Latin American Studies (Certificate)
A certificate in Latin American studies adds depth to any field of study. You'll learn to interact with diverse populations and appreciate the cultural differences. Cultural competency makes you more competitive in various industries, and this certificate is the first step.
Program Description
The Latin American studies certificate is designed to give students an understanding of the culture, economies, political structures and history of Latin American nations.
The program combines six courses across disciplinary boundaries to provide a diverse perspective of the Latin American experience. The Department of Economics; the School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning; the School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies; the School of Politics and Global Studies; the School of Human Evolution and Social Change; the School of International Letters and Cultures (Spanish and Portuguese) and the School of Transborder Studies offer courses that comprise the transdisciplinary certificate.
At a Glance: program details
- Location: Tempe campus
- Additional Program Fee: No
- Second Language Requirement: No
Career Opportunities
Graduates who have combined the certificate in Latin American studies with their major program of study may become more marketable to employers. They often decide to pursue employment in education, political analysis, the military, tourism and hospitality, and marketing.
Contact Information
School of International Letters and Cultures | LL 440
silcadvising@asu.edu | 480-965-6281
Program Requirements
Any student admitted to study at ASU may complete a certificate program.
For more information, students should contact the School of International Letters and Cultures: https://silc.asu.edu/degrees.
A student pursuing an undergraduate certificate must be enrolled as a degree-seeking student at ASU. Undergraduate certificates are not awarded prior to the award of an undergraduate degree. A student already holding an undergraduate degree may pursue an undergraduate certificate as a nondegree-seeking graduate student.
Enrollment Requirements
The certificate requires a minimum of 18 credit hours of Latin American studies content. At least 12 upper-division credit hours must be completed from courses offered by The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Each course must be completed with a grade of "C" (2.00 on a 4.00 scale) or higher.
Language Requirement
Students must demonstrate Spanish or Portuguese proficiency through the 313 level of conversation and composition. The language proficiency requirement may be waived for native speakers or those with in-field experience equivalent to SPA 313 or POR 313.
Language instruction courses dealing with Spanish and Portuguese conversation and composition cannot be used to satisfy the content course requirement. While students are encouraged to enroll in language instruction courses (i.e., conversation and composition) above the 313 level, they cannot apply such coursework to the Latin American studies certificate course requirements.
Latin American Content Course Requirements -- 18 credit hours
Students will take 18 upper-division credit hours (six courses) from this list of Latin American content courses. Students are required to select nine credit hours (three courses) from within their major and nine credit hours (three courses) outside their major.
- ARS 362: Survey of Aztec, Maya and Inka Art (HU) (3)
- ASB 322: Peoples of Latin America ((L or SB) & G) (3)
- ASB 337: Pyramids and Hieroglyphs: Life in Ancient Mesoamerica ((HU or SB) & G & H) (3)
- GCU 323: Geography of Latin America (SB & G) (3)
- GCU 424: Geography of Mexico and Middle America (SB & G) (3)
- HST 305: Studies in Latin American History (3)
- HST 331 / TCL 331: Mexican American History to 1900 (SB & H & C) (3)
- HST 375: Colonial Latin America (SB & H) (3)
- HST 376: Modern Latin America (SB & G & H) (3)
- HST 441: Latin America and the World Economy (L & G & H) (3)
- HST 443: The United States and Latin America (SB & G & H) (3)
- HST 445: 20th-Century Cuba (SB & G & H) (3)
- HST 447: Modern Mexico (SB & H) (3)
- POR 472: Luso-Brazilian Civilization (HU & G) (3)
- POR 494: Special Topics (3)
- POS 305: Politics and Film (SB) (3)
- POS 453: Latin America (SB & G) (3)
- POS 454: Mexico (SB & G) (3)
- SPA 427: Colonial and Postcolonial Latin American Literature (L or HU) (3)
- SPA 428: Foundational Texts of Latin American Literature Since Modernismo ((L or HU) & G) (3)
- SPA 429: Writing Mexico: Major Texts ((L or HU) & G) (3)
- SPA 456: 20th-Century Spanish American Fiction (3)
- SPA 471: Civilization of the Indohispanomexicano Southwest ((L or HU) & C) (3)
- SPA 472: Latin American Society: Five Case Studies (HU & H & G) (3)
- SPA 474: Revolutionary Mexico and Postmodern Revisions ((L or HU) & G) (3)
- SPA 475 / SLC 475: Latin American Film ((L or HU) & G) (3)
- TCL 310: Folklore of the Southwest (HU & C) (3)
- TCL 314: Transborder Latin American Migration to the U.S. ((L or SB) & H & C) (3)
- TCL 350: Mexican and Chicana/o Artistic Production (HU & C & G) (3)
- TCL 444: The Ethnography of Mexico and the Borderlands (SB & G) (3)
- THE 426: Pre-Columbian Theatre of the Americas (3)
Depending on a student's undergraduate program of study, prerequisite courses may be needed in order to complete the requirements of this certificate.
Program Contact Information
If you have questions related to admission, please click here to request information and an admission specialist will reach out to you directly. For questions regarding faculty or courses, please use the contact information below.