Latin American Studies majors are encouraged to study abroad in Latin America. The Director of Latin American Studies Program, in coordination with the Study Abroad Office, will assist students in selecting a study abroad program.
Internships
Many students complete 3 to 6 credits of internships as part of the Latin American Studies major, either while on study abroad or while at UVA. For more information on approved programs, please visit the International Studies Program Search, or consult the second page of the brochure linked above.
Getting Started
All students who wish to obtain credit for their study abroad coursework are encouraged to speak with the Director of Latin American Studies Program before they select a program.
Students are warned that if they participate in a study abroad program without early consultation with the Director (i.e. before application to a program), they run the risk of not receiving degree credit for their studies, or of not having their credit count toward their major or minor.
Students interested in studying aboard should explore the University’s International Studies website. There is an online Education Abroad Workshop, which will cover topics like the application process, financial aid, and program options,
Picking a Program
The recommended programs are those operated by the University of Virginia (UVa). Currently, there are two that are open to undergraduates: UVa in Peru, and UVa in Costa Rica. Information about these programs is available at the program websites referenced above and at the International Studies Office (ISO) website.
The approved programs are those that have been reviewed and approved by the Director of Latin American Studies Program and Program Faculty. Please note that while there are many other programs approved by the ISO for study in Spain, Central and South America, not all of these are approved for Major and Minor credit. Students may still pursue the other program options on the ISO website for elective credit or for another major without a petition to the Latin American Studies Program.
Students who have a compelling reason to study in a program that is not on the recommended or approved lists may PETITION to be allowed to study in such a program. For information about petitioning, please contact the Director of Latin American Studies Program.
Transferring Credit
Who to see
Programs with transfer credit require approval from the Director of Latin American Studies Program for Major, Minor, or Foreign Language Requirement credit. Students wanting to receive only elective credit obtain approval for courses from the CLAS Transfer Credit Evaluator, Meredith Burke.
What you need to get approval
In order to gain transfer credit approval, the student must provide the Director of Latin American Studies Program with course descriptions along with program start and end dates for all coursework. If this information is not available, ‘post-approval required’ will be marked on the transfer credit form and the student must provide the information, either upon arrival to the program and after class choices are solidified (via email), or upon completion of the program. In latter case, however, the student runs the risk of receiving only partial degree credit, or no credit at all.
Three (3) UVa credits are granted for every 45 contact hours of study abroad. Wherever possible, students will be given credit for actual UVa-equivalent courses. When no such equivalent exists, the Director of Latin American Studies Program will have the option of assigning any number of generic transfer credits or of refusing to give UVA credit for the course. Such generic credit may or may not count for the major or minor, at the discretion of the Director of Latin American Studies Program.