Latin American Studies Minor
The Latin American Studies Minor is designed for students who wish to deepen their knowledge of Spanish and Latin American Culture and Civilization, with focus on Spain and all Latin American Countries. The minor offers students of all majors an opportunity to explore Spanish speaking countries from different perspectives of history, politics, geography, society, literature, culture, art, film, science, economics, and business as well as language. Students are encouraged to study abroad in Spain or in Latin America.
The Latin American Studies Minor consists of 18 credits (six 3-credit courses). Students are required to take three credits MLG 305 Spanish and Latin American Culture course and five Latin American component courses chosen with the approval of the program’s coordinator. Students need to take 3 language basic courses for this minor, Spanish 101 to 243. Courses taken abroad or in Latin American-focused internship will be considered by the coordinator to determine appropriateness for the minor.
Student Learning Outcomes:
- Students will gain knowledge of Spanish and Latin American culture from historical, literary, and artistic perspectives.
- Students will acquire an interdisciplinary appreciation of the importance of Latin America and its role and contributions to the global society - past and/or present.
- Students will develop intercultural competencies that will prepare them for travel, business, or study in Spain or Latin America.
If interested please fill out the Application for an Academic Minor and return it to Registrar.
About Academic Minors
Farmingdale State College students are invited to enhance their studies with an "Academic Minor." A minor is a cluster of thematically related courses drawn from one or more departments. In addition to department based minors (e.g. computer programming & info systems), interdisciplinary minors are also available (e.g. legal studies).
Academic minors are approved by the College-Wide Curriculum Committee and the Provost. Students must make application for an academic minor through the department offering the minor in conjunction with the Registrar's Office Specific course work must be determined in consultation with a faculty member in the department offering the minor. A statement of successful completion of the academic minor will appear on the student's transcript at the time of graduation.
- A minor is considered to be an optional supplement to a student's major program of study.
- Completion of a minor is not a graduation requirement and is subject to the availability of the courses selected. However, if the requirements for a minor are not completed prior to certification of graduation in the major, it will be assumed that the minor has been dropped. Consequently, the student will only be certified for graduation in their primary major.
- Only students in 4 year baccalaureate programs can apply for a minor.
- A minor should consist of 15 to 21 credits.
- At least 12 credits must be in courses at the 200 level or higher.
- At least 9 credits must be residency credits.
- Specific requirements for each minor are determined by the department granting the minor.
- Students must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 in their minor. Some minors may require a higher GPA.
- Students are prohibited from declaring a minor in the same discipline as their major (e.g. one cannot combine an applied math minor with an applied math major). Academic minors may not apply to all curricula.
- Students are permitted to double-count courses.
- Students are only permitted to take more than one minor with appropriate written approval of their department chair or curriculum Dean.
Admission to Farmingdale State College - State University of New York is based on the qualifications of the applicant without regard to age, sex, marital or military status, race, color, creed, religion, national origin, disability or sexual orientation.
Contact Information
Modern Languages
Eugenio Villarreal
Memorial Hall, 214 & 204
934-420-2192
villarep@farmingdale.edu
Monday-Friday 8:30am-5:00pm
Fall 2024
Subject to revision
| Required: |
|---|
| MLG 305 Hispanic and Latin American Culture and Civilization |
| SPA 243 Spanish III (Intermediate) |
The four additional courses for the minor may be chosen from the following:
| ART 303 MesoAmerican Art History |
| ANT 211 Caribbean Cultures |
| HIS 280 Caribbean History |
| HIS 312 Latin American Popular Culture in the 20th Century |
| MLG 302 Spanish and Latin American Cinema |
| MLG 310* Latin American Women Writers |
| MLG 314 Hispanic Fiction to Film |
| MLG 315 Art, Culture and Civilization of Spain |
| MLG 320* Latino Writers in the U.S. |
| MLG 322 The Latin American Novel |
| SPA 244 Spanish IV (Intermediate) |
*Students can take a maximum of two literature courses.
MLG 305 Hispanic and Latin American Culture and Civilization
Civilization course: Provides a general perspective on the formation of the Latin American Culture through the centuries, with special emphasis on Spanish America. In parallel form, historical and cultural evolution of the New World and the Iberian Peninsula will be studied, from their beginnings up to the present. Among other aspects, the course will give special attention to the rich multicultural heritage which has been maintained in Latin America through the centuries, as well as its achievements in Art and Literature. NOTE: Students cannot earn credit for MLG 305 and MLG 305*D MLG 305*D can be used to fulfill the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Social Justice requirement. Prerequisite(s): EGL 102
SPA 243 Spanish III (Intermediate)
A continuation of Spanish 142 for students who have had 2 or 3 years of high school Spanish. This course emphasizes the gradual development of the four language skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing with stress on communicative competence and cultural awareness. A literary and cultural reader will be introduced. Prerequisite(s): SPA 142 or SPA 146
ART 303 MesoAmerican Art History
This course is designed to expose students to the art, culture and history of Mexico and Central America from the first peoples of the Americas to the Spanish Conquest, Colonial Period, Revolution, Modern and contemporary eras. The class will introduce the student to visual works of art including sculpture, painting, architecture and other applied arts. The course begins with prehistoric art of the Clovis peoples of the American Southwest and concludes with the contemporary era. The class covers Clovis, Olmec, Maya, Zapotec, Mixtec, Aztec, Mexican and Guatemalan art and touches on significant imported Spanish influences. The history, mythologies, politics, religions, and philosophical thought of the periods are introduced in order to provide a context for the visual art.
