Latin American, Latino and Caribbean Studies

The LALACS Program is committed to fostering a collaborative environment for students, faculty, and staff in which they can produce and share knowledge about Latin American, Latino, and Caribbean languages,cultures, societies, politics, geographies, and histories, LALACS makes great effort to reflect Dartmouth's history of excellence in liberal arts under graduate education, independent student research, international understanding, and community service. Our interdisciplinary curriculum allows faculty and students to work across more established disciplinary boundaries while at the same time promoting the rigorous demands of scholarly methodologies, theories, and critical approaches. Most of LALACS's classes are small and provide direct student-professor interaction. In addition, the affiliated faculty members regularly work with students on independent research projects and honors theses. LALACS faculty and students maintain close ties to the William Jewett Tucker Foundation through its Cross Cultural Education and Service Program in Nicaragua and its alternative Spring Break in the Dominican Republic, as well as the Tucker Foundation's numerous opportunities for community-based learning and global service. Students who major or minor in LALACS leave the program with the analytical tools to conduct interdisciplinary research, the adaptability to engage with various types of communities (regional, ethnic, language-based, academic, business, etc.), and an acute awareness of the regional and transnational complexities of the Latin American, Latino and Caribbean experience. 

Language Competency—Demonstrated competency in Spanish or Portuguese equivalent to SPAN 3 or PORT 3. This requirement must normally be satisfied before the end of the sixth term. Students are strongly encouraged to study a second language, preferably Portuguese, Spanish, or French. Students planning to take a Foreign Study Program (FSP) must fulfill departmental requirements.

Requirements for the LACS/LATS Major

1. Two of the three survey courses: LACS 1 (Introduction to Latin America), LACS 4 (History, Culture and Society: The Many Faces of Latin America), or LATS 3
2. Seven LACS and/or LATS courses including associated courses from our list
   1. Of the seven courses, at least two must be from the Social Sciences and at least two must be from the Humanities
   2. Four of the seven courses must constitute a concentration that reflects a disciplinary or scholarly focus that can combine courses from one or more departments and programs. All four-course concentrations must be approved by the LALACS Chair
3. A culminating experience, consisting of one of the following
   1. A LACS or LATS Senior Seminar
   2. An approved independent study with a LALACS professor
   3. A senior honors thesis in LACS or LATS

Students may fulfill their Humanities requirement by taking the Spanish FSP in Argentina or the Portuguese FSP in Brazil. Of the three FSP credits, two may be counted towards the major.

Courses Counting Toward A LACS/LATS Minor

Students wishing to pursue a minor in LALACS must take two of the survey courses (LACS 1,LACS 4, or LATS 3) plus a total of four additional courses, normally from two different regions and two different disciplines.

1.       SAT Reasoning or ACT (with Writing);

2.       2 SAT Subject Test Scores;

3.       The common application essay;

4.       Within the Common Application, Dartmouth’s writing supplement requires that applicants write a brief response to one of the following supplemental essay prompts. Candidates choose one topic and respond;

5.       A counselor recommendation and two teacher recommendations. In addition, a peer recommendation is strongly encouraged;

6.       Resume;

7.       Brief abstract of an independent research project;

8.       IELTS or TOEFL (no minimum scores).

Dartmouth Scholarships are need-based and are given without expectation of repayment. Amounts range from $1,000 to over $50,000, depending on our determination of your eligibility. Some Dartmouth students will be selected as recipients of one or more of our over 750 endowed scholarship funds. These awards are not additional money, but indicate that the aid already awarded will come from a specific endowed fund. No separate application is required. Students who receive scholarships from external sources can use these funds to reduce the loan and/or job portions of their financial aid packages. Veteran's benefits are included as a resource in the determination of eligibility for Dartmouth scholarship awards. Dartmouth College currently participates at 100% in the Yellow Ribbon Program which supplements GI Bill benefits. For U.S. citizens or permanent residents, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the only form required to apply for Federal Financial Aid. The federal government provides Pell Grants to students who qualify on the basis of financial need as determined by their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG) are awarded by the College to the most needy students. They vary in amount but do not exceed $4,000 a year. When you apply for financial aid, your parents' country of residence will determine which documents you need to submit. Parents living outside U.S. and Canada should provide income/benefits statement from employer.