Latin American Studies Option

The Latin American Studies Option offers a sixty-credit curriculum, which meets the growing student demand for preparation in Latin American studies, Spanish language and literature, and bi-cultural studies with prospective applications in the fields of education, diplomacy, business, cross-cultural studies, and health care. The goals of the curriculum are to strengthen knowledge of Spanish and Latin American/Latino culture, to prepare students wishing to major in Spanish, Latin American Studies, international studies, and other social science-related fields at a senior college. Therefore, the curriculum is conceived as a structure for guiding Liberal Arts students toward career and professional goals early in their academic experience.

LaGuardia has a tradition of opening the doors to higher education and the professions for nontraditional and ethnic and language minority students. This option follows in that tradition by creating a transfer path to baccalaureate programs in Latin American Studies and related fields.

Nationally, the field of Latin American Studies has steadily expanded since its creation in the early 1920s. There are now one hundred and fifty-six U.S. colleges and universities that offer such programs. Among CUNY senior colleges, Brooklyn, City, Hunter, Lehman, Queens, and York offer a major/minor in this field.

According to the 2000 U.S. Census, Latinos have become the largest and fastest growing ethnic group in the United States. As American society becomes increasingly pluralistic and multiethnic, there is a pressing need to prepare teachers and other professionals who are fluent in languages other than English and who demonstrate an understanding and familiarity with cross-cultural issues. Hence, the Latin American Studies curriculum will begin to develop proficiency in Spanish for non-native speakers and will enhance linguistic sophistication for heritage students, while strengthening cultural literacy.

For specific requirements for this major, click here.