The Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies has introduced a new undergraduate minor in Latin American and Caribbean studies for the 2013-14 academic year.
“We’ve felt for many years that there’s a lot of interest in Latin America and the Caribbean at Carleton and in Ottawa, and I think it’s a good way to draw in students from the Latin American community in Canada,” professor Laura Macdonald, co-ordinator of the program, said.
“We’re trying to connect all this expertise with student interest,” she said.
The four-credit minor is designed to give students a general introduction to the region, including history, geography, literature, culture, politics, and economics, Macdonald said.
She said it will complement programs such as human rights, political science, and economics.
It is open to all undergraduate degree students, according to the interdisciplinary institute’s website.
The minor has no official language requirement, although courses in Spanish or Portuguese are recommended, Macdonald said.
There are 1.5 required credits, and 2.5 that can be chosen from the program’s list of approved electives, according to the website.
Macdonald said the department is also working towards developing a concentration in Latin American and Caribbean Studies and possibly a combined honours program.
