Students having a conversation while walking on campus
Academics
Latina/o Studies

The Concentration

Explore the complex dynamics of one of the fastest-growing populations in the contemporary era and create a space to do interdisciplinary work in a particular field. The concentration provides a solid foundation in understanding the experiences of Latina/o people and other racial and ethnic groups, globalization, and this large segment of the U.S. population—great preparation for many graduate programs and jobs, and a way to broaden study-abroad possibilities.

Concentrating in Latina/o Studies offers the rare opportunity to participate in a program created as a result of successful student organizing. Over several years, students, faculty and staff rallied for the creation of a program, holding a hunger strike and various campus initiatives, resulting in the program proposal being presented at the May 2004 faculty meeting.

Why Study Latina/o Studies?

Explore the complex dynamics of one of the fastest-growing populations in the contemporary era and create a space to do interdisciplinary work in a particular field. The concentration provides a solid foundation in understanding the experiences of Latina/o people and other racial and ethnic groups, globalization, and this large segment of the U.S. population—great preparation for many graduate programs and jobs, and a way to broaden study-abroad possibilities.

Student sitting on a sofa while studying

Required Courses

The concentration in Latina/o Studies requires five courses: 

  • The introductory course (LATS 105)
  • One 400-level Latina/o Studies seminar
  • Three electives

Two electives must be core electives, and one elective can be a related course in Comparative Race and Ethnic Studies or in Countries of Origin and Transnationalism. The three electives must include two different areas of study, and at least one elective must be at the 300 or 400 level. 

Enrolling in Spanish language courses at Williams is encouraged, especially for those considering graduate work or professional careers in the field.

Additional courses may be approved by the chair.

Honors Program

Students also have the opportunity to complete a senior honors thesis, providing an opportunity for you to explore an area of interest in depth. Working closely with your adviser and two readers, you will produce a substantial research thesis or other form of presentation (e.g., video, art, theater) in the interdisciplinary field of Latina/o Studies.

    • Declared Latina/o/x Studies concentrator.
    • Sufficient Latina/o/x Studies courses, and a grade point average, generally, of 3.3 or higher in LATS courses.
    • Approval of project proposal by the Latinx Studies faculty in the spring of junior year.
    • The honors course and Winter Study are in addition to the five courses required for the concentration.
    • Juniors must submit a thesis proposal to the current chairperson. Log in to find contact and deadline information.
    • Students should meet with their potential advisor(s) to discuss a draft of their proposal no later than a week prior to the proposal due date.
    • The proposal should include the project’s aims and methodology, demonstrating what you already know, what you hope to learn, and why it is important. We encourage projects that build on the Latinx Studies seminars or other courses. Your proposal should also include evidence of competence in any relevant media, and indicate which faculty member(s) you have discussed your proposal with and whether you are planning to do your thesis in the fall or spring semester.
    • The proposal should be no longer than 5 pages plus a bibliography.
    • After your proposal is approved and your advisor assigned, the student should meet with their advisor to discuss your research plan for the summer. You will begin your project over the summer.
    • During the first two weeks of the fall semester, all thesis students will submit to the Chair of the Latinx Studies program and to their advisor a 5–8 page summer research report plus an annotated bibliography that reflects the scope of their thesis project.
    • For a thesis during the fall semester, a draft of approximately half of the written thesis or equivalent is due to your advisor and readers no later than the beginning of Thanksgiving break.
    • For a thesis during the spring semester, a draft of approximately half of the written thesis or equivalent is due to your advisor and readers no later than the second week of the spring semester.
    • Additional deadlines are set by your advisor, and your readers may request to see additional work from you.
    • The final thesis is due to your advisor and readers at least one full week prior to your oral presentation, the date for which is set early in the semester.

Acceptance into the Honors program does not mean that a student will receive Honors; this is not automatic. Ongoing communication with the advisor and readers, and meeting all set deadlines, is critical. Whether or not to award honors, as well as semester and Winter Study grades, are determined by the Latina/o/x Studies Program faculty, and includes the advisor and the two readers. A project that does not meet the requirements for Honors is converted into an Independent Study and graded accordingly.

Students are responsible for meeting the College deadlines and procedures for the submission of your thesis.

Latina/o Studies Courses

View Course Catalog

Latina/o/x Identities: Constructions, Contestations, and Expressions

What, or who, is a Hispanic or Latina/o/x? How have these shifting terms tried to encompass the identities and experiences of such large and diverse groups of peoples?

Latinx Visual Arts

This course introduces students to Latinx visual arts and the histories of the communities from where this artistic production emerges. Latinx art and artists have gained significant attention and inclusion in the art world.

Spanish for Heritage Speakers

This course will address the unique needs of students whose knowledge of Spanish comes primarily from informal and family situations rather than a conventional classroom experience.

Learning Objectives

The Latina and Latino Studies Program is a freestanding, interdisciplinary and comparative field of study that encompasses a range of approaches to the diverse national origins, histories, experiences, cultural expressions and representations (including self-representations) of those who constitute the Latina and Latino population in the United States. The program works to enrich the overall liberal arts education that is at the heart of the mission of Williams College through a critical and inclusive curriculum.

Students concentrating in Latina and Latino Studies will:

  • Gain deep understanding of commonalities and differences within and among Latina and Latino groups.

  • Critically interpret and examine Latinas and Latinos within the wider rubric of comparative racial and ethnic studies, so that Latinas and Latinos are contextualized explicitly within their shared and divergent experiences with African Americans, Arab Americans, Asian Americans, Euro-Americans, Native Americans and other im/migrant communities.

  • Develop broad knowledge of countries of origin and the causes of migration, as well as understanding of the broadest interpretations of globalization and transnationalism—one that includes politics, economics, cultures, artistic expressions, households and communities that traverse national boundaries.

  • Work with and learn from a variety of texts, including literature, archival and primary documents, and visual, media, and expressive cultures produced by and about Latinas and Latinos.

  • Appreciate the interdisciplinary framework of Latina and Latino Studies, which combines both social science and humanities-based approaches to historical and contemporary issues, as well as artistic, cultural and performative dimensions.