Minor and Clusters : Undergraduate Program : Latin American, Caribbean, and Latinx Studies (LACX) : University of Rochester

Minor and Clusters

The minor in Latin American Studies gives students a broad view of Latin American cultures and their relations to the United States and the rest of the world.

Minor Requirements

A total of five courses related to Latin American and Caribbean people and their diasporas, their languages, and their cultures are required for the minor.

Two courses must be taken from different areas, such as anthropology, business, economics, history, international relations, political science, Portuguese, religion, or Spanish.
The division of the minor (humanities or social sciences) will be that in which the student takes three courses.
Up to two study-abroad courses may count toward the minor with the approval of the student's advisor for the minor.
In order for a course to qualify for the minor, roughly 50 percent of the course must feature content relating to Latin America in the terms described in this document.
A student may petition for a specific course to be counted toward the minor, even if it has not been previously identified as a Latin American studies course. The student must turn in a syllabus for the course to be considered. The program coordinator will determine whether the course will count as listed or if specific Latin America-related research is required.
The minor must be approved by the designated program coordinator.

Prerequisite: Students must complete SPAN 151 and 152, SP 153, or PORT 151 and 152. Students who are placed in SPAN 200 may use that course as their language prerequisite.

See the Latin American studies course information (pdf) for a list of courses that will automatically count toward the five courses needed to satisfy the minor as well as other courses that can be approved for minor with a research focus in the region.

Clusters

Currently there are no approved LACX clusters. The following disciplinary clusters, however, are good options and will position students well for a minor or major.

Indigenous Studies (S1INT021)
Hispanic Film and Popular Culture (H1SP003)
Literature and Identity in Hispanic Societies (H1SP001)
Latin American History and Culture (S1HIS019)

Starting in spring 2026, we hope to offer the following humanities and social science clusters. Contact the program director for more information.

Humanities: Afro, Indigenous, and Latinx Cultures
Social science: Politics of Development, Immigration, and Empire