Welcome Transfers!
Transfers, welcome to Latin American and Latino Studies (LALS)! We offer several transfer-friendly majors and a minor, and because of our flexible pathways, many of our transfer students decide to double major or major/minor with a program in LALS. Please contact lalsadvising@ucsc.edu anytime you have questions, before or after admission to UCSC. Have you never considered a minor or double major? Ask us about it! Or check out the many options for exploring majors online.
Transfer students choose LALS because they are passionate about the work, and also because it's easy to integrate study abroad, internships, and research opportunities with their LALS requirements. We also offer the opportunity to complete combined majors with Education, Politics, and Sociology, which require fewer courses than a full double major. What do you want to do while you're at this world class university?
Find the requirements for our majors and minor in the UCSC Catalog:
- LALS BA
- LALS BA with Language Intensive Concentration
- Combined BA with Education, Democracy and Justice
- Combined BA with Politics
- Combined BA with Sociology
- Minor in LALS
Beginning in 2024, all majors require LALS 100 and LALS 100A+100L, which are offered once each year in winter and spring quarters (minors choose one of the core course options). All majors and the minor will also take one introductory course chosen from LALS 1, LALS 5, and LALS 10. See our Courses page for the tentative course schedule this year, and for links to course descriptions.
It's a great idea to get a jump on applying to research labs and internships, and thinking about when you might study away, if these opportunites appeal to you. Research labs that often seek applicants in spring for the following year include the Human Rights Investigations Lab (application due April 5, 2024) with LALS Professor Sylvanna Falcón and the Migration, Identity, and Education Lab with LALS-Affiliated Professor Saskias Casanova. We have more ideas about how to enhance your LALS education in our newsletter and on our website.
Have you taken a course at a California Community College that focused on Latin American studies or Latina/o/x studies? Check if your course is a transferable LALS elective using assist.org. (If it's not but you think it should be, contact us!) Be sure UCSC receives your IGETC certification if you completed the UC version before transfer, so you know you have your GEs satisfied.
Most LALS-related transfer courses apply as a lower-division elective (you'll need one or two of these for the LALS BA and minor), or if you took an introductory course in Chicana/o/x or Latina/o/x Studies, it may satisfy the introductory course requirement for all majors and the minor because it is equivalent to LALS 10. Please email lalsadvising@ucsc.edu with any questions about transfer coursework.
