
ARTH 471 Ancient Mexican Art   3.0 INQ  
A survey of ancient Mexican art and culture of formative, classic, conquest, including the Olmec, Teotihuacan, Zapotec, Mxtec, Classic Gulf Coast, Toltec, and Aztec. Sites discussed include El Tajin, La Venta, Monte Alban, Milta, Tula, and Tenochtitlan 3 hours lecture. (000841)
ARTH 472 Maya Art   3.0 INQ  
An investigation of the art of the ancient Maya of Mexico and Central America prior to European contact, from the Preclassic to Postclassic periods. The relationship of art to religious beliefs and practices will be explored, as well as the development of local styles associated with royal courts. Sites discussed include Tikal, Palenque, Copan, Uxmal, and Chichen Itza 3 hours lecture. (020618)
ARTH 473 Meso-American/Colonial Art   3.0 INQ  
Prerequisites: ARTH 120.
 This course is also offered as CHST 473.
A survey of Mexican art and culture from the Cortesian Conquest, the Colonial Period of monastery- and church-building, the Revolution of 1810, the Revolution of 1910, and the painters of the great revolutionary mural movement that followed, Rivera, Orozco, and Siqueriros, to contemporary artists who have tended toward international pluralism. Attention is given to the process of acculturation that produced the modern Mexican peoples, their national character, and their contemporary art. 3 hours lecture. (000842)
ARTH 474 Ancient Andean Art   3.0 INQ  
An investigation of the art of Peru and adjacent regions prior to European contact. The relationship of art to religious beliefs and practices, political ideologies, and the significance of styles and technologies are examined. Cultures surveyed include Chavin, Paracas, Nasca, Moche, Tiwanaku, and Inka, as well as the Northern Andean civilizations such as San Agustin. 3 hours lecture. (020619)
CHST 454 Chicano Literature   3.0 INQ  
Prerequisites: SPAN 301; SPAN 341 or SPAN 342; or faculty permission.
 This course is also offered as SPAN 454.
A study of the Chicano people as reflected in selected films and literature. Discussions will be in Spanish, readings in English and Spanish, reports in Spanish. 3 hours seminar. (001984)
CHST 473 Meso-American/Colonial Art   3.0 INQ  
Prerequisites: ARTH 120.
 This course is also offered as ARTH 473.
A survey of Mexican art and culture from the Cortesian Conquest, the Colonial Period of monastery- and church-building, the Revolution of 1810, the Revolution of 1910, and the painters of the great revolutionary mural movement that followed, Rivera, Orozco, and Siqueriros, to contemporary artists who have tended toward international pluralism. Attention is given to the process of acculturation that produced the modern Mexican peoples, their national character, and their contemporary art. 3 hours lecture. (000842)
GEOG 357 Lands and Peoples of Latin America   3.0 FS  GE  GC
This course is also offered as LAST 357.
Study of the physical environment, human settlement, development, and modern problems of the nations of Latin America. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved General Education course. This is an approved Global Cultures course. (021143)
HIST 380 Colonial Latin America   3.0 INQ  GC
An historical survey of pre-Columbian and colonial Latin America, with emphasis on Aztec and Inca societies, Iberia's military, economic, and spiritual conquest, and the ways in which diverse colonial subjects resisted, adapted to, and assimilated colonial rule. Concludes by considering popular and elite culture in the late colonial period and tensions leading toward independence. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved Global Cultures course. (004568)
HIST 381 Modern Latin America   3.0 SP  GE  GC
A survey of Latin America since independence from Iberia, highlighting the chaotic years of post-independence state building, the region's integration into the global capitalist economy and the age of mass politics and revolutionary ferment after 1930. The final weeks focus on Latin America's experience with military dictatorship and current transitions to democracy. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved General Education course. This is an approved Global Cultures course. (004495)
HIST 382 Modern Mexico   3.0 FA  GE  GC
This course is also offered as LAST 350.
An interdisciplinary approach to the history and politics of Mexico. This course will introduce students to the panorama of Mexican history while delineating the roots and development of the current Mexican political system. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved General Education course. This is an approved Global Cultures course. (004558)
HIST 480 Social Revolution in Latin America   3.0 INQ  
This course explores twentieth-century social revolutions in Mexico, Cuba, Chile and Nicaragua. Additional consideration will be given to more recent phenomena in Venezuela and the Mexican state of Chiapas. Evaluates the role played by class, ethnicity, and gender in these movements and considers whether the driving force of social revolution in Latin America is Marxism or nationalist/anti-imperialism. 3 hours seminar. (004647)
INST 301 International Forum   1.0 FS  
A series of presentations on a wide variety of topics of international concern. Lectures, debates, and panel discussions on areas of current international importance. 1 hour lecture. You may take this course more than once for a maximum of 6.0 units. Credit/no credit grading. (004875)
LAST 120 Latin American Film and Culture   3.0 FS  GE  GC
This course examines films made by Latin American and non-Latin American filmmakers as a means of introducing students to the history of cultures of Latin America from the pre-conquest to the present. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved General Education course. This is an approved Global Cultures course. (021121)
LAST 150 Orientation to Mexico Program   1.0 FA  
Introduction to the Mexico Program of intercultural experiential learning in Mexico. The course will survey Mexican geography, anthropology, development, culture, adjustment to cultural differences, and intercultural communication. The course is intended to prepare the student for the six-week program in Mexico. 1 hour lecture. (005373)
LAST 350 Modern Mexico   3.0 FA  GE  GC
This course is also offered as HIST 382.
