List of All U.S. Colleges with a Latin American Studies Major
The Latin American Studies Major (LAS) covers the diverse disciplines of economics, sociology, political science, and more through the Latino lens. Be careful not to confuse this field with Latino Studies, however; that field covers the U.S. Hispanic’s story alone, while LAS critically examines Latin America’s holistic history. The Latin American Studies student picks up a set of close reading, critical thinking, and analytical skills, preparing them for a diverse set of job prospects. Many graduates go into academia, journalism, business, politics, diplomacy or law. Interested in this major? Here, we’ll break down which schools offer LAS and what to look for in a program. LAS majors should expect to take a few introductory LAS classes, at least a few of them seminar-style. Additionally, many universities have a foreign language requirement for the major, typically Spanish or Portuguese. Afterwards, students choose from a wide range of electives to round out their education. They often choose a concentration within a specific subject area, the offerings of which will vary from school to school. Successful LAS students are deeply intrinsically motivated by a love for sociology and literature. Since LAS is a social study, it may be a good option for those interested in social study-based areas like geography, history, culture, politics, and economics. Prepare for close reading, writing, analysis, and discussion; many B.A. programs require a senior thesis. Many, but not all, have a personal connection to the major through being Latinx themselves. After graduation, LAS majors might have a harder time finding a job immediately as they might with, say, a computer science degree. Still, their degree, oftentimes paired with graduate school, may still prove an asset to a job seeker. The academic world compels many LAS grads: many seek Ph.D.’s and Master’s degrees to become teachers and professors in their specialized fields. They may teach English or Spanish to nonnative speakers, or even Latin American Studies itself. Similarly, they may become translators, interpreters, or counselors. An advanced degree can propel a student into a career as a therapist, professor, lawyer, and more, but a LAS undergraduate education will provide you with a unique foundation for your career. LAS grads drawn to service may work for nonprofits or similar organizations which cater to Latino communities. Finally, this major could prepare students for a career in the international realm. Those in the military, travel, and international sales business may find their cultural, and oftentimes linguistic, fluency a strong asset. University LAS programs often place great importance on gaining at least intermediate fluency in traditionally Latin languages, like Spanish and Portuguese. Bi or trilingualism is near-essential in the workforce, as your degree will likely land you in many situations in which you will be in close contact with people from Latin American countries. Native-speaking educators will not only have a deep understanding of your target language, but also of how it operates within its cultural context. They are likely to have excellent pronunciation, as well as a strong understanding of the social norms within their native country. If you’re looking for strong letters of recommendation for grad school, these educators can prove a vital asset. They’re fantastic people to build strong relationships with, but remember that teachers of any background can be wonderful ones, native speaking or not. Given the importance of cultural fluency in this major, studying abroad is not only an enjoyable, but also a practical, experience. Being fully immersed in the culture and language of any of Latin America’s 33 countries will give students a deeper understanding of Latin America. This is especially essential for students who plan to take on international and travel-based careers. Many prominent LAS programs require that students complete a senior research thesis within a specific subject area to finish off their major requirements. Universities are places to learn, not only in the classroom, but in your own self-motivated endeavors. Luckily, many contain vast libraries and ancient archives to supplement your research. Columbia, for example, grants students