The Latin American and Latino Studies (LALS) Department is committed to transformative research, teaching, advising, and mentoring that advance understanding of how the dreams and realities of Latin American and Latinx communities are shaped by a range of social factors.
We focus on issues like migration and mobilities, inequality, identities, intersectionality, race, ethnicity, social and political transitions, culture, power, and knowledge, to uncover the deep interconnectedness of peoples and regions across the Américas.
Academics
Latin American and Latino Studies major and minor
A Bachelor of Arts degree in Latin American and Latino Studies offers a three-year pathway to early graduation and can easily accommodate double-majors and transfer students. Meanwhile, our minor is a seven-course learning path that adds perspective to studies in other fields.
Combined bachelor’s degree programs
We offer three combined bachelors degrees in partnership with the Politics Department, the Sociology Department, and the Education Department to help students apply perspectives and contextual knowledge from the Latin American and Latino Studies Department in these three fields.
Doctoral degree and designated emphasis
Our doctoral program, launched in 2014, has an extremely high job-placement rate, with alumni working in academia, law, government, and non-profit and corporate leadership. Graduate students from other programs can also add a designated emphasis in LALS to their studies.
Faculty
Our faculty are internationally renowned experts from diverse academic backgrounds—including history, sociology, economics, anthropology, and ethnic studies—who are drawn together by a shared passion for investigating the social and environmental issues that shape Latin America and Latinx communities.
They’re enthusiastic educators and community-builders who are dedicated to the success of our students and to affecting positive change around the world.
Research
Research in the Latin American and Latino Studies Department covers everything from the racial undertones of beauty standards in Brazil to the harmful impacts of lithium extraction in Chile and the health effects of U.S. immigration policy.
We create real-world impact by bringing often-overlooked issues to light. Students frequently support our research efforts, either alongside individual faculty members or through affiliated initiatives, like the Dolores Huerta Research Center for the Americas.
