The Latino Studies Minor prepares students to understand the social worlds they inhabit and think critically about the diversity of Latin American cultures, history, and politics that inform contemporary U.S. Latino cultural practices and social formations.
Foundational coursework for the minor prepares students with a strong grounding in the structural analysis of social relations and in critical methodologies that allow for intersectional and transnational approaches to the field. Central to interdisciplinary learning is the ability to think in complex ways about U.S. Latino groups and identities and to develop a critical lens that encourages students to connect contemporary issues, such as those related to policies, and understand the implications across disciplines.
On Language: The Latino Studies Minor strongly encourages its students to develop advanced skills in Spanish or in any of the Indigenous languages spoken among Latino communities.
The Minor in Latino Studies Requirements
The Minor in Latino Studies requires 25-30 credits.
Coursework counting toward the minor must be completed with a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA. At least 15 credits must be from upper-division courses. Only 10 credits may count towards this minor and another major or minor.
Required Foundation Coursework in Latino Studies (5 credits)
Introduction to the Field: T LAX 238 Latinos in the United States
Choose one course from the following:
Students should take either two courses from List A (U.S. Latino Difference) or one course from List A (U.S. Latino Difference) and one course from List B (Latin American Studies).
List A Upper Division Course focused on U.S. Latino Difference
- T LAX 333 Latino Histories (5)
- T LAX 340 Religion in Las Americas (5)
- T LAX 355 Migration and the Transnational Family in Latino Literature and Film (5)
- T LAX 356 Latinx Urban Communities (5)
- T LAX 360 Latinx Performance Histories (5)
- T LAX 380 Latinx Sexualities (5)
- T LAX 400 Afro-Hispanic Culture (5)
- T PSYCH 455 Immigrant Youth and Families (5)
- T SPAN 312 Culture and Language for Heritage Speakers (5)
- T SPAN 345 Spanish for Community Engagement (5)
- T SPAN 388 Contemporary U.S. Latino/a Literature (5)
- T WRT 364 Food Writing for Cultural Exploration (5)
List B Upper Division Course focused on difference in Latin America (5 Credits MAX) ***
- T LAX 410 Caribbean Basin: Selected Topics (5)
- T LAX 435 Popular Movements in Latin America (5)
- T LAX 462 Women in Latin America (5)
- T LAX 476 Latin American Women Writers (5)
- T SPAN 371 The Hispanic Caribbean (5)
- T EGL 498 Study Abroad: Intersections (5)*
*when offered as part of a Latin America based-program, to be approved by minor coordinator
***only one course focused on Latin America may be used toward the minor
Language Requirement (0-5 credits)
T SPAN 103 or equivalent language skills in a language relevant to Latino Studies as approved by the Latino Studies Minor coordinator. Students may demonstrate equivalence for the Language requirements through the Language placement exam (WebCAPE).
Language placement exam (WebCAPE) - Offered online through SIAS. The cost is $10 and paid at the time you take the test. Your score is used to evaluate your level and place you in the appropriate class. No credit or grade is attached to this exam. It is not proctored and can be taken whenever you like.
Because it is used to place you in a language class, it is very important that the test results reflect your true ability. If you use outside resources, translation programs, or get help from another person, your test results will be skewed, and you may be placed in a class that is above your level. This will not benefit you in any way, and can work against you if you place into a class that is too difficult for you. The placement exam is appropriate for students wanting to take language classes at the 100-300 level.
Once you take the exam, your placement will be shown on the screen. You will need to submit a course enrollment request for the appropriate Spanish course, if you wish to take any Spanish language classes. Include a screen shot of your placement results with your enrollment request. SIAS advisors will verify your course placement from the WebCAPE scores and directly register you for the course and/or equivalence to meeting the language requirements for the Latino Studies Minor.
Declare a minor by completing the Request to Declare/Change a Major or Minor form and submitting it to the Office of the Registrar. You must have earned a minimum of 45 credits and declared a major before declaring a minor. If you have any questions about this process, please see your advisor.
For questions about the minor, contact the Latino Studies Minor coordinators, Assistant Teaching Professor Sarah A. Chavez Ph.D. | University of Washington Tacoma Directory (uw.edu) and Assistant Professor Sonia De La Cruz | University of Washington Tacoma Directory (uw.edu)
