The Latin American Studies program promotes understanding of the nations and cultures commonly referred to as "Latin American" through its commitment to interdisciplinary study.  The program provides students not only a field of academic study, but also a useful background for various careers.

The program encourages a distribution of regional and topical course work which is approved by the Latin American Studies Advisory Committee and administered by the Director of International and Area Studies.Students who complete the secondary major in Latin American Studies are expected to include the following within their areas of knowledge or competence:

• Reading and speaking capability in Spanish or Portuguese
• Basic geographic knowledge of the geographic, demographic, political, racial and ethnic "landscape" of Latin America today
• Ability to understand and analyze cultures other than their own
• An integration of their program of study into a meaningful and coherent whole

• 21 hours, including the Senior Seminar
• Minimum of four departments
• No more than nine hours in any one department
• Study abroad transfer credits encouraged
• Senior Research in Latin American Studies (DAS 407).  Currently an independent studies project under the tutelage of an instructor in the subject field and under the general direction of the program director. Guidelines for DAS 407
• Foreign Language Requirement:  Four college semesters of Spanish or Portuguese or the equivalent.

Bradley Shaw, Director
International and Area Studies
College of Arts and Sciences
Kansas State University
c/o Department of Modern Languages
215 Eisenhower Hall
Manhattan, KS 66506-1004

TEL (785) 532-1988
FAX (785) 532-7004

or send e-mail to:
ias@ksu.edu

Kansas State University
October 25, 2002