The purpose of the Binghamton University Latin American and Caribbean Area Studies Program is to further scholarship and education on Latin America and the Caribbean. We define this region broadly to include the Spanish, English, French, Dutch, Creole and Portuguese speaking countries of the Americas and the experiences of peoples of Latin American and Caribbean descent in the United States and Canada.
To realize this purpose the committee is dedicated to three goals:
The Latin American and Caribbean Area Studies program (LACAS) offers an interdisciplinary approach to the study of Latin America, the Caribbean and Latinos in the United States. By combining interdisciplinary coursework with fieldwork in the United States, the Caribbean or Latin America, the program offers a wide range of educational possibilities to students seeking careers in teaching and research in these regions, or careers in international, social service, educational or political organizations engaged in promoting the economic, social and cultural life of the peoples of Latin America, the Caribbean and U.S. Latinos. Students may complete their degrees through coursework and seek honors with study-abroad and independent-study options. LACAS is unique in its emphasis on supervising independent and socially relevant student research.
Information on study-abroad opportunities may be obtained by contacting the International Programs Office. Students considering doing an international project for their LACAS honors are advised to discuss their plans for a research project early in their majors with the LACAS director or associate director.
The undergraduate major in Latin American and Caribbean Area Studies is a well-established program that began in 1973. To qualify for the major, students must:
1. Complete a minimum of 10 courses selected from among those parented by or cross-listed with LACAS; courses with content on U.S. Latinos, the Caribbean and/or Latin America; or any other course approved by the LACAS Committee. The following requirements apply:
At least one course in each of three separate departments;
Two of the following three courses: LACS 105, LACS 106, LACS 107. None of these can be taken for Pass/Fail;
One course in library research (e.g., LACS 271);
One literature course approved by the LACAS Committee;
Five advanced courses (300 level or above), of which one must be 400 level;
No more than half of the courses may be taken outside Binghamton University;
No more than one of the non-required courses can be taken for Pass/Fail.
2. Show a proficiency in a language relevant to the area of specialization. Proficiency includes written as well as oral proficiency, taking into account the differences in fluency between those formally and those informally educated in the languages. Those informally educated are expected to have an intermediate level of reading comprehension. Those formally educated are expected to have an intermediate level of verbal fluency. Students are formally evaluated by a member of the LACAS Committee appointed for that purpose.
To be eligible to earn honors in the Latin American and Caribbean Area Studies program, a student majoring in LACAS must have a grade-point average of 3.5 or above in LACAS courses, a 3.3 or above GPA overall, and must complete an honors independent study course that results in a research paper that is judged to be of honors quality (grade of A), or earn honors in the Senior Thesis. The work is evaluated by a committee designated by the LACAS Committee. Contact the associate director of LACAS for more information.
Students may complete the field study requirement in Latin America or the Caribbean, in Latino/Chicano/Caribbean communities in the United States, or locally, in consultation with a LACAS faculty member, and according to a research proposal developed by the student during the semester prior to field study.
For students interested in study abroad, LACAS maintains a research program in Latin America and recognizes SUNY study-abroad programs in Latin America or the Caribbean. Students must take a research methodology course (LACS 497 or similar) prior to travel, and, while abroad, they register through the Office of International Programs (LACS 496 and LACS 497). On their return from abroad, students register for LACS 498, LACAS Senior Thesis. At that time, students write up the results of their fieldwork in a senior thesis.
Students who undertake a research project locally must register for a minimum of eight (up to 12) independent study/field research credits with LACAS during the semester of research. Students conducting fieldwork elsewhere in the U.S. sign up for LACS 496 for variable credit and must be supervised by a LACAS affiliated faculty coordinator on site.
Note: Anyone interested in declaring LACAS honors should do so by the end of sophomore year in order to allow for planning of the independent research project.
The LACAS minor is designed for undergraduates who wish to graduate with formal recognition for coursework in the field without undertaking all the requirements of a major. To qualify for the LACAS minor, a student must complete a minimum of six courses selected from those approved by the LACAS Committee. The following stipulations apply:
At least one course must be a 300-level course;
At least one other course must be a 400-level course;
At least one course from the following: LACS 105, LACS 106, LACS 107. None of these can be taken for Pass/Fail;
Only one of the non-required courses can be taken for Pass/Fail;
Only one of the six courses can be LACS 395 or LACS 397.
No more than half the courses may be taken outside Binghamton.
Any student interested in pursuing a LACAS minor should meet with a member of the LACAS Committee or the director to discuss the requirements and their plan of study.
The certificate program in Latin American and Caribbean area studies offers an opportunity for graduate students to receive special recognition for work in Latin American and Caribbean area studies. The requirements of the program are above and beyond those of a specific department, although work in the program may usually be used to satisfy a number of departmental requirements. In general, it is expected that candidates for the certificate need not complete more than two or three courses beyond the number required by their department for the advanced degree.
Students who receive the certificate in effect have two credentials: the MA or PhD in an established discipline and a certificate in Latin American and Caribbean area studies. Admission to the program requires previous admission to a department of study and approval by the committee on Latin American and Caribbean area studies.
To qualify for a graduate certificate in Latin American and Caribbean area studies, students:
Students interested in the major or minor should keep the following in mind:
The main difference between the major and the minor is that the major requires a minimum of 10 courses and the minor requires a minimum of six courses;
The Honors Program includes the design and execution of a research project that can include fieldwork abroad;
Depending on the nature of the courses, some courses taken in Latin American and/or Caribbean universities may be used to fulfill part of the requirements for the major and/or the minor;
It is strongly recommended (but not required) that students interested in the LACAS major combine that major with a major or minor in another department or program. This ensures further background in a related field;
In accordance with normal Harpur College policy, students may use the same course(s) to fulfill part of the course requirements for both their LACAS major and a second major. At least four of the courses for student’s LACAS minor must be in addition to those counted towards the student’s major.
