About the Program

Bachelor of Arts (BA)

Note: The Latin American Studies Major has been retired and folded into Global Studies.  We are no longer accepting Latin American Studies declarations.  Please visit the Global Studies website or the Global Studies page on the Berkeley Academic Guide for more information. 

The major in Latin American Studies (LAS) is designed to provide a balanced curriculum in the history, culture, and society of Latin America for students wishing to receive a broader perspective than is usually available through a department major. From the rich variety of offerings within and across departments, there is a wide range of possibilities to suit the interests of students. The program may be of particular interest to students who:

• Plan to enter business, government, or international agency service.
• Wish to teach social science or language.
• Are preparing for graduate and professional schools.

There is a wide range of courses from numerous departments to suit the interests of LAS majors. Students must gain intermediate-level proficiency in their chosen language — equivalent to four college-level semesters—either Spanish or Portuguese. In addition, students pursue a multidisciplinary course of study that includes the history and literature of the region. To assist in organizing a plan of study, students are aided by participating faculty members from several departments and programs, the faculty chair of the major, major advisers in the International and Area Studies Office, and teaching associates working in the program.

Declaring the Major

Applications are accepted during the fall and spring semesters from the third week of instruction until the last day of instruction (not the last day of finals). Applications are accepted during the summer from the last week in May until the beginning of the fall semester (not the beginning of classes).

To declare, students must satisfy the following:

1. Have completed LATAMST 10 (offered in fall semester only) with a grade of C or better (C- does not satisfy this requirement); Note: LAS 10 maybe be repeated only once to achieve a grade of C or better. There is no equivalent for LAS 10 from California community colleges.
2. Transfer students (only) may declare the major while enrolled in LAS 10. However, if a grade of C or better is not achieved, transfer students must repeat the course. A grade of C or better must be achieved on the second attempt.
3. Have a major and cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher.
4. Not be in their final semester of undergraduate work.
5. Have attended a Major Declaration Workshop (check the IAS website at  http://iastp.berkeley.edu/ or the posted calendar in 101 Stephens Hall for dates).

Additionally, students are encouraged—but not required—to complete two semesters of Spanish or Portuguese or the equivalent before applying to the major.

To be declared, students must do three things:

1. Meet with an LAS adviser to review the application materials.
2. After having met with an LAS adviser, it is highly recommended that intended LAS majors take all application materials to the LAS Chair, Professor Estelle Tarica at 5214 in Dwinelle Hall for review.
3. Submit all the application materials to an LAS Adviser at the IAS Office in 101 Stephens Hall.

A completed LAS application includes: an Application Form and Program Worksheet, current Bearfacts unofficial transcript with the course that will be counted for the major highlighted, official transcripts from all other colleges attended with coursework the student intends to count toward the major, “Petition to Declare a Major" form signed by the student, Personal Statement—a typed, double-spaced, one-page essay describing the student’s interest in LAS. In the statement, students should describe their interest in the major, their career aspirations, any plans for a higher degree, future goals, and anything else relevant to studying Latin American Studies.

Honors Program

To be eligible for honors, students must have senior standing and a grade point average (GPA) of 3.6 in the major and 3.5 in all work completed at UC Berkeley. Completing the honors program includes a year-long course sequence (IAS H102 in the fall and LATAMST H195 in the spring) in which students learn how to formulate a hypothesis, conduct supporting research, and complete a thesis paper of approximately 75 pages or longer.

Faculty Thesis Adviser

Honors students must also enlist a faculty thesis adviser with whom they will meet throughout the year to discuss the content of their thesis. Potential honors students are strongly encouraged to start early to find a faculty thesis adviser, preferably during the spring semester of their junior year, but no later than the end of September of their senior year. Most faculty will only advise on a thesis topic that is within their subject area, and many prefer to work with students they know or have taught. The completed thesis is read and evaluated by both the seminar instructor and the faculty thesis adviser.

Three copies of the honors thesis must be provided by the student: one for the seminar instructor, one for the student’s faculty thesis adviser, and one for reference at the IAS Office. Sample honors thesis titles include:

• Guatemalan Coffee Farmers and the Fair Trade Movement.
• The Brazilian Landless Rural Workers’ Movement (MST): Deconstructing Nonviolence Theory.
• Andean Fiestas: A Mirror of Cajatambo’s Reality from 1900 to 2007.

