School of Culture, Media, and Society

Fall under the spell of Latin America

Fall under the spell of Latin America

Are you ready to explore the complex history and rich culture of some of the most vibrant and lively nations on earth?

As part of its Bachelor of Arts program, UFV offers a minor and an extended minor in Latin American Studies. The program takes an interdisciplinary approach with courses in language, history, culture, global development, and geography. You have the opportunity to achieve competency in Spanish and develop broad cultural expertise in preparation for a career that could take you across borders.

Choose from several options to practice your Spanish and experience Latin culture first-hand: study abroad for a term in one of UFV’s partner post-secondary educational institutions; join a study tour led by UFV faculty to go on a fast-paced discovery of a region’s culture, history, and landscapes; or complete an international internship placement to have a full immersive work and cultural experience.

To boost your employment opportunities, combine your language and cultural competencies with discipline-specific skills by adding a major in Economics, Geography, Global Development Studies, History, Peace and Conflict Studies, or Political Science to your minor or extended minor in Latin American Studies.

You may also opt to pursue a graduate education in a field such as law, business, medicine, public policy, or global development.

Career outlook for Latin American Studies

With more than 400 million speakers worldwide, Spanish is the most spoken language in the Americas and the third most spoken language on the planet after Mandarin and English. The official language of 21 countries, Spanish continues to gain ground as a widely-spoken international language, making the ability to communicate fluently and understand Latin culture valuable assets for professionals in a global marketplace.

Latin American Studies can open doors in fields such as travel and tourism, journalism, diplomatic relations, public service, education, international law, sustainable development, social work, business, and international trade. Multi-national corporations, government agencies, and non-governmental organizations value employees that are familiar with the language and culture of the countries where they operate.