The Center for Latin American Studies coordinates teaching, research and service activities related to Latin America and the Caribbean. The center offers a minor and a certificate in Latin American Studies, which are in-tended to prepare students for graduate studies in the social sciences and the humanities, or for a career in busi-ness, government or education in Latin America and the Caribbean. The minor is intended to provide students with basic cultural and language training. The more demanding certificate program provides an area concen-tration within or enhancing a student's major and is designed for those students who plan to live in Latin America, work with Latin Americans or interpret Latin American culture to others. If they wish, students can earn both the minor and certificate.

        The minor and the certificate are offered in conjunc-tion with the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science in majors in the following colleges: Agriculture, Architec-ture, Business Administration, Education, Fine Arts, Journalism and Communications, and Liberal Arts and Sciences. Students must fulfill their respective college and department requirements for the B.A. or B.S. degree.

        An undergraduate also can develop an interdiscipli-nary major in Latin American and Caribbean studies, pending committee approval.

Minor in Latin American Studies

        A minor in Latin American Studies requires 18 credit hours of Latin American courses, distributed as follows:

• at least three semesters (9 credits) of core courses (100% Latin American content);
• one semester (3 credits) of the Center for Latin American Studies’ interdisciplinary seminar, LAS 4935;
• six credits of additional core courses or elective courses (at least 20% Latin American or Caribbean content).  The list of core and elective courses is available at the Center for Latin American Studies, 319 Grinter Hall.

        It is recommended that students take LAS 4935 after acquiring the necessary credits from core and elective courses. Only courses at the 2000 level or above will count toward the minor.

        Students can obtain an application for the under-graduate minor at the Office of the University Registrar in Criser Hall. Awarding of the minor will occur upon certification by the undergraduate coordinator of the Center for Latin American Studies, or other authorized representative, that the applicant has completed the re-quirements. Contact mardavis@latam.ufl.edu with ques-tions. The minor will appear on the student’s University of Florida transcript.

Certificate in Latin American Studies

        The undergraduate certificate requires 24 credits of Latin American courses, distributed as follows:

• at least one semester of the center’s interdisciplinary seminar, LAS 4935;
• intermediate proficiency in a Latin American lan-guage (Spanish, SPN 2240; Portuguese, POR 3240; or Haitian Creole, HAI 2211) or its equivalent;
• Latin American courses taken within the major, whenever possible;
• at least nine credits of Latin American courses out-side the major, which must include at least one social science and one humanities course.

Study in Latin America

        Candidates for both the minor and the certificate are encouraged to spend a summer, a semester or an academic year living in a Latin American country.

        The university sponsors study opportunities in Latin America, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and in Merida, Mexico. The programs in Brazil and Mexico combine three valu-able features. First, they provide high-quality language training by native instructors at beginning, intermediate and ad-vanced levels. Second, they immerse participants in the culture  of the host country by housing them with care-fully-selected local families. Third, they keep costs within reach of most student budgets.  Interested students can obtain information about the Brazil and Mexico programs at the International Center in 123 Grinter Hall and at the Center for Latin American Studies in 319 Grinter Hall.

Portuguese Language Program in Brazil

        Since 1978, the university has conducted a summer Portuguese course in Brazil, held at the Instituto Brasil-Estados Unidos. The program provides six weeks of instruction in Portuguese language and Brazilian studies, awarding six credits for transfer. Participants must have completed a semester of Portuguese or two years of Span-ish before leaving for Rio de Janeiro.

Language, Culture and Ecology Program in Mexico

        Since 1985, the center has sponsored a summer and semester or academic-year program at the Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, in Mérida, Mexico. The summer program includes courses in intermediate and advanced Spanish as well as a course in either tropical ecology or social science. Students receive five credit hours of Spanish and four credit hours for an ecology or social science course. The academic-year program is for students with advanced Spanish. They take regular courses at the Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán under the sponsorship of the University of Florida. Par-ticipants should have at least one semester of Spanish to be eligible for the summer program and two years of Spanish for the
academic-year program. Guaranteed loans may be used for these programs.

Other Activities

        The center sponsors speakers, an annual conference, a film series, art exhibits and musical performances; sup-ports publication of scholarly works and newsletters; provides an educational outreach service; and cooperates with other parts of the university in overseas research and training programs. Most of these activities are open to undergraduates.