Latin American Studies

The Minor in Latin American Studies at the University of New England consists of 18 credits (6 three-credit courses) and an experience in Latin America. Study will be in disciplines such as: history, sociology, language, literature, film studies, and political science. Three courses are required from three different disciplines. Students will choose three additional courses from the list of electives below. There is also a Latin American Experience requirement that is detailed below.*

Languages of Latin America (3 credits):

It is expected that students will complete at least a second level or semester of a language to receive credit for the minor. The first level may come from a year of high school language study, a semester of college study, or from native proficiency. Students are expected to attain this level of proficiency in either Spanish or Portuguese.

History of Latin America (3 credits):

At present students may select from one of two courses to satisfy this minor requirement. Other courses may be added later. A student may petition for another course or for transferred credits to count for this requirement.

Society in Latin America (3 credits):

At present this is the only course that satisfies this requirement. A student may petition for another course or for transferred credits to count for this requirement.

Electives (9 credits)

For the remaining three courses, or nine credits, students may select from the following:

Courses in Latin American Studies can also be taken through the Greater Portland Alliance. In addition, courses from UNE study abroad programs in Latin America can be substituted on an individual basis for courses in the core and electives of the minor. These courses will be approved on an individual basis by the Latin American Studies Coordinating Committee.

Latin American Experiences

*In addition to completing the 18 credits in the Latin American Studies Minor, a student must also have spent a minimal amount of time in another country in Latin America or the Caribbean. This can consist of living in a country in Latin America, studying in a country in Latin America, or a personal visit. The minimum is a two week stay in which there is an effort to learn language, culture, and history. Each Minor will apply to the Latin American Studies Coordinating Committee for approval of their experience.

If a student has not been able to complete a Latin American Experience, then they can still complete a minor by either taking an additional course approved by the Latin American Studies Coordinating Committee or by completing an independent study with a faculty affiliated with the program for a total of 21 credits.

These are the student learning outcomes for the 2 required courses for the Latin American Studies minor:

Intermediate Spanish

Students leave this course with Intermediate Proficiency in Spanish in the four language skills: comprehension, speaking, reading, writing. These elements are measured by quizzes, homework assignments, and recorded dialogs. Students learning outcomes for this course are:

• Develop vocabulary proficiency in food, drink, and restaurant experiences, traveling and going on vacation, speaking of free time activities and home life, and basic health care-related issues.
• Develop grammatical proficiency: students will be able to comprehend, speak, read, and write in the present and past tenses.
• Develop cultural proficiency: students will learn about the the basic historical origins of Spain and parts of Latin America, such as Mexico, Peru, and Guatemala.
• Develop reading and writing proficiency: students will be able to read and write about some original literature in Spanish in the form of the essay and the short story.

Society in Latin America

This course has six interrelated student learning outcomes. The overall objective is to provide a student learning opportunity that is focused on the social and cultural experiences of peoples in Latin America. At the end of the course students will:

• Develop a basic knowledge about society in Latin America to include: geography, demographics, politics, culture, and media.
• Expand their understanding of sociological perspectives including theory and methods.
• Enhance their ability to think critically about social relations.
• Enhance their ability to analyze sociologically the culture around them.
• Enhance their ability to express themselves in writing and verbally
• Increase their ability to integrate disciplines and perspectives using a variety of mediums, methods, and modes of expression.

Tuition and Fees

Tuition and fees for subsequent years may vary. Other expenses include books and housing. For more information regarding tuition and fees, please consult the Financial Information section of this catalog.