Mar 29, 2024  
2019-20 College of Liberal Arts 
    
2019-20 College of Liberal Arts [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Latin American and Caribbean Studies Minor


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Meet the Faculty

The Latin American and Caribbean Studies (LACS) program is a holistic and interdisciplinary field of study that explores, among other themes, the diverse cultures, history, ideologies, languages, literatures, natural environment and political economy of Latin America and the Caribbean as well as the challenges facing this critical region in the twenty-first century. Latin America and the Caribbean are important in a local and national sense because of the region’s many connections to Florida and the United States. Latin America and the Caribbean are also critical in a global sense because of the region’s rising economic and geopolitical significance.

The program is designed to educate students for global citizenship and responsible leadership, and to prepare graduates for productive careers in business, government, and other professions. Students majoring in Latin American and Caribbean Studies are expected to:

  • Demonstrate a breadth and depth of knowledge of the forces that have shaped the region of Latin America and the Caribbean.
  • Learn to think critically about a region that is deeply connected to but also distinct from (North) American society.
  • Achieve competence in Spanish, Portuguese or French.

Students are encouraged to experience cultural immersion by participating in one of Rollins’ overseas programs to the region.

Minor Requirements


The minor in Latin American and Caribbean Studies is designed to complement a number of existing majors at the College by adding an international dimension. The minor is comprised of six (6) courses on Latin American and the Caribbean, including one (1) core course, and five (5) elective courses (or twenty semester hours in any combination); at least three (3) of which must be at the 300- 400-level. Only three (3) courses taken to fulfill requirements in another major or minor from the departments listed below, and with a concentration on Latin America or the Caribbean, may count toward meeting the requirements of the minor in Latin American and Caribbean Studies; these must be approved by the LACS Director.

Elective Courses


(five courses or 20 semester hours in any combination)

Five (5) courses chosen from the list below; no more than three (3) courses can be taken from the same discipline.

Anthropology Courses


Economics Courses


History Courses


  • Topics vary.  Contact program director for list of approved topics.
  • 300-400 level courses in Latin America or the Caribbean (approved by LACS Steering Committee)

International Business Courses


  • INB 390F - Latin American Business Environments: Costa Rica

Latin American and Caribbean Studies Courses


  • Any topics class with a LAC designation (i.e., LAC 205)

Political Science Courses


Modern Languages Courses


  • Spanish, French, or Portuguese (300- or 400-level)

Foreign Language Requirement


Latin American and Caribbean Studies minors may take courses in Spanish, French, or Portuguese at the 300- or 400-level as electives in the minor. Students may find that they need to take courses at the 100-200 level in preparation to enroll in the required 300-400 level course. Students wishing to fulfill the foreign language requirement through courses in French or Portuguese should consult with the LACS Director regarding appropriate selections. Students wishing to fulfill the foreign language requirement through a course in Spanish should select from the following list.

Additional Requirements


Students who do not have “native proficiency” in Spanish, as determined by the Spanish section of the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures, will be required to take additional courses that are prerequisites to the 300-400 level Spanish courses. According to different levels of preparation and previous courses, students will need to complete a minimum of one (1) and a maximum of five (5) Spanish courses before taking a 300-level course.

In order to take a 300-level course in Spanish, students must complete the following:

  • two (2) SPN 200-level courses OR
  • one (1) SPN 200-level course and obtain signed consent from professor. (Consent is usually granted with a grade ‘B+’ or higher in the lower-level course.)

Students may complete some or all of the 100-200 level Spanish courses through immersion programs abroad (in Spain or Latin America) taught entirely in Spanish. The one (1) 300-level course should be taken at Rollins or at a Rollins-affiliated program.

Humanities Courses


International Field Study Courses


  • International field study courses in Latin American or the Caribbean
  • Study abroad courses approves by the LACS Director

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