LACS Certificate

Career and Professional Preparation

UWM graduates in the 21st century will participate in a globalized economy with corresponding internationalization of the mass media, education and the arts. As the United States draws even closer to its neighbors in the Americas, students in the Latin American and Caribbean Studies Certificate Program (LACS) will be especially well prepared for this complex and ever-changing world.

Like a departmental minor, the LACS certificate offers a specific academic focus but differs by being interdisciplinary, allowing students to combine related courses in different disciplines to explore common themes. Students who earn a certificate demonstrate their intellectual commitment to a subject and their competence in scholarly areas, which can prove valuable at the graduate level or in the workplace.

All individuals in liberal arts or professional schools, intent on internationalizing their university education by strengthening language skills and area studies knowledge, benefit from participation in the program.

Eligibility

The Certificate in Latin American and Caribbean Studies is open to all students seeking a bachelor’s degree from UWM, to those who previously received a bachelor’s degree from UWM or any other accredited college or university, and to those who do not plan to pursue a college or university degree (non-degree students) but who have a strong interest in this subject. To be admitted to the university as non-degree students, individuals must meet regular university admission requirements.

Requirements

You are strongly advised to consult both the Latin American and Caribbean Studies advisor and your L&S advisor to ensure you stay on track towards a degree.

Proficiency in a language (other than English) widely spoken in Latin America or the Caribbean is required. Spanish, Portuguese, and French are already approved to satisfy this requirement, and the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies will determine additional languages that satisfy the certificate. This requirement may be fulfilled by either:

  1. successful completion (with a grade of C or above) of any upper-level (numbered 300 or above) course in the target language; or
  2. successful completion of a language proficiency examination. Exceptions to this requirement must be approved by the LACS Certificate Committee.

Students must complete 18 credits in Latin American and Caribbean content courses, 9 of which must be at the 300 level or above and in residence at UWM. The 18 credits include one required course, LACS 101. Students must select courses from at least three curricular areas, including LACS 101. No more than 9 credits in any one curricular area may be counted towards the certificate program. Students may count up to 3 credits of a related independent study and up to 3 credits of a related internship. In addition to any Latin American content courses taken in a semester-length, UWM-approved study abroad program in Latin America or the Caribbean, an additional three credits for participating also may be counted, if courses are taken within an immersion setting (as determined by the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies). A 2.00 GPA or better must be achieved in all UWM coursework and in all certificate credits.

Courses that meet the certificate requirements include, but are not limited to, those in the following list. For the most current list of Latin American and Caribbean content courses, see the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies.

African and African Diaspora Studies

AFRIC 205The Poetry of African, African-American, and Caribbean Writers3
AFRIC 299Ad Hoc: (Sex in the Caribbean)1-6
AFRIC 311African Religious Thought and Social Organizations3
AFRIC 320Black Cultures in Latin America and the Caribbean3
AFRIC 334Survey of Black American and Black Brazilian Societies3
AFRIC 411Change in African-American Communities3
AFRIC 414The Black Woman in America, Africa, and the Caribbean3
AFRIC 418Race, Class, and Gender in Latin America and the Caribbean3

Anthropology

ANTHRO 214Ancient Civilizations of Latin America3
ANTHRO 225The Aztec Empire3
ANTHRO 309Archaeology of Central and South America3
ANTHRO 310Archaeology of Middle America3
ANTHRO 311The World of the Ancient Maya3
ANTHRO 431Cities and Culture3

Art History

ARTHIST 104African, New World and Oceanic Art and Architecture3
ARTHIST 251Introduction to the Art and Architecture of Latin America3
ARTHIST 343Art and Culture of Spain and Latin America, 1500-17503
ARTHIST 367Latin American Modernisms3
ARTHIST 372Art of the Inca and their Ancestors3
ARTHIST 373Art of Ancient Mexico and Central America3
ARTHIST 375Art of the Aztec Empire3
ARTHIST 474Maya Art3
ARTHIST 499Ad Hoc: (Modern Art of Latin America)1-6

Atmospheric Sciences

ATM SCI 297Study Abroad: (Mexico - Air Pollution and Ancient Cultures)1-12
ATM SCI 497Study Abroad: (Mexico - Air Pollution and Ancient Cultures)1-12

Biological Sciences

BIO SCI 297Study Abroad: (Ecology of Tropical Streams in Costa Rica)1-12
BIO SCI 497Study Abroad: (Ecology of Tropical Streams in Costa Rica)1-12

Comparative Literature

COMPLIT 135Experiencing Literature in the 21st Century: (Women and War in Latin America and the Caribbean)3
COMPLIT 230Literature and Society: (Cowboys, Gauchos, and Other Narratives of the Frontier)3
COMPLIT 232Literature and Politics: (Gender and the Historical Novel or Women and War)3
COMPLIT 350Topics in Comparative Literature: (Literary and Artistic Perspectives on Prostitution)3
COMPLIT 360Seminar in Literature and Cultural Experience: (Narratives in Torture)3
COMPLIT 365Literatures and Cultures of the Americas:3

Conservation and Environmental Science

CES 297Study Abroad: (Ecology of Tropical Streams in Costa Rica)1-12
CES 497Study Abroad: (Ecology of Tropical Streams in Costa Rica)1-12