An interdisciplinary approach to the history and politics of Mexico. This course will introduce students to the panorama of Mexican history while delineating the roots and development of the current Mexican political system. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved General Education course. This is an approved Global Cultures course. (004558)
LAST 351 Natural History and Ecology of Mexico and Central America Green Leaf Representing that this course is Sustainable 3.0 FS  GC
Prerequisites: Completion of the lower-division GE Pathway Foundation Physical Sciences and GE Pathway Foundation Life Sciences or faculty permission.
LAST 351 explores the natural and human-modified environments of Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. It introduces students to the biological and physical processes that create the natural environments of the region and examines the complex interactions between people and these environments, both past and present. This course is designed to be the Area B course in the General Education Upper-Division Theme I: Mexico and Central America. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved Global Cultures course. (005379)
LAST 352 Mexico: Literature and Arts   3.0 FS  GC
An interdisciplinary examination of how Mexican literature and the arts reflect the social and cultural roots of the people of Mexcio. This course is a component of the General Education Upper-Division Thematic Program on Mexico and Central America. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved Global Cultures course. (005377)
LAST 357 Lands and Peoples of Latin America   3.0 FS  GE  GC
This course is also offered as GEOG 357.
Study of the physical environment, human settlement, development, and modern problems of the nations of Latin America. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved General Education course. This is an approved Global Cultures course. (021143)
LAST 489 Intercult Experiential Lrng   1.0 -6.0 FS  
Prerequisites: LAST 150, faculty permission.
This course will provide students with a genuine cross-cultural experience which will enable them to understand Latin American life from the point of view of the Latin American family with which they will live and the Latin American people with whom they will work. Students will live with a Latin American family and work in a Latin American organization for a six-week period. Students will keep a log of their experiences and prepare a written evaluation of their families and jobs. 6 hours discussion. You may take this course more than once for a maximum of 15.0 units. Special fee required; see the Class Schedule. (005385)
SPAN 332 Latin American Culture and Civilization   3.0 FS  
Prerequisites: SPAN 301 or faculty permission.
A survey of the cultural, social, economic, and political heritage of Latin America and its evolution into contemporary Latin American society. 3 hours discussion. (009155)
SPAN 341 Introduction to Latin American Literature   3.0 FS  
Prerequisites: SPAN 301.
Introduces students to the study of Hispanic literature and culture, and develops their skills in language comprehension and analysis of prose, poetry, and drama. The works studied will be short stories, full-length plays, and Hispanic-American narrative and lyric poetry. SPAN 341 and SPAN 342 are required of all majors and count as electives for the minor. Either fulfills the prerequisite for all other upper-division literature courses. 3 hours discussion. (009140)
SPAN 441 Hispanic Short Story   3.0 INQ  
Prerequisites: SPAN 301; SPAN 341 or SPAN 342; or faculty permission.
Study of leading short story writers from Spain and Latin America, with background readings and reports on representative authors. Emphasis on contemporary works. 3 hours seminar. (009159)
SPAN 442 Hispanic Theater   3.0 INQ  
Prerequisites: SPAN 301; SPAN 341 or SPAN 342; or faculty permission.
Readings, discussions, reports, and oral interpretation of major dramatic works of Latin America and Spain. 3 hours discussion. (009161)
SPAN 443 Hispanic Novel   3.0 INQ  
Prerequisites: SPAN 301; SPAN 341 or SPAN 342; or faculty permission.
Analysis of representative novels from Latin America and Spain. 3 hours discussion. (009167)
SPAN 451 Literature of Mexico   3.0 INQ  
Prerequisites: SPAN 301; SPAN 341 or SPAN 342; or faculty permission.
Readings and reports on literature of Mexico from pre-Columbian to contemporary literature. 3 hours discussion. (009168)
SPAN 452 Viewing the Hispanic Caribbean   3.0 INQ  
Prerequisites: SPAN 301, SPAN 302; either SPAN 341 or SPAN 342 (may be taken concurrently).
Critical analysis of literature and culture of the Spanish-speaking Caribbean, utilizing reading, discussion, oral reports, and written projects. 3 hours lecture. (009170)
SPAN 454 Chicano Literature   3.0 INQ  
Prerequisites: SPAN 301; SPAN 341 or SPAN 342; or faculty permission.
 This course is also offered as CHST 454.
A study of the Chicano people as reflected in selected films and literature. Discussions will be in Spanish, readings in English and Spanish, reports in Spanish. 3 hours seminar. (001984)
SPAN 471 Women and Literature in the Hispanic World   3.0 INQ  
Prerequisites: SPAN 301; SPAN 341 or SPAN 342; or faculty permission.
Women in Spanish-speaking society. An approach to culture via a study of women as literary subjects and as writers. The idealization and reality of their existence as reflected through Spanish and Latin American literature. 3 hours discussion. (009182)
SPAN 481 Film and Literature in Spain and Latin America   3.0 INQ  
Prerequisites: SPAN 301; SPAN 341 or SPAN 342; or faculty permission.
Students will consider the elements that constitute literary and cinematic masterpieces by examining films based on a variety of texts: epic poetry, drama, short story, legend, novel, zarzuela, and filmscript. The films will represent the cultural and linguistic diversity in areas of Spain and Latin America. 3 hours discussion. (009183)
Catalog Cycle:16