access to New York Public Library, New York University, and Cornell University. Notice a school that’s missing? Email us and let us know! No matter your major, you must be academically comparable to previous years’ admits to be a competitive college applicant. Most selective schools use the Academic Index, a complex tool based on your grades, test scores, and class rankings, to evaluate academic aptitude and filter out students who don’t meet their standards. The qualitative aspects of your application, like your essays and extracurriculars, are your place to show who you are and demonstrate fit with your chosen schools and majors. Prospective Latin American Studies majors may showcase and expand their passion for the topic through joining or starting culturally Latino clubs and organizations. Additionally, they may self-teach or tutor languages like Spanish and Portuguese, both commonly spoken in Latin America. More broadly, you may consider pursuing social studies-based extracurriculars in high school. Even activities like Model UN or Mock Trial can develop the communication skills you’ll need in your undergraduate career. If you’re struggling to figure out where you match up to other applicants, we recommend using our free Chancing Engine. Unlike other solely stats-based chancing calculators, ours considers much of your entire profile, including both your quantitative stats and qualitative extracurriculars. We'll send valuable information to help you strengthen your profile and get ready for college admissions.Overview of the Latin American Studies Major
What to Look for in a College as a Latin American Studies Major
Native Speaker Professors and TAs
Study Abroad Opportunities
Archival Research Resources
List of All U.S. Colleges With the Latin American Studies Major
School Name
City
State
Samford University
Birmingham
Alabama
University of Arizona
Tucson
Arizona
California State University, Fresno | CSU Fresno
Fresno
California
California State University, Fullerton | CSU Fullerton
Fullerton
California
California State University, East Bay | CSU East Bay
Hayward
California
California State University, Los Angeles | Cal State LA
Los Angeles
California
California State University, Northridge | CSUN
Northridge
California
University of California, Berkeley | UC Berkeley
Berkeley
California
University of California, Los Angeles | UCLA
Los Angeles
California
University of California, Riverside | UC Riverside
Riverside
California
University of California, San Diego | UCSD
La Jolla
California
Claremont McKenna College | CMC
Claremont
California
Mills College
Oakland
California
Pepperdine University
Malibu
California
Pomona College
Claremont
California
University of Redlands
Redlands
California
San Diego State University | SDSU
San Diego
California
University of San Francisco | USF
San Francisco
California
Scripps College
Claremont
California
Saint Mary’s College of California | St. Mary’s
Moraga
California
Connecticut College
New London
Connecticut
University of Connecticut | UConn
Storrs
Connecticut
Wesleyan University
Middletown
Connecticut
Yale University
New Haven
Connecticut
University of Delaware
Newark
Delaware
American University
Washington DC
Washington DC
George Washington University | GW
Washington DC
Washington DC
University of Central Florida | UCF
Orlando
Florida
University of Miami
Coral Gables
Florida
Emory University
Atlanta
Georgia
University of Idaho
Moscow
Idaho
University of Chicago
Chicago
Illinois
DePaul University
Chicago
Illinois
University of Illinois at Chicago | UIC
Chicago
Illinois
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | UIUC
Champaign
Illinois
Knox College
Galesburg
Illinois
Lake Forest College
Lake Forest
Illinois
Principia College
Elsah
Illinois
Valparaiso University | Valpo
Valparaiso
Indiana
Cornell College
Mount Vernon
Iowa
University of Kansas
Lawrence
Kansas
University of Louisville
Louisville
Kentucky
Tulane University
New Orleans
Louisiana
Bates College
Lewiston
Maine
Bowdoin College
Brunswick
Maine
Colby College
Waterville
Maine
Assumption College
Worcester
Massachusetts
Boston University | BU
Boston
Massachusetts
Brandeis University
Waltham
Massachusetts
College of the Holy Cross | Holy Cross
Worcester
Massachusetts
Smith College
Northampton
Massachusetts
Tufts University
Medford
Massachusetts
Wellesley College
Wellesley
Massachusetts
