Latin American and Caribbean Studies
The Institute of Latin American Studies:
Department website: https://ilas.columbia.edu/
Office location: 8th Floor International Affairs Building
Office contact: 212-854-4643; ek2159@columbia.edu
Director of Undergraduate Studies: M. Victoria Murillo, mm2140@columbia.edu
Senior Manager of Business & Students Affairs: Eliza Kwon-Ahn, ek2159@columbia.edu
The Study of Latin American & Caribbean Studies
The major in Latin American and Caribbean Studies stresses knowledge of a dynamic, historically deep and extensive region, but it also focuses on social, political, and cultural phenomena that transcend physical boundaries. The major thus reflects multidisciplinary dialogues that are transnational yet remain anchored in the common historical experience of Latin American societies. Thanks to the broad range of courses on Latin America offered in different departments of instruction and centers at Columbia, the major provides a multidisciplinary training on politics, history, culture, economy and society.
The Institute of Latin American Studies coordinates the major and offers access to research support, study abroad options, and linkages and credits toward the M.A. program in Latin American and Caribbean studies.
Student Advising
For general advising, please contact ILAS Senior Manager of Business & Student Affair Eliza Kwon-Ahn ek2159@columbia.edu
Preparing for Graduate Study
Please contact the DUS Prof. M. Victoria Murillo mm2140@columbia.edu
Coursework Taken Outside of Columbia
Advanced Placement
Not applicable
Barnard College Courses
Not applicable
Transfer Courses
Students are allowed to receive course credit for study abroad only. To find out more, please see “Study Abroad Courses”
Study Abroad Courses
Students are encouraged to study abroad during their Junior years. The program accepts up to 12 credits for the disciplinary of choice for the major and up to 3 credits for the minor. Interested students should submit the syllabi and all the coursework related to each course prior to traveling for approval by the DUS.
Summer Courses
Not applicable
Core Curriculum Connections
Many of the interdisciplinary courses for the program may partially satisfy Global core requirements. Not all courses are offered every semester, but there are ample opportunities to take these courses:
HIST UN2618: The Modern Caribbean
HIST UN2660: Latin American Civilization I
HIST UN2661: Latin American Civilization II
LACV UN1020: Primary Texts of Latin American Civilization
HIST GU4301: Politics and Justice in Latin America through Crime Fiction
Undergraduate Research and Senior Thesis
Undergraduate Research in Courses
Students in the major track will have opportunities to develop their own research as part of the required seminar course. Students can work independently with a professor for one seminar or if accepted, take the graduate seminar courses for the MA students in Latin American & Caribbean Studies (LCRS G6400 and G6401).
For more information, please contact Eliza Kwon-Ahn at ek2159@columbia.edu.
Senior Thesis Coursework and Requirements
not applicable
Undergraduate Research Outside of Courses
not applicable
Department Honors and Prizes
Department Honors
Departmental Honors are awarded to no more than 10% of graduating majors (including October, February and May graduates); students should have a GPA of at least 3.6 in major courses in order to be considered for Departmental Honors; and students should have successfully completed an honors thesis, or an equivalent project of high quality.
Students may work independently with a professor or if accepted, take the graduate seminar courses for the MA students in Latin American & Caribbean Studies (LCRS G6400 and G6401).
Academic Prizes
Not applicable
Other Important Information
ILAS website: https://ilas.columbia.edu/
ILAS Undergraduate Program: https://ilas.columbia.edu/content/undergraduate
ILAS Undergraduate Research and Internship Grants and Summer FLAS Fellowship:
https://ilas.columbia.edu/content/funding-opportunities-students
For language placement: https://laic.columbia.edu/content/language-placement-examination
Affiliated Faculty
Bruno Bosteels (Latin American and Iberian Cultures)
Amy Chazkel (History)
Alan Dye (Economics, Barnard)
Frank Guridy (History)
Maja Horn (Spanish and Latin American Cultures, Barnard)
Ana Paula Huback (Latin American and Iberian Cultures)
Ana Paulina Lee (Latin American and Iberian Cultures)
Natasha Lightfoot (History)
Claudio Lomnitz (Anthropology)
Nara Milanich (History, Barnard)
Eduardo Moncada (Political Science, Barnard)
Jose Moya (History, Barnard)
M. Victoria Murillo (Political Science)
Frances Negron-Muntaner (Comparative Literature)
Joao Nemi Neto (Latin American and Iberian Cultures)
Ana Maria Ochoa (Music)
Pablo Piccato (History)
Caterina Pizzigoni (History)
Michael T. Taussig (Anthropology)
Guidance for Undergraduate Students in the Department
For additional information on Latin American and Caribbean Studies, please visit the Institute's website or contact Eliza Kwon-Ahn, Senior Manager of Business & Student Affairs, at ek2159@columbia.edu.
