The Lower Division courses provide broad, interdisciplinary overviews of diverse topics in Latin American and Latino Studies. Although not required for the major, we recommend that students begin the major by taking LALS 1, Intro to Latin American and Latino Studies in their first year. Three lower-division courses are required for the major

• LALS 10 : Bridging LALS
• AND TWO LOWER DIVISION ELECTIVES: Either LALS 80 series courses or other LALS-approved lower division courses

• LALS 100A: Politics and Society: Concepts and Methods (note that 100A is only offered during winter quarter)
• LALS 100B: Culture and Society: Culture in a Global Context (note that 100B is only offered during spring quarter)

The remaining seven electives must meet the following criteria:

• A cluster of three courses must be taken in one of the following areas of concentrations: African diasporas in the Americas; Chicano/a Studies; cinema; gender studies; history; indigeneity; migration/immigration; politics/political economy/policy; popular culture and cultural studies; race and ethnicity; literature; and social movements. Courses may be taken in any department, as long as they fit into the cluster and appear on the LALS list of course offerings.
• At least one must concentrate on pre-twentieth-century topics
• At least one must center on Chicano/a-Latino/a issues
• At least two must be taught in Spanish or Portuguese

The remaining upper division courses are electives and may include a field-study, internship or other independent study. See our Courses for upper-division course descriptions.

Download the LALS Major Worksheet

All Latin American and Latino Studies majors are expected to learn to speak, read, and write Spanish or Portuguese and to make use of these skills on a regular basis in their upper division academic work.
Majors must take at least two upper-division courses taught in Spanish or Portuguese. Before taking upper-division course work taught in the language, students must demonstrate proficiency in Spanish equivalent to the completion of Spanish 6 or 56, or Spanish for Spanish Speakers 63. Students who wish to pursue Portuguese may take the Portuguese 1A/1B or 60A/60B series. Students who have achieved fluency in Spanish or Portuguese through life experience may be exempt from this recommended preparatory course work after demonstration of their proficiency. In addition to Latin American and Latino Studies and affiliated department course offerings, the required two upper-division courses taught in Spanish or Portuguese*** may be fulfilled through study abroad with prior approval by Latin American and Latino Studies.  Students may also pursue internship or field study opportunities to satisfy one of the two required upper-division courses taught in Spanish or Portuguese; however, at least one of the two courses must be fulfilled in a classroom setting.***

LALS majors must fulfill all course requirements in order to graduate. Substitutions for these requirements can be obtained only by written petition and upon approval of the LALS Department's Undergraduate Curriculum Committee. Forms for this purpose may be obtained at the LALS Office, or you can download them here. Petitions for substitutions of transfer work must be submitted prior to declaring the major.

Four-year UCSC students may apply no more than three courses taken elsewhere towards fulfillment of the LALS major requirements. Transfer students may apply four courses from another institution towards the major. A maximum of three substitutions (one lower-division) may be applied to the minor requirements. These must be credits deemed transferable to UCSC by the Registrar's office and may be used to satisfy LALS major requirements only at the discretion of the LALS Department Undergraduate Curriculum Committee.

Q & A regarding substitutions

• Steps Towards Graduation
• Senior Exit Requirements
• Senior Exit Completion Form

• Finalize your senior exit requirement completion schedule with your faculty advisor.
• Upon the completion of the senior exit requirement, file a "Senior Exit Completion Form" with the LALS Department and make sure the "Faculty Advisor Form" (with all the signatures from your visits with your faculty advisor) in your file is updated. Without these forms, LALS cannot approve your paperwork for graduation (If you are graduating this Spring 08 or Fall 08 you are exempt from this requirement).
• If you have completed a thesis, you must provide one bound copy to the LALS Department.
• Check with the LALS Undergraduate advisor to verify that all requirements for the major have been met.
• Apply/Reapply to Graduate with the Office of the Registrar. If approved to graduate, your degree will be conferred for the quarter in which you file this paperwork.


Please note the following deadlines (by quarter) to announce candidacy/apply to graduate (via your portal):

• Fall 2009: October 23, 2009
  
  
• Winter 2010 : February 5, 2010
  
  
• Spring 2010: April 28, 2010
  
  
• Summer 2010: July 30, 2010

Every major must complete a senior exit requirement in order to graduate. The preparation and completion of this requirement is structured into the senior year. There are five options to choose from:

Good to excellent performance (grade A or B) in a Latin American and Latino Studies senior seminar (194 series course).
If selecting this option, students must inform the seminar instructor at the BEGINNING of the quarter that they are taking the seminar to fulfill their Senior Exit Requirement. All details are worked out with instructor.

A senior project can be either a Creative Project or a Community Action Project.

Creative Projects include web site design, video, performance, slide show, photo exhibit, or other media work. A short written analysis of the student's experience in conducting the project is required.

Community Action Projects often involve sustained research and/or fieldwork conducted in a community organization or public interest group, usually stemming from an internship.
A short written analysis of the connection between the student's activity and research and the project itself is required.
This option can be taken only by petition to LALS and with the approval of a faculty advisor.