Minor in Latin American and Latino/a Studies
The Minor in Latin American and Latino/a Studies is designed for students interested in the languages, history, politics, and cultures of Latin America and in its presence in the United States. Students are encouraged to develop a program that is both international and comparative in perspective, and that takes into account the heterogeneous cultural experiences of people living in the vast territory encompassed by the term Latin America, as well as of those living in the United States who identify themselves as Latino/a.
The minor consists of six subjects (at least three of which must be MIT subjects, including required subject 17.55[J] Introduction to Latin American Studies), arranged in four areas of study:
- Area I: Language
- Area II: Humanities and the Arts
- Area III: Social Sciences
- Area IV: Historical Studies
Subjects in Latin American and Latino/a Studies are also available from Harvard University and Wellesley College through cross-registration. Students must receive permission from the minor advisor prior to registering for a class at another institution.
Five of the six subjects taken for the minor may be counted toward the eight-subject HASS Requirement. Of these five, at most one may count toward the distribution component of the HASS Requirement. Of the six subjects required for the minor, at least four cannot be counted toward a major or another minor.
| Area I: Language 1 | ||
| Select two from among the following: | 24 | |
| Spanish III | ||
| Spanish IV | ||
| Advanced Communication in Spanish: Topics in Language and Culture | ||
| Advanced Spanish Conversation and Composition: Perspectives on Technology and Culture | ||
| Spanish Conversation and Composition | ||
| Spanish through Film: Mexico, Chile, Argentina, and Spain | ||
| Spanish for Heritage Learners | ||
| Topics in Medicine and Public Health in the Hispanic World | ||
| Portuguese III | ||
| Portuguese IV | ||
| Select four subjects, including 17.55[J], from at least two of the following areas: 2, 3 | 48 | |
| Area II: Humanities and the Arts | ||
| Subjects taught in English: | ||
| Latin America and the Global Sixties: Counterculture and Revolution | ||
| The New Latin American Novel | ||
| Introduction to European and Latin American Fiction | ||
| The Latina Experience in Literature, Film and Popular Culture | ||
| Subjects taught in Spanish: | ||
| Creation of a Continent: Media Representations of Hispanic America, 1492 to present | ||
| The Making of the Latin American City: Culture, Gender, and Citizenship | ||
| Advanced Topics in Hispanic Literature and Film | ||
| The Short Form: Literature and New Media Cultures in the Hispanic World | ||
| Introduction to Contemporary Hispanic Literature and Film | ||
| Power and Culture: Utopias and Dystopias in Spain and Latin America | ||
| Literature and Social Conflict: Perspectives on the Hispanic World | ||
| Globalization and its Discontents: Spanish-speaking Nations | ||
| The New Spain: 1977-Present | ||
| Spanish for Medicine and Health | ||
| Graphic Stories: Spanish and Latin American Comics | ||
| Subject taught in Portuguese: | ||
| Conversational Portuguese | ||
| Topics in Modern Portuguese Literature and Culture | ||
| The Beat of Brazil: Portuguese Language and Brazilian Society Through its Music | ||
| Portuguese Language through Brazilian Film | ||
| Area III: Social Studies | ||
| Introduction to Latin American Studies (Required) | ||
Additional options: | ||
| The Ancient Andean World | ||
| Ancient Mesoamerican Civilization | ||
| The Anthropology of Politics: Persuasion and Power | ||
| Hacking from the South | ||
| Area IV: Historical Studies | ||
| Select from among the following: | ||
| Latin America Through Film | ||
| Socialism in Latin America, from Che Guevara to Hugo Chávez | ||
| From Coca to Cocaine: Drug Economies in Latin America | ||
Appropriate subjects offered at Harvard or Wellesley | ||
| Total Units | 72 | |
| 1 | Two language subjects beginning at Levels III and IV, either in Spanish or Portuguese, satisfy the Area I language requirement. MIT offers Levels III and IV of Spanish every semester and offers Level III of Portuguese every fall semester and Level IV every spring semester. Students who demonstrate competence beyond Level IV may either take two advanced language subjects (highly recommended) or two more subjects from Areas II, III, and IV. |
| 2 | For students who are not required to take Area I subjects and opt not to take advanced language subjects (see footnote 1 above), all six subjects for the minor must be taken from Areas II, III, and IV, with at least one subject from each area. |
| 3 | Students may not take more than one subject focused on the Iberian Peninsula. |
The subject list above is not exhaustive. Additional information can be obtained from the minor advisor, Professor Eden Medina, E51-180, 617-253-1943, or from the SHASS Dean's Office, 4-240, 617-253-3450.