Dance

DANCE 370World Movement Traditions: (Argentinian Tango)2-3

Economics

ECON 193First-Year Seminar: (Prosperity, Poverty, and Economic Justice)3
ECON 353Economic Development3

English

ENGLISH 297Study Abroad: ("Mexico and Cuba - Comparative Globalization" subtitle)1-12
ENGLISH 316World Cinema:3
Subtitles:
Caribbean Cinema
Latin American Cinema
Mexican Cinema
Latina and Latin American Women Directors
Mexican and Cuban Cinema
ENGLISH 320Studies in Film and Television Authorship: (Cuban and Mexican Filmmakers)3
ENGLISH 366Non-Fiction Prose: (Caribbean Nonfiction)3
ENGLISH 463Writers in African-American Literature: (Caribbean Literature)3
ENGLISH 497Study Abroad: (Mexico and Cuba - Comparative Globalization)1-12
ENGLISH 625Seminar in Literary History: (Caribbean Literary History)3

Film Studies

FILMSTD 316World Cinema:3
Subtitles:
Caribbean Cinema
Latin American Cinema
Latina and Latin American Women Directors
Mexican Cinema
Mexican and Cuban Cinema

French

FRENCH 203Third-Semester French3
FRENCH 204Fourth-Semester French3
FRENCH 210French Immersion: Intermediate1-2
FRENCH 303Conversation and Composition: Intermediate Level3
FRENCH 325Intensive Grammar and Usage3
FRENCH 392Phonetics3
FRENCH 410French Immersion: Advanced1-2
FRENCH 427Advanced Written Expression3

Geography

GEOG 297Study Abroad: (Urban Environmental Changes in Guatemala)1-12
GEOG 497Study Abroad: (Urban Environmental Changes in Guatemala)1-12

History

HIST 180Latin American Society and Culture3
HIST 393History of Mexico3
HIST 400Topics in Latin American and Caribbean History:3

Latin American and Caribbean Studies

LACS 101Introduction to Latin American and Caribbean Studies3

Latin American, Caribbean, and U.S. Latinx Studies

LACUSL 200Special Topics in Latin American, Caribbean, and U.S. Latinx Studies:3
LACUSL 201Latin American, Caribbean, and U.S. Latinx Arts and Culture:3
LACUSL 297Study Abroad:1-12
LACUSL 300Advanced Topics in Latin American, Caribbean, and U.S. Latinx Studies:3
LACUSL/THEATRE 324Theatre in the Americas: Latin American, Caribbean, and Latinx Theatre3
LACUSL 497Study Abroad:1-12

Political Science

POL SCI 325Latin American Politics3
POL SCI 326Brazilian Politics and Society3
POL SCI 346U.S.-Latin American Relations3
POL SCI 368Gender and Politics in Developing Nations3
POL SCI 374Health, Wealth, and Democracy3

Portuguese

PORTUGS 103First-Semester Portuguese4
PORTUGS 104Second-Semester Portuguese4
PORTUGS 110Accelerated Portuguese I3
PORTUGS 203Third-Semester Portuguese3
PORTUGS 204Fourth-Semester Portuguese3
PORTUGS 225Understanding Brazil:3
PORTUGS 297Study Abroad: (The African Presence in Brazil)1-12
PORTUGS 299Ad Hoc: (Accelerated Portuguese)1-6
PORTUGS 310Advanced Composition and Conversation3
PORTUGS 313Advanced Speaking and Listening3
PORTUGS 360Luso-Brazilian Culture:3
PORTUGS 497Study Abroad: (The African Presence in Brazil)1-12
PORTUGS 499Ad Hoc:1-6
PORTUGS 699Independent Reading1-3

Spanish

SPANISH 203Third-Semester Spanish3
SPANISH 204Fourth-Semester Spanish3
SPANISH 308Advanced Writing and Reading3
SPANISH 318Advanced Speaking and Listening3
SPANISH 319Advanced Speaking and Listening for Heritage Speakers3
SPANISH 332Business and Legal Spanish I3
SPANISH 333Advanced Spanish Grammar3
SPANISH 338Spanish for Health Professionals3
SPANISH 341Introduction to Hispanic Linguistics3
SPANISH 342Business and Legal Spanish II3
SPANISH 348Introduction to Translation: English to Spanish3
SPANISH 350Introduction to Literary Analysis3
SPANISH 388Health Issues in the Hispanic World3
SPANISH 391Social and Historical Issues in the Hispanic World: (Latin America - Past and Present)3
SPANISH 470Survey of Hispanic Literature and Civilization3
SPANISH 472Survey of Spanish-American Literature and Civilization3
SPANISH 491Topics in Hispanic Culture:3
Subtitles:
The Spanish Renaissance and its Cultures, 16th and 17th Centuries
Exotic Stories from the Hispanic World - The Pleasure of Words
SPANISH 507Seminar in Spanish-American Literature:3
SPANISH 541History of the Spanish Language3

Theatre

THEATRE/LACUSL 324Theatre in the Americas: Latin American, Caribbean, and Latinx Theatre3

Urban Planning

URBPLAN 692Special Topics in Urban Planning: (Latino Cities)1-3