Latin American Studies Major

As a Latin American studies major, you will pursue an in-depth study of Latin America across diverse disciplines, theoretical approaches and historical periods. The major offers a sound, updated, and competitive approach to the study of the region both in its specificity and in its connections to the world, through the study of Latin America's processes of internationalization and its changing position in global scenarios. 

sample courses:

Latin-American Politics

This course is an introduction to the politics in Latin America, focusing on the trend toward the establishment of democracy. We examine the impact of political culture, economic development, and the legacy of authoritarian regimes on contemporary politics. The course also reviews many of the most pressing challenges confronting governments Latin American governments: the role of the military in politics, the reform of political institutions, threats from radical guerrillas and drug traffickers, debt and economic restructuring, and relations with the United States. Country studies focus on Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru, Mexico, and Nicaragua.

A View from the Southern Cone: Perspectives on Art, Literature, and Culture

This course will deal with current issues of cultural, social, political and literary importance related to the Southern Cone. We shall study selected texts from Argentina, Chile and Uruguay as well as contemporary films and drama productions. This course will seek to determine what specifically can be expressed about national identity, globalization and the environment as these countries face the twenty-first century. Course requirements include four short essays and a final exam. This course is taught in Santiago, Chile, as part of the Washington University Chile Program. Conducted in Spanish.

our students have gone on to become:

Business Entrepreneurs

Physicians

Public Health Advisors

Economists

Ecologists