About Latin American Studies

General Regulations for Latin American Studies Majors

Overview of the LAST Major

Latin American Studies (LAST) is an interdisciplinary program that is designed to provide an integrated view of Mesoamerica, South America, and the Caribbean. This interdisciplinary approach is complemented by concentration in a specific department. The purpose of the concentration is to assure that the student majoring in LAST, an interdisciplinary program, has mastered the substance and methods of at least one established academic discipline. Hence, the courses in the department of concentration need not involve Latin America, although they certainly may. A student who completes the program will receive a degree in Latin American Studies with a concentration in a particular department. A double major in the department of concentration is an option for Latin American Studies majors.

Twelve semester courses are required to complete the LAST major. There are two ways to get the twelve courses:

o 6 in LAST and 6 in a department of concentration (e.g., History, Government, Spanish)

o 7 in LAST and 5 in a department of concentration

Applying for the Latin American Studies Major

Admission to the major requires (a) competence in either Spanish or Portuguese; (b) an academic record that shows ability both in Latin American Studies and in the intended department of concentration; and (c) a judgment by core LAST faculty that you are likely to be able to maintain a grade point average of B- or better in all courses taken at Wesleyan that are cross-listed with LAST.

To become a LAST major:

1. Click the Major Declaration link in the "Wesleyan Career" bucket in your student electronic portfolio and submit an electronic application to the major.

2. Come back to this webpage and download the LAST Major Application Form and the LAST Status Sheet. Bring the two completed forms to the Center for the Americas (the yellow house on the front lawn of the campus, next to the president's house). Ask the administrative assistant to put them in the mailbox of the Latin American Studies chair. We shall need your LAST application form and LAST status sheet well before the deadline for declaring your major if we are to review them with sufficient care to approve your major application.

3. The core LAST faculty will review your major application form and LAST status sheet, as well as your academic record, to make sure that they meet the expectations described above. If we approve your application to become a LAST major, "approved" will replace "pending" in the Major Declaration part of your student portfolio. If we have any questions we'll contact you.

Choosing a Concentration

Students are expected to choose a department of concentration that has a LAST-affiliated faculty member (In 2008/09 these departments are ECON, E&ES, HIST, GOVT, MUSC, RELI, SOC, SPAN, and THEA).

With the approval of the Chair, students may concentrate in other departments (e.g., in 2008/09, ANTH or BIOL) that have faculty members with substantial knowledge of and interest in Latin America and/or the Caribbean.

Under no circumstances may a student concentrate in another program, such as AMST, AFAM, EAST, WMST, etc.

Mandatory LAST Courses at Wesleyan

Of the twelve courses required to complete the LAST major, at least eight must be taken at Wesleyan. On petition to the chair, an exception may be made for (1) students who tranferred to Wesleyan and who seek LAST major credit for courses taken at their previous institution(s), or (2) students participating in the 12-college exchange program who seek LAST major credit for courses taken at one of the other participating colleges.

Of the twelve courses required to complete the LAST major, three are mandatory: LAST 200 (Colonialism and Its Consequences), LAST 226 (Modern Latin American Literature and Civilization), and LAST 245 (Survey of Latin American History). Each of these mandatory courses must be taken at Wesleyan.

One additional LAST-crosslisted social science course is also mandatory. It too must be taken at Wesleyan.

Non-LAST Courses at Wesleyan that May Count Toward the LAST Major

In exceptional circumstances, Wesleyan courses that have significant Latin American content but are not cross-listed with LAST may count toward the major. Students must petition the LAST chair to obtain LAST major credit for such courses.

Courses at Wesleyan that May NOT Count Toward the LAST Major

No Spanish language courses may count toward the LAST major -- only Spanish literature courses. Spanish 221 counts. No 100-level Spanish courses will be accepted for credit toward the LAST major.

No more than one music course involving primarily or exclusively performance may count toward the LAST major.

No student forum courses may count toward the LAST major. Also, LAST does not sponsor student forum courses.

No more than one introductory (100-level) course in a student's department of concentration may count toward the LAST major.

No more than one thesis tutorial credit may count toward the LAST major.

Courses Taken at Other Institutions in the United States

No course taken at another institution in United States may count toward the LAST major, whether taken during the summer or during the academic year. On petition to the chair, an exception may be made (1) for students who transferred to Wesleyan and who seek LAST major credit for courses taken at their previous institution(s), or (2) for students participating in the 12-college exchange program who seek LAST major credit for courses taken at one of the other participating colleges.

Grade-Point Average Required to Graduate as a LAST Major

To graduate as a LAST major, students must maintain an average of B- or better in all courses taken at Wesleyan that are cross-listed in the LAST major, whether or not the student elects to place these courses on the senior concentration form.

The Research Requirement for LAST Majors

To graduate as a LAST major, a student must satisfy the LAST research requirement. The requirement is satisfied by writing a paper that is centrally concerned with Latin America and that is:

o On a topic of the major's own choosing (i.e., the student must originate the topic)
o At least 20 pages in length
o Graded B- or better

The paper must be (1) written in a class or tutorial where the instructor is formally affiliated with the LAST program, or (2) read and approved by a faculty member who is affiliated with the LAST program.

The paper may be written in either English or Spanish, and may be completed in the context of a study-abroad program as long as it is read and approved by a faculty member who is formally affiliated with the LAST program.

A thesis or senior essay conforming to the conditions just stipulated will satisfy the LAST research requirement.

The LAST Major and General Education Expectations

LAST majors are expected to comply fully with General Education Expectations. That means, among other things, 3 NSMs by the time you graduate.

Theses Submitted for Honors in LAST

No more than one thesis tutorial credit may count toward the major.

Theses submitted for honors in LAST must have one tutor and one reader. Either the tutor or the reader must be affiliated with the LAST program. If the tutor is not affiliated with the LAST program, the reader must be LAST-affiliated.

In choosing a reader for the thesis, the tutor has the option of consulting with the student thesis-writer. The tutor, however, has the final say in choosing the reader.

If the evaluations of the tutor and the reader differ, an additional reader, who must be affiliated with the LAST program, will evaluate the thesis. That additional reader will be chosen by the LAST chair in consultation with the thesis tutor.