Program Planning for all Students
Not applicable
Course Numbering Structure
Not applicable
Guidance for First-Year Students
Students interested in Latin American & Caribbean Studies are encouraged to take one of the following 3 history courses:
1. HIST UN2660: Latin American civilization, I
2. HIST UN2661: Latin American civilization, II
3. LACV CC1020: Primary Texts of Latin American Civilization
These above courses will fulfill the global core requirement and give students the historical foundation as Latin America as a whole.
Guidance for Transfer Students
Students interested in Latin American & Caribbean Studies are encouraged to take one of the following 3 history courses:
1. HIST UN2660: Latin American civilization, I
2. HIST UN2661: Latin American civilization, II
3. LACV CC1020: Primary Texts of Latin American Civilization
These above courses will fulfill the global core requirement and give students the historical foundation as Latin America as a whole.
If a transfer student has taken a similar course in a previous institution, we encourage students to consult the DUS for course replacement.
Undergraduate Programs of Study
Required Coursework for all Programs
Students interested in the major or the minor should start taking one of the following 3 courses:
1. HIST UN2660: Latin American civilization, I
2. HIST UN2661: Latin American civilization, II
3. LACV CC1020: Primary Texts of Latin American Civilization
Major in Latin American and Caribbean Studies
The major requires a minimum of 31 points as follows:
| Code | Title | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Select five of the following fourteen courses. One of these courses must be Latin American Civilization I (HIST UN2660), Latin American Civilization II (HIST UN2661) or Primary Texts in Latin American Civilization (LACV UN1020): | ||
| REVOLUTION IN/ON THE CARIBBEAN | ||
| History of the City in Latin America | ||
| The Modern Caribbean | ||
| LATIN AMERICAN CIVILIZATION I | ||
| LATIN AMERICAN CIVILIZATION II | ||
| FAMILIES LATIN AMERICA | ||
| LATIN AMERICA: MIGRATION, RACE, AND ETHNICITY | ||
| WOMEN AND GENDER IN LATIN AMERICA | ||
| Politics and Justice in Latin America through Crime Fiction | ||
| PRIM TEXTS OF LATIN AMER CIV | ||
| PLCS URBAN DEV LATIN AMERICA | ||
| DRUGS ＆ POLITICS IN AMERICAS | ||
| Latin American Politics | ||
| ADV LANGUAGE THROUGH CONTENT | ||
*** The SPAN UN3300 section taken for the Major must focus on Latin America. Please contact the ILAS Student Affairs Coordinator for details. | ||
| Language Requirement | ||
| Select one course on Spanish, Portuguese, or an indigenous language at the intermediate or advanced level; if students can demonstrate advance knowledge of one of these languages, they can replace this course with an area studies course. | ||
| Discipline of Choice | ||
| Select four courses in a discipline or theme of choice with substantive focus on Latin America. One of these courses must be a seminar. All students, however, need to take at least two courses in a discipline or theme outside of their specialization. The director of undergraduate studies advises students on areas of specialization and must approve courses with substantial Latin American or Caribbean contents not included in the list of eligible courses. | ||
Up to 12 credits for Discipline of Choice requirement can be earned through study abroad. Students are encouraged to explore study abroad options before their junior year. Upon return, they should submit the syllabi and all coursework related to each course taken abroad for approval by the director of undergraduate studies.
Minor in Latin American & Caribbean Studies
The minimum number of credits is 15 (5 courses).
A. CORE COURSES: At least One (1) courses from the following Four (4) courses.
1. HIST UN2660: Latin American civilization, I
2. HIST UN2661: Latin American civilization, II
3. LACV CC1020: Primary Texts of Latin American Civilization
4. POLS GU4461: Latin American Politics
B. SPECIALIZED LECTURE/SEMINAR COURSES: At least Two (2) from the following Ten (10) courses.
1. ASFB GU4100: Slavery and Freedom in Latin America
2. CLEN GU4644: Revolution in/on the Caribbean
3. HIST UN1786: History of the City in Latin America
4. HIST UN2618: The Modern Caribbean
5. HIST BC2676: Reproducing Inequalities: Families in Latin America
6. HIST BC2681: Women and Gender in Latin America
7. HIST GU4301: Politics and Justice in Latin America through Crime Fiction
8. POLS UN3560: Political Urban Development in Latin America
9. POLS V3565: Drugs and Politics in the Americas
10. SPAN UN3300: Advanced Language through Content (with Latin American focus)
C. SEMINAR COURSE: Students will take one seminar course in any department with DUS approval to develop an in-depth topic in the region.