Please note: There is no guarantee that students who complete the honors sequence will graduate with honors. Honors recommendations are made after graduation and are based on a number of factors including (but not limited to) major GPA, overall GPA, grade received in H195, and thesis reader recommendations. 

Minor Program

There is no minor program in Latin American Studies. LAS majors are encouraged to enhance their undergraduate degree by completing minors in other disciplines. No more than one upper division course may be used to satisfy requirements in both a major and minor.

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Major Requirements

In addition to the University, campus, and college requirements, listed on the College Requirements tab, students must fulfill the below requirements specific to their major program.

Repeat Rule

Students who earn a grade of F, D-, D, D+ or NP may repeat the course only once. Regardless of the grade the student receives for their second attempt (including F, D-, D or D+), the student may not repeat the course a third time.

General Guidelines

1. No more than three upper division courses taken outside of the College of Letters & Science, including courses taken at other universities, EAP, study abroad and other colleges on the UC Berkeley campus, may count towards major requirements.
2. No more than four upper division courses may be taken from the same department.
3. Courses cannot be double-counted within the major (for example, students may not use one course to fulfill both a history requirement and an electives requirement).
4. All courses in the major must be taken for a letter grade. The one exception is foreign language: only the fourth semester level class must be taken for a letter grade. The first, second, and third semester language classes may be taken Pass/Not Pass. 
5. No more than one upper division course may be used to simultaneously fulfill requirements for a student's major and minor programs, with the exception of minors offered outside of the College of Letters & Science.
6. A minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 must be maintained in both upper and lower division courses used to fulfill the major requirements.
7. Online courses are not accepted in the major.

For information regarding residence requirements and unit requirements, please see the College Requirements tab.

Summary of Major Requirements

Course List

Code	Title	Units
Lower Division Requirements: Two courses
Primary Language Requirement, Spanish or Portuguese: Intermediate level of proficiency
Secondary Language Requirement, Spanish or Portuguese: Optional
Upper Division Requirements: Nine courses, minimum of 30 units

Lower Division Requirements

Course List

Code	Title	Units
LATAMST 10	Introduction to Latin American Studies 1	4
HISTORY 8A	Latin American History: Becoming Latin America, 1492 to 1824	4
or HISTORY 8B	Latin American History: Modern Latin America

1	This course can only be repeated once.

Primary Language Requirement¹

LAS majors must demonstrate an intermediate level of proficiency in either Spanish or Portuguese equivalent to four college-level semesters.  Language courses taken in high school do not satisfy this requirement. See below for details on how to fulfill the foreign language requirement. For information regarding satisfying this requirement through other means than the courses below (AP credit, Native speakers), please see the program's website.

Course List

Code	Title	Units
Select either the Spanish or Portuguese sequence below, or their equivalent:
Spanish
SPANISH 1	Elementary Spanish [5]
SPANISH 2	Elementary Spanish [5]
SPANISH 3	Intermediate Spanish [5]
SPANISH 4	Intermediate Spanish [5]
Portugese
PORTUG 101A	Course Not Available
PORTUG 101B	Course Not Available
PORTUG 102	Readings in Portuguese [4]
PORTUG 103	Advanced Grammar and Composition [4]

Secondary Language (Optional)

LAS major are encouraged to pursue a second language, either Spanish or Portuguese. 

Course List

Code	Title	Units
Complete one of the following sequences, or their equivalent
PORTUG 101A & PORTUG 101B	Course Not Available and Course Not Available
SPANISH 1 & SPANISH 2	Elementary Spanish and Elementary Spanish
or SPANISH 6	Course Not Available
or SPANISH 21	Spanish for Bilingual Students, First Course

1	The primary and secondary foreign language requirements may be taken Pass/No Pass, except for the final semester of each sequence; the final semester must be taken for a letter grade.

