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General Regulations for Latin American Studies Majors
Applying for the Latin American Studies Major
To become a LAST major, a student must follow this six-step procedure:
1. Obtain the LAST major application form (click above) and fill it out.
2. Identify a LAST-affiliated faculty member in the department in which you
propose to concentrate. Bring that faculty member three items: (a) the completed
LAST application, (b) your yellow major acceptance card, and (c) a printout of
your academic history (from your portfolio; includes all of your courses and
grades). If there are no LAST-affiliated faculty members in the department in
which you propose to concentrate, bring these three items to the LAST chair.
3. The LAST-affiliated faculty member will look over your filled-out LAST
application form and your transcript. If these items show that you have (a)
basic competence in either Spanish or Portuguese and (b) an academic record that
shows ability in both Latin American Studies and the proposed department of
concentration, the faculty member will admit you to the major by signing both
your LAST application form and your yellow major acceptance card. That faculty
member will then become your advisor. If you wish to have an advisor other than
the faculty member who signed you in, please contact the LAST chair.
4. Bring your signed LAST application form, as well as the printout of your
academic history, to the administrative assistant in the Center for the
Americas. The administrative assistant will put both items into a file and keep
them in the LAST office.
5. Bring the signed yellow major acceptance card to the Registrar's Office in
North College.
6. Celebrate, with due moderation, your admission to the LAST major.
Overview of the LAST Major
Latin American Studies is an interdisciplinary program 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 interdiscipinary program, has mastered the substance and methods of at least one established academic discipline. Hence, the courses in the concentration do not necessarily have to involve Latin America, although they certainly may. A student who completes the program will receive a degree in Latin American Studies with concentration in a particular department. A double major in the department 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
Choosing a Concentration
Students are expected to choose a department of concentration that has a LAST-affiliated faculty member (In 2004/05 these departments are ARST/ARTH, 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 2004/05, 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) for 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 with significant Latin
American content, but not cross-listed with LAST, may count toward the major.
Students must petition their LAST advisor 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 taken during the academic year.
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) 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 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 affliated 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.
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