Fun fact: New Orleans has a larger Honduran population than most cities in Honduras. Our geographic proximity to Latin America has made our city’s Latino population very diverse—we have citizens from Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Cuba, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, and more. Another fun fact: Loyola is not just in New Orleans—it’s part of it. At Loyno, you’ll find it easy to immerse yourself in these cultures as you discover their influence on things like our city’s music and religious traditions. Our program explores the history and sociocultural issues of these countries as well as their contributions to the arts on a global scale.
Overview of Courses
Our program’s curriculum combines Spanish language courses with electives in Latin American culture, society, and history. In addition to major-specific coursework, you’ll have the flexibility to take classes in a variety of disciplines. Here’s a sample of what you can expect to learn and do:
- Introduction to Contemporary Latin American Culture
This interdisciplinary course focuses on the rich cultural heritage that forms part of the Latin American identity. Using literature, film, music, and visual arts from and about Latin America, students study the issues that have faced the region and its people.
- Intensive Conversation
This course places an emphasis on oral expression with exercises to provide students with a working knowledge of conversational Spanish.
- Culture of Spanish America to 1850
This course offers a study of the different cultural traditions that have shaped Latin America from the pre-Colombian period to 1850.
- Latin American Cinema
This class uses Latin American films to examine some aspects of Latin American colonization and the effects of political, patriarchal, and gender politics domination.
- Central American Revolutions – A Literary Look
In this course, students learn how to read, think, and write critically about literature while exploring the historical and cultural realities of Central America revolutions.
Curriculum
The concentration in Latin American Studies requires completion of 31 credit hours that include Spanish language courses, culture courses, 15 credit hours of major electives, and completion of a Latin American Studies Capstone course, LAS A480. Students who test out of Spanish language requirements complete additional major electives.
Spanish Language Section*
- SPAN A200 Second-year Spanish I
- SPAN A201 Second-year Spanish II
- SPAN A300 Syntax and Composition --or--
- SPAN A301 Intensive Conversation
Culture Section – choose 2 of the following courses:
- LAS V200 Introduction to Latin American Culture
- HIST A220 Latin America I
- HIST A221 Modern Latin America
- SPAN A350 Spanish American Culture I
- SPAN A351 Spanish American Culture II
Major Electives – Choose 15 crs. of LAS-eligible courses from 3 different disciplines:
- Biology
- English
- History
- Latin American Studies
- Political Science
- Religious Studies
- Sociology
- Spanish
Capstone
- LAS A480 Latin American Studies Capstone
* Prerequisites for SPAN 200 cannot count for major concentration credit.
Latin American Studies Course Information
Find out more about the Latin American Studies Major:
- Curriculum Requirements
- Latin American Studies Course Descriptions
- Academic Plan (semester break-out)