Upper Division Requirements

Course List

Code	Title	Units
Latin American Literature and Culture (Two Courses)
Select one of the following sequences, depending on the choice of primary language:
SPANISH 104A & SPANISH 104B	Survey of Spanish American Literature and Survey of Spanish American Literature
PORTUG 104 & PORTUG 107B	Introduction to Brazilian Literature and Course Not Available
PORTUG 128 & PORTUG 107B	Twentieth-Century Brazilian Literature and Course Not Available
Latin American History (Two Courses)
Select two courses from the following:
HISTORY 100	Course Not Available [4] 1
HISTORY 101	Seminar in Historical Research and Writing for History Majors [5]
HISTORY 103E	Proseminar: Problems in Interpretation in the Several Fields of History: Latin America [4]
HISTORY 140B	Mexico: Modern Mexico [4]
HISTORY 141B	Social History of Latin America: Social History of Modern Latin America [4]
HISTORY 143	Brazil [4]
HISTORY 146	Latin American Women [4]
LATAMST 150	Advanced Studies in Latin American Studies [4] 1
Methodology (One Course)
Select one course from either the Statistical Methods category or the Research Design category:
Statistical Methods
DEMOG 110	Introduction to Population Analysis [3]
ECON 140	Economic Statistics and Econometrics [4]
ECON 141	Econometric Analysis [4]
ECON C142	Applied Econometrics and Public Policy [4]
IAS C118	Introductory Applied Econometrics [4]
IND ENG 162	Linear Programming and Network Flows [3]
IND ENG 171	Technology Firm Leadership [3]
POL SCI C131A	Applied Econometrics and Public Policy [4]
PSYCH 101	Research and Data Analysis in Psychology [4]
PB HLTH 142	Introduction to Probability and Statistics in Biology and Public Health [4]
PUB POL C142	Applied Econometrics and Public Policy [4]
SOCIOL 106	Quantitative Sociological Methods [4]
STAT 131A	Statistical Methods for Data Science [4]
Research Design
AFRICAM 101	Research Methods for African American Studies [4]
ANTHRO 169B	Research Theory and Methods in Socio-Cultural Anthropology [5]
ENV DES 100	The City: Theories and Methods in Urban Studies [4]
ETH STD 101A	Social Science Methods in Ethnic Studies [4]
ETH STD 101B	Humanities Methods in Ethnic Studies [4]
ETH STD 195	Selected Issues in Comparative Ethnic Studies Research [4] 1
IAS 102	Scope and Methods of Research in International and Area Studies [4]
IAS H102	Scope and Methods of Research in International and Area Studies [4]
LGBT 145	Interpreting the Queer Past: Methods and Problems in the History of Sexuality [4]
NATAMST 110	Theories and Methods in Native American Studies [4]
SOCIOL 105	Research Design and Sociological Methods [5]
Electives (Four Courses)
Select four courses from the list of approved electives (see below), from at least two disciplines other than literature and history 2

1	Course content varies from semester to semester. A faculty adviser's preapproval is required.
2	No more than two upper division electives may be taken from the same department.

