Certificate in Latin American and Latinx Studies
The certificate in Latin American and Latinx studies (CLAAS) at Wichita State University takes an interdisciplinary approach to the study of politics, economics, cultures, literatures and languages, societies, and the arts of Latin America, the Caribbean and the Latino communities in the United States. Students examine the opportunities and challenges facing the Western Hemisphere in the 21st century, and provide insightful commentary in response to development throughout the Americas.
Courses in the program may vary and depend on faculty research topics ranging from development economics to immigrant health care for Latinx families, from cultural anthropology to literature of the diaspora, from contemporary afrolatino music to colonial foodways, the study of economic and political relations between the U.S. and Latin America, and so on. Study abroad experience and internship programs abroad are highly recommended.
This certificate is designed to provide students with critical cultural skills necessary for careers in public service, business, foreign service, law, law enforcement, teaching, health care, counselling, hospitality industries, humanitarian work and nonprofits, etc., in Latin America or working with Latino populations in the United States and any place worldwide.
Program Requirements
The certificate comprises 12 credit hours of significant Latin American or Latinx content. A maximum of 6 credit hours of transfer credit is allowed (study abroad for example) at the discretion of the coordinators.
The student chooses four (4) courses of 3 credit hours each to complete the certificate. No more than two (2) courses should be taken in one department. Students in the program design a plan of study with the certificate coordinator, who is responsible for approving all courses students take for the certificate.
Applicable courses are offered by a variety of departments and often can be applied to the student’s general education requirements. Courses taken before enrollment in the program can count toward the certificate if they are determined by the certificate coordinator to meet the learning objectives of the program. Students must receive a final grade of C or better to apply a course toward the certificate and have an overall grade point average of at least 2.000 for all courses comprising the program to earn the certificate.
Study abroad programs (such as the MCLL Puebla program) and internships in the Latin American region (with approval from the coordinators) may also count toward the certificate.
Any substitution of the listed courses must be approved by the certificate coordinators and must meet the subject domain distribution requirement as well as promote the student's understanding of regional culture, history, geography, language/communication and international issues of Latin America or the Latino community in the United States.
Courses identified to meet the objectives of the program include:
| Course | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ARTS 312 | Community Arts Engagement | 3 |
| ARTS 550AC | Art and Archaeology in the Streets of Mexico City | 3 |
| ARTH 550B | Contemporary Art & Technology | 3 |
| CLES 750AK | Counseling Latina/o/x: A Cosmic Race | 3 |
| FYML 102C | First-Year Seminar: Powerful Narratives: Storytelling and Social Justice in the Hispanic World | 3 |
| FYML 102F | First-Year Seminar: Cooking Communities: Food and Culture in the Hispanic World | 3 |
| FYML 102G | First-Year Seminar: Latinos in the US and the Midwest | 3 |
| GEOG 530 | Geography of Latin America | 3 |
| HIST 519 | Introduction to Local and Community History | 3 |
| HIST 553 | History of Mexico | 3 |
| HIST 555 | U.S. and Mexico Borderlands | 3 |
| MUSP 411M | Jazz Combo | 1 |
| or MUSP 211M | Jazz Combo | |
| or MUSP 711M | Jazz Combo | |
| PHIL 304 | Latin American and LatinX Thought | 3 |
| POLS 310 | Latin American Politics | 3 |
| POLS 375 | Latin America International Relations | 3 |
| HNRS 305X | Speaking Spanish in the United States | 3 |
| SPAN 400 | Intermediate Spanish Readings | 3 |
| SPAN 520 | Hispanic Film: Cinema in the Spanish Speaking World | 3 |
| SPAN 525 | Advanced Spanish Conversation | 3 |
| SPAN 547 | Spanish in the United States | 3 |
| SPAN 620 | Survey of Latin-American Literature | 3 |
| SPAN 621 | Survey of Contemporary Latin-American Literature | 3 |
| SPAN 623 | Seminar in Spanish | 2-3 |
| SPAN 624 | Seminar in Latin-American Literature or Culture | 3 |
| SPAN 623Q | Hispanic Comics and Graphic Novels | 3 |
| SPAN 627 | Latin-American Civilization | 3 |
| SPAN 632 | Hispanic Cooking Communities | 3 |
| SPAN 633 | Latin@ Studies | 3 |
Language Requirement
Basic knowledge of Spanish (or Portuguese) is a key component of the certificate ( SPAN 106 level or 10 credit hours of basic). These basic communication skills are a plus for future employers and an added competency. Some courses of the certificate (non-Spanish) may be taken prior to or concurrently with the language courses. The student can demonstrate proficiency in the language by taking the placement exam or the Credit by Exam test.
For information and application procedures, please contact the coordinators: Dr. Dinorah Azpuru (Political Science) or Dr. Rocío del Aguila (MCLL-Spanish).