Major Advising Page – Latin American, Caribbean and Iberian Studies Program (LACIS) – Study Abroad

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 during 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.

Prospective LACIS Students

If you are considering a LACIS major, it’s important to understand that we are an interdisciplinary major which 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.

LACIS Course Considerations Abroad

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 Iberian Peninsula. This 25% minimum is aggregated over the entire semester and can be a combination of different countries/regions/topics, etc.

Mapping Your Study Abroad 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 peak 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.

Questions to Ask

Your Academic Advisor

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?

To Ask your Spanish Department Faculty Liaison

The Department of Spanish & 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 on this program?
A course I am considering does not yet have an approved equivalent course here at UW-Madison. Could you review it?

Your Study Abroad Advisor

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?

Identifying Programs That are Right for You

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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.

Argentina, Buenos Aires: CIEE Summer Community Public Health

Argentina, Buenos Aires: IES Buenos Aires Latin American Societies and Cultures

Argentina, Buenos Aires: IFSA Argentina Study Abroad Programs

Argentina, Buenos Aires: Instituto Tecnologico de Buenos Aires Engineering Exchange

Argentina, Buenos Aires: SIT Public Health in Urban Environments

Argentina, Buenos Aires: UW Activism through the Arts

Belize, Glover’s Reef: Ceiba Coral Reef Ecology in Belize

Brazil, Sao Paulo: CET Brazil: Social Justice & Inequality

Chile, Arica: SIT Public Health, Traditional Medicine, and Community Empowerment

Chile, Puerto Natales: SFS Climate Studies

Chile, Santiago: CIEE Liberal Arts in Santiago

Colombia, Bogota: UW Conflict, Human Rights and Education in Colombia