Up to 3 credits (1 course) can be earned through study abroad. Students are encouraged to explore study abroad options before their junior year. Prior to traveling, they should submit the syllabi and all coursework related to each course taken abroad for approval by the director of undergraduate studies.
For students who entered Columbia in or before the 2023-24 academic year
Concentration in Latin American and Caribbean Studies
The concentration requires a minimum of 18 points as follows:
| Code | Title | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Select three of the following fourteen courses. One of these courses must be in Latin American Civilization I (HIST UN2660), Latin American Civilization II (HIST UN2661) or Primary Texts in Latin America (LACV UN1020): | ||
| REVOLUTION IN/ON THE CARIBBEAN | ||
| History of the City in Latin America | ||
| The Modern Caribbean | ||
| LATIN AMERICAN CIVILIZATION I | ||
| LATIN AMERICAN CIVILIZATION II | ||
| FAMILIES LATIN AMERICA | ||
| LATIN AMERICA: MIGRATION, RACE, AND ETHNICITY | ||
| WOMEN AND GENDER IN LATIN AMERICA | ||
| Politics and Justice in Latin America through Crime Fiction | ||
| PRIM TEXTS OF LATIN AMER CIV | ||
| PLCS URBAN DEV LATIN AMERICA | ||
| DRUGS ＆ POLITICS IN AMERICAS | ||
| Latin American Politics | ||
| ADV LANGUAGE THROUGH CONTENT | ||
*** The SPAN UN3300 section taken for the Concentration must focus on Latin America. Please contact the ILAS Student Affairs Coordinator for details. | ||
| Language Requriement | ||
| Select one course on Spanish, Portuguese, or an indigenous language at the intermediate or advanced level; if students can demonstrate advance knowledge of one of these languages, they can replace this course with an area studies course. | ||
| Discipline of Choice: | ||
| Select two courses in a discipline or theme of choice with substantive focus on Latin America. One of these courses must be a seminar. All students, however, need to take at least one course in a discipline or theme outside of their specialization. The director of undergraduate studies advises students on areas of specialization and must approve courses with substantial Latin American or Caribbean contents not included in the list of eligible courses. | ||
The concentration requires a minimum of 18 points as follows:Up to 6 credits for the Discipline of Choice requirement can be earned through study abroad. Students are encouraged to explore study abroad options before their junior year. Prior to traveling, they should submit the syllabi and all coursework related to each course taken abroad for approval by the director of undergraduate studies.
Of Related Interest
| Code | Title | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Africana Studies (Barnard) | ||
| AFRS BC2005 | CARIBBEAN CULTURE ＆ SOCIETIES | |
| AFRS BC3110 | THE AFRICANA COLLOQUIUM | |
| AFRS BC3150 | RACE ＆PERFORMNCE IN CARIBBEAN | |
| AFRS BC3562 | Caribbean Sexualities | |
| Anthropology | ||
| ANTH UN1008 | THE RISE OF CIVILIZATION | |
| ANTH V2009 | Culture through Film and Media | |
| ANTH V3120 | Historical Rituals in Latin America | |
| ANTH UN3921 | Anticolonialism | |
| Anthropology (Barnard) | ||
| ANTH UN1008 | THE RISE OF CIVILIZATION | |
| ANTH UN3921 | Anticolonialism | |
| ANTH V3922 | The Emergence of State | |
| ANTH G4390 | Borders and Boundaries | |
| Art History | ||
| AHIS W3898 | Yoruba and the Diaspora | |
| Center for the Study of Ethnicity and Race | ||
| CSER UN3923 | LATINX & ASIAN AMER MEMOIR | |
| CSER UN3924 | Latin American and Latina/o Social Movements | |
