ACADEMICS

Academic Programs

LACS offers an undergraduate Major/Concentration, which requires the completion of a Senior Thesis. This is a unique requirement, for unlike other senior thesis programs at UM, it is not an Honors thesis (though you may petition ahead of time to have your LACS Senior Thesis accepted as an Honors Thesis.The purpose of the LACS Senior Thesis is to give you, the student, an opportunity to deepen your understanding of a specific issue or problem in the area, while drawing together the knowledge you have gained from your classes in separate disciplines.  

LACS also offers an Academic Minor, which is designed to give you a multidisciplinary approach to the study of the vibrant and growing countries of the Americas, from Mexico and the Caribbean to Chile and Argentina, and to certify that you have received a solid education in the study of the area. At least 15 credits of courses (at the 300 level and above) on Latin America and the Caribbean.  For more information on the LACS Undergraduate offerings, please visit our Undergraduate page.

The graduate program consists of a Graduate Certificate.  This certificate offers official recognition of a student's work on the region and requires approximately 5 courses (15 credit hours) on Latin American and Caribbean topics. Prospective graduate students who are interested in the study of Latin America and the Caribbean at the University of Michigan are encouraged to apply to a department or professional school that is relevant to their specialization and to develop their area focus within the department's doctoral program. For more information on our Graduate program, please visit our Graduate page.

In addition to graduate and undergraduate programs, LACS also works in collaboration with the Centro Tinku in Cusco, Peru to provide an Intensive Summer Language Program for the study of Quechua. We also offer Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced Quechua classes here at the University of Michigan every Fall and Winter.