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor
Michigan
Oakland University
Rochester Hills
Michigan
Carleton College
Northfield
Minnesota
Macalester College
Saint Paul
Minnesota
University of Minnesota Duluth | UMD
Duluth
Minnesota
St. Olaf College
Northfield
Minnesota
Millsaps College
Jackson
Mississippi
Saint Louis University | SLU
Saint Louis
Missouri
Washington University in St. Louis | WashU
Saint Louis
Missouri
Webster University
Saint Louis
Missouri
University of Nebraska Omaha | UNO
Omaha
Nebraska
University of Nebraska–Lincoln | UNL
Lincoln
Nebraska
University of Nevada, Las Vegas | UNLV
Las Vegas
Nevada
Dartmouth College
Hanover
New Hampshire
Rutgers University–New Brunswick | Rutgers
New Brunswick
New Jersey
Seton Hall University
South Orange
New Jersey
University of New Mexico | UNM
Albuquerque
New Mexico
Adelphi University
Garden City
New York
Barnard College
New York
New York
Columbia University
New York
New York
Hunter College | CUNY Hunter
New York
New York
Fordham University
Bronx
New York
Hobart and William Smith Colleges | HWS
Geneva
New York
New York University | NYU
New York
New York
Pace University
New York
New York
The State University of New York at Albany | SUNY Albany
Albany
New York
The State University of New York at Binghamton | SUNY Binghamton
Vestal
New York
State University of New York at Purchase | SUNY Purchase
Purchase
New York
Syracuse University
Syracuse
New York
United States Military Academy | Army
West Point
New York
Vassar College
Poughkeepsie
New York
Davidson College
Davidson
North Carolina
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | UNC
Chapel Hill
North Carolina
University of North Carolina at Charlotte | UNC Charlotte
Charlotte
North Carolina
Miami University
Oxford
Ohio
Oberlin College
Oberlin
Ohio
Ohio University
Athens
Ohio
Ohio Wesleyan University
Delaware
Ohio
University of Toledo
Toledo
Ohio
University of Oregon
Eugene
Oregon
Willamette University
Salem
Oregon
Bucknell University
Lewisburg
Pennsylvania
Dickinson College
Carlisle
Pennsylvania
Gettysburg College
Gettysburg
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania State University | PSU
University Park
Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania | UPenn
Philadelphia
Pennsylvania
University of Scranton
Scranton
Pennsylvania
Swarthmore College
Swarthmore
Pennsylvania
Temple University
Philadelphia
Pennsylvania
Villanova University
Villanova
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island College | RIC
Providence
Rhode Island
University of South Carolina | USC
Columbia
South Carolina
Rhodes College
Memphis
Tennessee
Vanderbilt University
Nashville
Tennessee
Baylor University
Waco
Texas
Rice University
Houston
Texas
St. Edward’s University
Austin
Texas
Southern Methodist University | SMU
Dallas
Texas
Southwestern University
Georgetown
Texas
University of Texas at Austin | UT Austin
Austin
Texas
University of Texas at El Paso | UTEP
El Paso
Texas
Texas Tech University | TTU
Lubbock
Texas
Trinity University
San Antonio
Texas
Brigham Young University | BYU
Provo
Utah
University of Utah
Salt Lake City
Utah
Westminster College (Utah)
Salt Lake City
Utah
Bennington College
Bennington
Vermont
Middlebury College
Middlebury
Vermont
George Mason University
Fairfax
Virginia
University of Richmond
University of Richmond
Virginia
Gonzaga University
Spokane
Washington
Seattle Pacific University | SPU
Seattle
Washington
University of Washington
Seattle
Washington
Marquette University
Milwaukee
Wisconsin
Florida International University | FIU
Miami
Florida
Florida State University | FSU
Tallahassee
Florida
Rollins College
Winter Park
Florida
University of Georgia
Athens
Georgia
University of Kansas
Lawrence
Kansas
Mount Holyoke College
South Hadley
Massachusetts
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor
Michigan
Gustavus Adolphus College
Saint Peter
Minnesota
The State University of New York at Binghamton | SUNY Binghamton
Vestal
New York
Union College (New York)
Schenectady
New York
Linfield College
McMinnville
Oregon
Brown University
Providence
Rhode Island
College of Charleston
Charleston
South Carolina
University of Vermont | UVM
Burlington
Vermont
University of Wisconsin-Madison | Wisconsin
Madison
Wisconsin
University of Wisconsin‚ Milwaukee | UWM
Milwaukee
Wisconsin
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