| CSER UN3926 | LATIN MUSIC AND IDENTITY | |
| CSER UN3928 | COLONIZATION/DECOLONIZATION | |
| CSER UN3932 | US Latinx History | |
| CSER UN3964 | Maya Guatemala-Neoliberalism ＆ Resistance | |
| CSER GU4482 | INDIGENOUS PEOPLES:MOVEMNT/RTS | |
| CSER GU4483 | SUBCITIZENSHIP | |
| Economics | ||
| ECON GU4301 | ECONOMIC GROWTH ＆ DEVELOPMNT I | |
| ECON GU4750 | GLOBALIZATION ＆ ITS RISKS (Film) | |
| Film | ||
| History | ||
| HIST BC2321 | COLONIAL ENCOUNTERS | |
| HIST UN2660 | LATIN AMERICAN CIVILIZATION I | |
| HIST UN2689 | COLONIAL CITIES OF THE AMERICAS | |
| HIST UN2661 | LATIN AMERICAN CIVILIZATION II | |
| HIST UN2663 | MEXICO FROM REVOL TO DEMOCRACY | |
| HIST BC2664 | FAMILIES LATIN AMERICA | |
| HIST UN2618 | The Modern Caribbean | |
| HIST BC2676 | LATIN AMERICA: MIGRATION, RACE, AND ETHNICITY | |
| HIST BC2682 | Modern Latin American History | |
| HIST UN3687 | LAT AMER RIGHT IN THE COLD WAR | |
| HIST BC3870 | GENDER＆ MIGRATN:GLOBAL PERSPC | |
| HIST UN3928 | SLAVERY/ABOLITION-ATLANTC WRLD | |
| HIST GU4012 | HISTORY OF THE CITY IN LATIN AMERICA | |
| HIST GU4301 | Politics and Justice in Latin America through Crime Fiction | |
| HIST GU4692 | Violence in Mexico: A Historical Approach | |
| HIST GU4696 | The Social Question and State Building in Latin America | |
| Latin American and Caribbean Studies | ||
| LCRS W3999 | Independent Research Seminar | |
| LCRS UN3999 Independent Research Seminar | ||
| LCRS GU4415 | PUERTO RICO UNDER U.S. RULE (1898-2016) | |
| Latin American and Iberian Cultures | ||
| PORT UN2120 | COMPREHENSIVE INTERMED PORT | |
| SPAN UN3300 | ADV LANGUAGE THROUGH CONTENT | |
| SPAN UN3349 | HISPANIC CULTURES I (SP) | |
| SPAN UN3350 | HISPANIC CULTURES II (SP) | |
| PORT UN3301 | Advanced Writing and Composition in Portuguese | |
| PORT UN3490 | BRAZILIAN SOCIETY ＆ CIV (ENG) | |
| SPAN UN3490 | Latin American Humanities I: From Pre-Columbian Civilizations to the Creation of New Nations | |
| SPAN UN3998 | Supervised Individual Research (Spring) | |
| PORT GU4033 | Language ＆ Queer Brazil (ENG) | |
| PORT GU4467 | Race and Decolonial Dialogues in the Americas | |
| Latin American Civilization | ||
| LACV UN1020 | PRIM TEXTS OF LATIN AMER CIV | |
| Music | ||
| MUSI UN2020 | SALSA, SOCA ＆ REGGAE | |
| MUSI V2430 | Listening and Sound in Cross-Cultural Perspective | |
| POLS UN3002 | HUMAN RIGHTS ＆ IMMIGRATION | |
| MUSI V3435 | Music and Literature in Latin America | |
| Political Science | ||
| POLS BC3501 | COLL: URBAN VIOLENCE | |
| POLS BC3543 | COLL:NON-STATE GOV CRIME/WAR | |
| POLS UN3565 | DRUGS ＆ POLITICS IN AMERICAS | |
| POLS GU4461 | Latin American Politics | |
| Sociology | ||
| SOCI UN3324 | Global Urbanism | |
| SOCI GU4370 | Processes of Stratification and Inequality | |
| Sociology (Barnard) | ||
| SOCI V3247 | The Immigrant Experience, Old and New | |
| Spanish and Latin American Cultures (Barnard) | ||
| SPAN UN2101 | INTERMEDIATE SPANISH I | |
| SPAN UN2102 | INTERMEDIATE SPANISH II | |
| SPAN UN2108 | SPANISH FOR HERITAGE SPEAKERS | |
| SPAN BC3099 | INDEPENDENT STUDY | |
| SPAN BC3264 | The Boom: The Spanish American Novel, 1962-70 | |
| SPAN UN3265 | LATIN AMER LIT (IN TRANSLATN) | |
| SPAN UN3300 | ADV LANGUAGE THROUGH CONTENT | |
| SPAN UN3349 | HISPANIC CULTURES I (SP) | |
| SPAN UN3350 | HISPANIC CULTURES II (SP) | |
| SPAN BC3435 | LANGUAGE ＆ REVOLUTION | |
| SPAN BC3470 | Latin(o) American Art in New York City: Critical Interventions, Institutions, and Creative Lives | |
| SPAN BC3510 | Gender and Sexuality in Latin American Cultures | |
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