Approved Elective Course List

Course List

Code	Title	Units
AFRICAM 112A	Political and Economic Development in the Third World	4
AFRICAM 112B	Political and Economic Development in the Third World	4
AFRICAM 131	Caribbean Societies and Cultures	3
ANTHRO 122C	Archaeology of the Americas: Archaeology of Central America	4
ANTHRO 122D	Archaeology of the Americas: World of Ancient Maya	4
ANTHRO 122E	Archaeology of the Americas: Andean Archaeology: People of the Andes	4
ANTHRO 140	The Anthropology of Food 1	4
ANTHRO C147B	Sexuality, Culture, and Colonialism	4
ANTHRO 179	Ethnography of the Maya	4
CHICANO 110	Latina/o Philosophy and Religious Thought	4
CHICANO 143	Chicano and Latin American Literature	3
CHICANO 150B	History of the Southwest: Mexican-United States War to Present	4
CHICANO 159	Mexican Immigration	4
CHICANO C161	Central American Peoples and Cultures	4
CHICANO 163	Caribbean Migration to Western Europe and the United States 1	4
CHICANO 165	Cuba, the United States and Cuban Americans	4
CHICANO 174	Chicanos, Law, and Criminal Justice 1	4
CHICANO 180	Topics in Chicano Studies 1	3
CY PLAN 115	Urbanization in Developing Countries	4
COM LIT 156	Fiction and Culture of the Americas	4
DEMOG 145AC	The American Immigrant Experience	4
DEV STD 150	Advanced Studies in Development Studies 1	4
ECON C171	Development Economics 1	4
ECON 172	Case Studies in Economic Development 1	4
ENVECON C151	Development Economics	4
ETH STD 159AC	The Southern Border	4
ETH STD 195	Selected Issues in Comparative Ethnic Studies Research	4
FRENCH 151A	Francophone Literature	4
FRENCH 151B	Francophone Literature	4
GEOG 123	Postcolonial Geographies 1	4
GEOG 170	Special Topics in Geography 1	3
GEOG 138	Global Environmental Politics 1	4
GEOG C157	Central American Peoples and Cultures	4
GEOG 159AC	The Southern Border	4
GWS 102	Transnational Feminism 1	4
GWS 103	Identities Across Difference 1	4
GWS 129	Bodies and Boundaries 1	4
GWS 140	Feminist Cultural Studies 1	4
GWS 141	Interrogating Global Economic "Development" 1	4
GWS 142	Women in the Muslim and Arab Worlds	4
GWS 143	Women, Proverty, and Globalization 1	4
HISTORY 100	Course Not Available 1	4
HISTORY 103E	Proseminar: Problems in Interpretation in the Several Fields of History: Latin America	4
HISTORY C139B	The American Immigrant Experience	4
HISTORY 140B	Mexico: Modern Mexico	4
HISTORY 141B	Social History of Latin America: Social History of Modern Latin America	4
HISTORY 143	Brazil	4
HISTORY 146	Latin American Women	4
LATAMST 150	Advanced Studies in Latin American Studies	4
LEGALST 190	Seminar on Topics in Law and Society 1	1-4
PACS 130	Cross-Listed Topics 1	1-4
PACS 135	Special Topics in Regional Conflict 1	3
POLECON 150	Advanced Study in Political Economy of Industrial Societies 1	4
POL SCI 139D	Urban and Sub-national Politics in Developing Countries 1	4
POL SCI 148A	Latin American Politics	4
POL SCI 149B	Special Topics in Area Studies	4
PORTUG 102	Readings in Portuguese	4
PORTUG 104	Introduction to Brazilian Literature	4
PORTUG 113	Brazilian Civilization	4
PORTUG 128	Twentieth-Century Brazilian Literature	4
PORTUG 135	Studies in Luso-Brazilian Literature 1	4
PB HLTH 181	Poverty and Population 1	3
PUB POL 190	Special Topics in Public Policy 1	1-4
SOCIOL 111P	Families, Inequality and Social Policy 1	4
SOCIOL 124	Sociology of Poverty 1	4
SOCIOL 127	Development and Globalization 1	4
SOCIOL 130	Social Inequalities 1	4
SOCIOL 140	Politics and Social Change 1	4
SOCIOL 189	Selected Topics in Comparative Perspectives 1	4
SOC WEL 274	Immigrants and Refugees in the U.S 1	2
SPANISH 104A	Survey of Spanish American Literature	4
SPANISH 104B	Survey of Spanish American Literature	4
SPANISH 113	Topics in Latin American Culture	3
SPANISH 135	Studies in Hispanic Literature 1	4
SPANISH C178	Cultural Studies	4

1	Course content varies from semester to semester. A faculty adviser's preapproval is required.

College Requirements

Undergraduate students must fulfill the following requirements in addition to those required by their major program.

For detailed lists of courses that fulfill college requirements, please review the College of Letters & Sciences page in this Guide. For College advising appointments, please visit the L&S Advising Pages. 

University of California Requirements

Entry Level Writing

All students who will enter the University of California as freshmen must demonstrate their command of the English language by fulfilling the Entry Level Writing requirement. Fulfillment of this requirement is also a prerequisite to enrollment in all reading and composition courses at UC Berkeley. 

American History and American Institutions

The American History and Institutions requirements are based on the principle that a US resident graduated from an American university, should have an understanding of the history and governmental institutions of the United States.

Berkeley Campus Requirement

American Cultures

All undergraduate students at Cal need to take and pass this course in order to graduate. The requirement offers an exciting intellectual environment centered on the study of race, ethnicity and culture of the United States. AC courses offer students opportunities to be part of research-led, highly accomplished teaching environments, grappling with the complexity of American Culture.

