Latin American, Caribbean and Latinx Studies

The Latin American, Caribbean and Latinx Studies (LACLS) Program at Brandeis University offers an interdisciplinary major and minor. The program draws on faculty in nine departments in the College of Arts and Sciences, as well as in the Heller School for Social Policy and Management and Brandeis International Business School. Although individual classes might emphasize local and regional studies, the LACLS major and minor moves beyond a particular area to view communities and regions as embedded within global processes.

The deep commitment of faculty in LACLS to a multidisciplinary approach to the study of Latin America and Latinx people is evidenced in the range of courses available and the distribution requirements. This structure enables students to appreciate the subject matter in its rich social, economic, political, cultural and historical implications, encouraging students to develop methodological flexibility. While embracing such intellectual breadth, the LACLS 100 seminar required of all majors and the fact that many students focus on one or two departments in completing the major promotes depth in at least one disciplinary approach.