Latin American and Caribbean Studies Program
The Program is designed to help students gain a critical understanding of Latin America, the Caribbean and its people throughout the Americas.
The LACS curriculum includes over 70 courses from disciplines both in the College and Williams School, including Anthropology, Art, Business, Economics, English, French, History, Politics Portuguese, Sociology, and Spanish. The interdisciplinary Program in Latin American and Caribbean Studies (LACS) allows students to explore the region’s histories, cultural practices, socioeconomic structures, and politics, with particular attention to the incremental transformations shaped by the encounter of Indigenous, African, Asian, and European peoples, and subsequent waves of migration from and to the region.
Students who complete the Minor can gain the background necessary for careers in journalism, law, teaching, bilingual education, social work, business, government and international organizations, as well as graduate work in Latin American Studies and related disciplines. Recent graduates have pursued careers in medicine, law, specialized non-profit organizations, business, science research, and urban planning, among others.
More than an area studies about a singular region, the LACS Program explores the Americas in the broader sense. To understand today’s Western Hemisphere students must make interdisciplinary connections that transcend political borders. From Canada to Chile and Bermuda to Brazil, our curriculum focuses on the unique experiences that define the Americas.
Jeffrey C. Barnett
Professor of Spanish
Latin American and Caribbean Studies Program