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  OWU History Dept.

Latin American Studies Major

Majors must complete the following requirements:

Core Courses:  Students must complete GEOG 200.1; PG 348 plus one (1) of the following additional PG courses (PG 300.3 or PG 344); three (3) of the following history courses (HIST 115, 331, 332, 333, 334, 335a, 335b, or 335c); and Spanish language coursework or placement through SPAN 254/255 plus two (2) of the following (SPAN 352, 360, 362, or 364).

Cognate Courses: Two (2) of the following courses selected from different departments. ECON 353, ECON 372, GEOG 345, GEOG 370,  PG 300.3 (if not counted as core PG class above), PG 344  (if not counted as core PG class above), PG 361, PHIL 310 (Topic: Global Ethics), REL 352, SOAN 295, or SOAN 360.  In cognate classes, students are expected to complete their assignments on Latin America whenever possible.

Students must also participate in an off-campus study program in a Spanish or Portuguese speaking country in Latin America. Students are encouraged to spend at least one semester abroad, but an approved summer program can be substituted.  With prior approval, students may apply 3 off-campus courses towards major requirements, the allocation of which will be determined by the LAS board. 

Students must prepare a senior thesis of roughly 25 to 30 pages.  This research paper may be completed as part of a course in which the student is enrolled or as an independent project (LAS490) with a faculty member.  Regardless, the paper topic must be approved in advance by the LAS board and will be read and evaluated by a panel of three or more faculty members from at least two departments.