Area, Ethnic, Cultural, and Group Studies > Latin American Studies

Latin American Studies

The study of Latin America is the focus of a distinct academic subfield known as "Latin American studies." As a subfield of area studies, interdisciplinary research draws from a wide range of fields, including but not limited to economics, sociology, history, international relations, politics, geography, gender studies, and literature. The goal of the Latin American Studies program is to equip students with the linguistic and cultural competence necessary for success in a variety of professional fields, including those dealing with Latin American and Latinx populations in the United States and abroad. Students who major in Latin American Studies find employment in a wide range of fields, including but not limited to global development, foreign policy, human rights, education, public health, urban infrastructure, and rural development, in both the private sector and for governmental and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the United States and Latin America.