Major Advising Page: Latin American, Caribbean and Iberian Studies Program (LACIS)
As a LACIS major, studying abroad can enrich your educational experiences. Study abroad will allow you to further your knowledge of the LACIS region by experiencing the current and historical issues that you are engaging with in the classroom. You will be able to take the strong grounding provided to you by the program at UW–Madison and go abroad to explore the same topics in the regions of interest to you.
As a LACIS student, you can study abroad at almost any time in your college career, but there are some important factors to consider. The information below will help in your planning and conversations with a LACIS advisor.
Course considerations
Prior to your study abroad experience, the LACIS advisor will ask you to share your proposed coursework abroad to help you fit appropriate courses into your major requirements. Generally, in order for a course to meet LACIS criteria, 25% of its content must focus on Latin America, the Caribbean, and/or the Iberian Peninsula. This 25% minimum is aggregated over the entire semester and can be a combination of different countries/regions/topics, etc.
Map your experience as a
LACIS student
There is no best time to study abroad as a LACIS major. If you are a double major, you will ultimately want to find the fit that works well for both majors by consulting with all your academic advisors. Otherwise, you will just need to follow the guidelines listed above and plan your time abroad into your degree plan.
It is advantageous to complete LACIS 260 (Introduction to Latin American Studies) prior to your study abroad program, as it will give you a well-rounded peek at the history and culture of the region. Please note that this course primarily covers Latin America and the Caribbean; however, it does touch on the Iberian Peninsula and its historical involvement in the region. You are not required to take this course before studying abroad.
Prospective students
If you are considering a LACIS major, it’s important to understand that we are an interdisciplinary major that will allow you to enroll in courses across the university from various departments. This offers a key advantage when you study abroad in our region — you will have many courses to select from and many (or most) of those courses will count towards our program!
The more complex and/or ambitious your LACIS undergraduate program, such as the number of additional majors or certificates, athletic or other heavy extracurricular involvement or leadership opportunities, doing honors, doing research, and applying for limited enrollment colleges, the more important advance planning will be to allow a study abroad experience.
Ask questions
- What classes must I complete for my degree (breadth/depth, major requirements, etc.)?
- Do I need to be on UW–Madison’s campus for any courses in my major or certificate?
The Department of Spanish and Portuguese is unique in that faculty liaisons are assigned to all of the Spanish language study abroad programs. To answer the following questions, you would meet with the departmental faculty liaison for your program.
- What course equivalents can I earn in this program?
- A course I am considering does not yet have an approved equivalent course here at UW–Madison. Could you review it?
- What classes can I take abroad?
- How and when do I select courses for my program?
- When will I know course equivalents for my program?
- What is the class structure like abroad?
- What skills do careers related to my major require, and how might participating in a particular program help me gain those skills?
- When would be the best time to participate in a program based on my career goals?
- How will participating in a study abroad, study away, or international internship make me stand out?
- Why do I want to study abroad?
- How long do I want to study abroad for — a few weeks, a semester, a year?
- How does studying abroad fit into my academic, personal, and/or professional goals?
- What career skills or proficiencies will I strive to acquire or enhance on my program?
Discover programs that are right for you
We encourage all LACIS and prospective LACIS majors to attend the annual Study Abroad Fair to learn more about the various programs offered in our region. Courses that are offered in English, but taken on a study abroad program in our region, often will count, but not as a language/grammar/conversation course. Thus, it’s important to stress the importance of discussing prospective courses with your academic advisor prior to your departure.
The following is a current list of study abroad offerings in our region. Please bear in mind that due to travel restrictions and various other reasons, not all programs are available in a given semester or academic year.
These opportunities are not an exhaustive list of all programs. There may be other programs that are a better fit for your individual needs or interests.
In this section
Semester and academic year programs
Argentina
Chile
Costa Rica
SFS Sustainable Development Studies (semester and summer)
Ecuador
Panama
SFS Tropical Island Biodiversity & Conservation Studies (semester and summer)
Peru
SFS Biodiversity & Development in the Andes-Amazon (semester and summer)
Portugal
Spain
- CIEE Advanced Liberal Arts & Liberal Arts Language Immersion in Seville
- CIEE Barcelona Business and Culture
- CIEE Seville Business and Society
- IES Barcelona (semester and summer)
- Illinois in Granada, Spain
- Universidad Politécnica de Valencia
- Universidad Pontificia Comillas de Madrid GE3
- University Carlos III de Madrid
- University of Navarra
- WIP Universidad Complutense de Madrid
Trinidad & Tobago
Short-term programs
Argentina
- CIEE Summer Community Public Health (summer)
- IES Buenos Aires Latin American Societies and Cultures (spring)
- IFSA Argentina Study Abroad Programs (semester and summer)
- UW Activism through the Arts (winter intersession and summer)
Belize
Chile
SFS Climate Studies (semester and summer)
Costa Rica
- SFS Sustainable Development Studies (semester and summer)
- UW Agroecosystems and Planetary Health in Costa Rica (summer)
- UW Banking Animal Biodiversity in Costa Rica (spring break)
- UW Spanish Language in Costa Rica (winter intersession and summer)
Ecuador
Panama
SFS Tropical Island Biodiversity & Conservation Studies (semester and summer)
Peru
SFS Biodiversity & Development in the Andes-Amazon (semester and summer)
Puerto Rico
Spain
- CIEE Summer Language & Culture in Alcala (summer)
- IES Barcelona (semester and summer)
- UMN Internship and Spanish Language (summer)
- UW Chemical & Biological Engineering Summer Lab in Spain (summer)
International Internships
International internships allow you to apply your academic skills to the real world and gain valuable professional experience abroad while earning UW–Madison course credit.
As you consider your academic and professional goals for studying abroad, explore the different internship options, including UW Signature internships, internship-focused programs, part-time internships, or applying for credit for an external internship.
Check with your academic advisor to see if earning credit for your internship abroad can fulfill a major or certificate requirement.
Hear from students in your major
Explore student blogs and reflections to see how your peers have connected international experiences to their studies. Discover real stories about the skills, challenges, and professional insights gained through our programs.
Photo credit: Lesly Romero-Vera (Costa Rica)
Want more information?
Dive deeper into how courses and credits work on our programs, or connect with an advisor to find the best fit for your goals.
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