Undergraduate

Why Latino Studies?

Latino Studies is an interdisciplinary field of academic research and scholarship engaged in understanding the past, present, and future of the youngest and fastest-growing population in the United States. Latinos encompass immigrants from every country in Latin America and the Caribbean as well as those whose ancestors were long ago incorporated during U.S. westward expansion.

Latino Studies is relevant for practically every academic discipline and useful for careers in architecture, business, church leadership, community organizing, the arts, engineering, law, medicine, teaching, and much more. 

The supplemental major and minor in Latino Studies engage students with the latest
research and analysis on the diverse Latino population in fields such as American studies,
anthropology, history, literature, political science, sociology, and theology.

Programs Offered

Each semester, the Institute for Latino Studies offers a wide array of undergraduate courses that range from classroom lectures and seminars to community-based, service-learning courses in the local Latino community of South Bend. ILS also offers annual summer service-learning courses in Chicago, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico.

In addition, students in either the supplementary major or minor programs may opt to do a Senior Thesis in Latino Studies. More than 30 affiliated faculty at the ILS, in a variety of fields, are willing to assist you in your research endeavors

ILS works with many groups locally in order to build a sense of community, connecting students to various opportunities to get involved on campus and around South Bend. Learn about student opportunities and Latino student clubs at Notre Dame

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