Design the Social Justice Major Track

One gateway course.

“Gateway” courses feature a broad focus on Latin America, the Caribbean, and global Latinx communities. Courses are approved by the LALC Director. Gateway courses include:

LALC 101 Intro to Latin American, Latinx and Caribbean Studies
HIST 126 Colonial Latin America
HIST 127 Modern Latin America
HIST 128 Latino History
ANTH 266 Culture & Politics in Latin America
POLS 251 Latin American Politics
POLS 200 US and Latin America
SPAN 304 Aspects of Spanish-American Culture

Or a similar course with a broad focus on Latin America approved by the LALC Director.

LALC majors must take at least one course in History.  Qualifying courses with a focus on Latin American, Latinx, or Caribbean history are approved by the LALC Director.

Note that the History requirement exists independently of the Gateway course. Students who wish to count a History course as a Gateway must take a second course to satisfy the History requirement.

Four additional Latin American, Latinx, and Caribbean Studies courses at the 200 level or above. 

I.   At least one with a social justice focus

Approved courses vary by semester and range across many departments, including Spanish, History, Political Science, Sociology & Anthropology, and others, depending on departmental offerings.  Please consult the LALC Director (Daniel Frost, dfrost@holycross.edu) to confirm which courses will fulfill this requirement.

II.  A pertinent internship or experiential learning course

Options include an Academic Internship in Worcester or Washington, D.C., with focus on the Latinx population or Latin American issues. Community-Based Learning and other experiential learning experiences may be considered as alternatives for the academic internship, as approved by the LALC Director. 

III. A CIS Senior Seminar on Social Justice. 

This latter course must be taken in the second semester of the student's senior year.

LALC majors must take three advanced LALC-approved courses that focus on academic research and presentation (normally at the 200-level and above). These courses will vary by semester. See the list below for some examples. To confirm whether a course not listed below may meet this requirement, please consult with your professor and the LALC Director.

*Courses listed below that are in bold font with an asterisk will be approved as fulfilling one of the LALC Academic Research and Presentation courses only when students focus course assignments on LALC-related topics. Approval by the Director, who will consult with the instructor, is necessary.

Majors must demonstrate knowledge of a Latin American language other than English at an advanced intermediate level or higher. This requirement can be met by completing SPAN 202, FREN 202, or the equivalent (as demonstrated by a language placement exam, AP scores, or other such recognized measures).

In the case of Latin American languages not taught at the College, such as Portuguese, Haitian Creole, or indigenous languages, speakers can have their language level certified by a faculty member or other competent authority in that language.

How language courses count:

Courses taken to meet the minimum language requirement (202-level and below) will not be counted toward the major.

More advanced language courses (301-level and above) fulfill the language requirement and may count toward the major provided they have been approved as meeting the learning goals of the LALC program. Examples include:

• Spanish 301, 302, and others in the Spanish Department at the 300-level and above that feature Latin American literature and culture
• Courses taught in Spanish in other departments such as HIST 278 Raza e Identidad, RELS 290 Teología Andina, or RELS 295 Un tal Jesús
• Comparable courses approved by the LALC Director, including courses at other institutions and abroad
• Courses such as French 301, whose content does not meet the learning goals of the LALC program, fulfill the language requirement but will not be counted toward the concentration.

In your planning, please remember the rules regarding the number of courses that you can count for more than one program: 

• a LALC major may overlap a maximum of two (2) courses from another plan of study (e.g., your other major) or three (3) courses from two other plans of study (e.g., your other major and a second minor). 
• No single course may count for three plans of study (e.g., two majors and a concentration)

A single course may meet more than one of the requirements for the LALC major. For instance, ANTH 266 Culture and Politics in Latin America, POLS 251 Latin American Politics, and CISS 200 US and Latin America can be used to meet the Gateway requirement, count as one of the four courses from four different departments at a 200 level, and satisfy the research and writing requirement. Remember, though, that the total number of courses required is at least ten. Feel free to consult with the LALC Director with questions. 

Normally, no more than two courses from any one discipline or program may count towards the major. However, a third course from the Spanish department may be accepted if, and only if, one of the three deals with art content, such as SPAN 312 Filmmaking in Spanish, SPAN 420 Latin American Film, and SPAN 366 Creative Writing in Spanish.

Up to three courses in Study Abroad programs in Latin America  can be approved for Major credit upon review and approval of the LALC Director. Only two courses with Latin American, Latinx, and Caribbean Studies topics can be applied to the Major for students studying abroad in Spain upon review and approval of the LALC Director.