College of Letters & Science Essential Skills Requirements

Quantitative Reasoning

The Quantitative Reasoning requirement is designed to ensure that students graduate with basic understanding and competency in math, statistics, or computer science. The requirement may be satisfied by exam or by taking an approved course.

Foreign Language

The Foreign Language requirement may be satisfied by demonstrating proficiency in reading comprehension, writing, and conversation in a foreign language equivalent to the second semester college level, either by passing an exam or by completing approved course work.

Reading and Composition

In order to provide a solid foundation in reading, writing, and critical thinking the College requires two semesters of lower division work in composition in sequence. Students must complete parts A & B reading and composition courses by the end of their second semester and a second-level course by the end of their fourth semester.

College of Letters & Science 7 Course Breadth Requirements

Breadth Requirements

The undergraduate breadth requirements provide Berkeley students with a rich and varied educational experience outside of their major program. As the foundation of a liberal arts education, breadth courses give students a view into the intellectual life of the University while introducing them to a multitude of perspectives and approaches to research and scholarship. Engaging students in new disciplines and with peers from other majors, the breadth experience strengthens interdisciplinary connections and context that prepares Berkeley graduates to understand and solve the complex issues of their day.

Unit Requirements

• 120 total units

• Of the 120 units, 36 must be upper division units

• Of the 36 upper division units, 6 must be taken in courses offered outside your major department

Residence Requirements

For units to be considered in "residence," you must be registered in courses on the Berkeley campus as a student in the College of Letters & Science. Most students automatically fulfill the residence requirement by attending classes here for four years. In general, there is no need to be concerned about this requirement, unless you go abroad for a semester or year or want to take courses at another institution or through UC Extension during your senior year. In these cases, you should make an appointment to meet an adviser to determine how you can meet the Senior Residence Requirement.

Note: Courses taken through UC Extension do not count toward residence.

Senior Residence Requirement

After you become a senior (with 90 semester units earned toward your BA degree), you must complete at least 24 of the remaining 30 units in residence in at least two semesters. To count as residence, a semester must consist of at least 6 passed units. Intercampus Visitor, EAP, and UC Berkeley-Washington Program (UCDC) units are excluded.

You may use a Berkeley Summer Session to satisfy one semester of the Senior Residence requirement, provided that you successfully complete 6 units of course work in the Summer Session and that you have been enrolled previously in the college.

Modified Senior Residence Requirement

Participants in the UC Education Abroad Program (EAP), Berkeley Summer Abroad, or the UC Berkeley Washington Program (UCDC) may meet a Modified Senior Residence requirement by completing 24 (excluding EAP) of their final 60 semester units in residence. At least 12 of these 24 units must be completed after you have completed 90 units.

Upper Division Residence Requirement

You must complete in residence a minimum of 18 units of upper division courses (excluding UCEAP units), 12 of which must satisfy the requirements for your major.

Student Learning Goals

Learning Goals for the Major

1. Communicate effectively in a primary foreign language, either Spanish or Portuguese, in written and spoken form.
2. Communicate at a basic level in a secondary foreign language, either Spanish or Portuguese.
3. Formulate a well-organized, well-supported argument.
4. Demonstrate understanding of general research methods.
5. Analyze and interpret literary texts.
6. Identify major historical figures, events, and trends in Latin America.
7. Critically evaluate Latin America’s role and position in a global context.
8. Demonstrate awareness and basic knowledge of the multiplicity of countries and cultures that make up the region.
9. Apply a minimum of three distinct disciplinary approaches to the study of Latin America.
10. Demonstrate specialized knowledge about one or more particular subareas of Latin American studies, whether regional (e.g. the Caribbean; Central America) or topical (agriculture; gender issues; immigration).
11. Understand and critically evaluate the implications of different perspectives on Latin America.

Courses

Latin American Studies

Faculty and Instructors

Faculty

Miguel A. Altieri, Professor. Agriculture, environmental science, pest management.
Research Profile

Margaret Chowning, Professor. Mexico, history, gender, women, Latin America.
Research Profile

Alain De Janvry, Professor. Economics, labor management and policy.
Research Profile

Lecturers

Stephanie Ballenger, Lecturer. International and Area Studies.

Clara I. Nicholls, Lecturer. International and Area Studies.

Tiffany L. Page, Lecturer. .