ANT 211 Caribbean Cultures
This course covers: pre-European cultures in the Caribbean, the post-Columbus plantation system, contemporary economics and politics, community structure, religion, marriage and family, ethnic diversity, immigration and the arts. An in-depth study of these topics will provide knowledge, understanding and appreciation of this region while offering insights into the development of communities in the U.S. with Caribbean heritage. NOTE: Students cannot earn credit for ANT 211 and ANT 211*D ANT 211*D can be used to fulfill the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Social Justice requirement.
HIS 280 Caribbean History
This course explores the Caribbean Basin and places it in the historical context of the larger Atlantic World. The course begins with the arrival of Columbus in the Caribbean Islands and the conquest of the region by Spain. Subsequently, the course will explore the development of the sugar industry, the introduction of African slaves, and the arrival of other European powers in the region, including the French, English and Dutch. Additionally, this course will trace the development of Caribbean nations during the 19th century and their subsequent struggles for economic and political survival. The primary focus of the course will be on the larger islands of Cuba, Hispaniola (Haiti and the Dominican Republic), Jamaica, Cuba, and Puerto Rico, with a brief overview of the Lesser Antilles. NOTE: Students cannot earn credit for HIS 280 and HIS 280*D HIS 280*D can be used to fulfill the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Social Justice requirement. Prerequisite(s): EGL 101
HIS 312 Latin American Popular Culture in the 20th Century
This course will explore mass mediated popular culture developed in Latin America within the last century. Cultural industries (i.e. music, television, etc.) are a significant export to the international market from countries like Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina. The class will discuss the different definitions of popular culture and analyze the impact of mass media on such definitions. The class will also examine a variety of cultural productions, including music (i.e. tango, salsa, and reggaeton), cinema, comic books, and telenovelas (Latin American soap operas). Prerequisite(s): Any 100-level or higher HIS course.
MLG 302 Spanish and Latin American Cinema
In this course, representative Spanish and Latin American movies that cover periods from Romanticism to contemporary times will be analyzed, viewed and discussed. Films will be chosen to discuss social, philosophical, political and identity problems as well as its interpretation according to the artistic vision and directors' achievements and goals. Theory and history of film genres of Spain and Latin America cinema will be studied. The course will be conducted in English and all movies have English subtitles. Prerequisite(s): EGL 102
MLG 310 Latin American Women Writers
This course focuses on the works of major Latin-American women writers from the 17th to the 20th century. We will analyze poems, short stories and novels and how women have been portrayed in literature. The theoretical approach to this class will be based on contemporary feminist critics. We will study the works of the first 17th century Mexican feminist writer, The Nun, Sor Juana Ines De La Cruz, as well as the works of Elena Poniatowska, Julia Alvarez and Laura Ezquivel among others. Note: Students completing this course may not receive credit for SPA 310. Prerequisite(s): EGL 102
MLG 314 Hispanic Fiction to Film
Fiction like film is a narrative storytelling art form. In this class students will study the adaption of written, fictional works and their correspondent films. Students will also study the narrative devices, techniques and formal properties used to tell a story that are particular to film but not found in literature, such as camera angle, camera distance, editing, cross-cutting, montage, framing, and camera movement. This course will take a critical approach to examining the narrative language utilized by fiction and film with the objective of developing a more critical eye for interpreting both mediums. Prerequisite(s): EGL 102
MLG 315 Art, Culture and Civilization of Spain
Study of Spain, a multicultural and multilingual nation, not as a homogeneous entity but rather as a heterogeneous tapestry of various culture and languages. The corpus of cultural texts studied will be derived from the realms of literature, film, architecture, music and the visual arts. They will be analyzed within their socio- historical context as well as their aesthetic value. Note: Students completing this course cannot receive credit for SPA 315. Prerequisite(s): EGL 102
MLG 320 Latino Writers in the U.S.
The development of Latino literature and culture in the United States, with emphasis on the 20th century. Major writings of Mexican, Cuban, Dominican Republican, Puerto Rican and other Latinos will be analyzed in relation to each group's particular experience and its relation to main stream society. Particular attention given to how gender, race, ethnicity, and class interaction affects the formation of the diverse cultural experience of the U.S. Latino. This course will be taught in English. Prerequisite(s): EGL 102
MLG 322 The Latin American Novel
This course focuses on the major works of Latin American writers and their contribution to the literary world. Relevant novels from the 18th to the 20th century literary movements will be analyzed, including topics such as Colonialism, Romanticism, Magic Realism will be analyzed. Several Nobel Prize winners like Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Mario Vargas Llosa and Miguel Angel Asturias will be included, as well as renowned women writers Laura Restrepo, Elena Garro, and Elena Poniatowska among others will be studied. Prerequisite(s): EGL 102
SPA 244 Spanish IV (Intermediate)
For those students that have taken SPA 243 of four or more years of high school Spanish. This course emphasizes structural review, intensified practice in oral expression with increased emphasis on reading and writing skills. Continued attention will be given to contemporary Spanish culture. Selections from Spanish and Latin American authors will be read. Prerequisite(s): SPA 243