Certificate of Graduate Study: Latin American Studies
Our graduate certificate in Latin American Studies focuses on Latin American history, literature and culture. It includes courses in areas such as anthropology, history and political science. The advanced understanding you'll gain from this interdisciplinary approach will help you reach your scholarly and professional goals, and also expand your career options.
You can pursue the certificate if you're enrolled in a graduate program, or as a student-at-large. You should seek advising early in your graduate studies. Consult with both your graduate program director and the director of the Center for Latino and Latin American Studies.
Please note: The Center for Latino and Latin American Studies does not offer degrees. You will obtain any graduate degrees through your major department. Be sure to meet their requirements. Completion of the certificate will be noted on your transcript.
Requirements
You'll need to complete 12 hours of coursework. The courses must be taken in at least two different departments.
In addition to the courses below, you can enroll in any graduate-level special topics course or directed study focused on Latin America (with approval from the director of the Center for Latino and Latin American Studies).
One of the following (three credits):
- ANTH 504 Peoples and Cultures of the Caribbean
- FLSP 556 Colonial Latin American Literature
- FLSP 562 Seminar on the Cultures of Latin America
- HIST 586 Inequality in Latin America
- HIST 620 Reading Seminar in Latin American History
- HIST 720 Research Seminar in Latin American History
Three of the following (nine credits):
View current program requirements
- ANTH 504 - Peoples and Cultures of the Caribbean
- ANTH 514 - Aztecs, Olmec, and Maya: The Archaeology of Mesoamerica
- ANTH 515 - Archaeology of the American Southwest
- ANTH 517 - Archaeology of South America
- ARTH 580 - Studies in African, Oceanian, Native American, Pre-Columbian, and Latin-American Art
- ARTH 658 - Topics in African, Oceanian, Native American, Pre-Columbian, and Latin-American Art
- ENGL 671 - Postcolonial Literatures in English
- ENGL 693 - Ethnic American Literature
- C. Latina/Latino American Literature
- EPFE 505 - Foundations of Language-Minority Education
- FLPO 561 - Brazilian Civilization
- FLSP 539 - Women Authors in Hispanic Literature
- FLSP 540 - Spanish American Poetry and Theater
- FLSP 541 - Spanish American Novel
- FLSP 552 - Literature of the Caribbean
- FLSP 554 - Mexican Literature, Culture, and Film
- FLSP 555 - Spanish-American Short Story
- FLSP 556 - Colonial Latin American Literature
- FLSP 557 - 19th Century Spanish American Literature
- FLSP 558 - Spanish American Modernismo and Vanguardias: 1880-1945
- FLSP 559 - Spanish American Historical Novels
- FLSP 560 - Contemporary Spanish American Literature
- FLSP 562 - Seminar on the Cultures of Latin America
- FLSP 591 - History of the Spanish Language
- HIST 541 - The African Diaspora
- HIST 559 - The Atlantic World, 1492-1860s
- HIST 581 - Indigenous Mexico
- HIST 582 - Mexico Since 1810
- HIST 583 - Africans in Colonial Latin America
- HIST 584 - History of Brazil
- HIST 585 - Modern Latin American Revolutions
- HIST 586 - Inequality in Latin America
- HIST 587 - The Latin American City
- HIST 620 - Reading Seminar in Latin American History
- HIST 720 - Research Seminar in Latin American History
- LATS 597 - Independent Study in Latino and/or Latin American Studies
- MUHL 626 - Survey of World Music
- MUSP 641 - Study of Caribbean Instruments
- MUSP 644 - Afro-Cuban Percussion
- POLS 673 - Foreign Area Politics
Graduate Course Schedule
Please check the NIU Schedule of Classes for the most up-to-date information.
| Course Number | Course Name | Instructor | Day/Time | Location | Meeting Dates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
ENGL 607 |
Topics in Literature |
Ibis Gomez-Vega |
Tuesday/Thursday |
Online 100% |
June 16, 2025 - Aug. 10, 2025 |
|
HIST 581 |
Indigenous Mexico |
Kristin Huffine |
Online: Asynchronous |
Online 100% |
May 19, 2025 - June 13, 2025 |
| Course Number | Course Name | Instructor | Day/Time | Location | Meeting Dates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
ANTH 564 |
Disasters without Borders |
Mark Schuller |
Tuesday/Thursday |
Stevens 173 |
Aug. 25, 2025 - Dec. 13, 2025 |
|
ENGL 607 |
Topics in Literature |
Ibis Gomez-Vega |
Tuesday/Thursday |
Online 100% |
Aug. 25, 2025 - Dec. 13, 2025 |
|
FLSP 500 |
Special Topics in Spanish Language, Literature, Linguistics, or Culture |
Stephen Vilaseca |
Tuesday/Thursday |
Online 100% |
Aug. 25, 2025 - Dec. 13, 2025 |
|
FLSP 500 |
Special Topics in Spanish Language, Literature, Linguistics, or Culture |
Francisco Solares-Larrave |
Online: Asynchronous |
Online 100% |
Aug. 25, 2025 - Dec. 13, 2025 |
|
FLSP 500 |
Special Topics in Spanish Language, Literature, Linguistics, or Culture |
Laura Vilardell |
Online: Asynchronous |
Online 100% |
Aug. 25, 2025 - Dec. 13, 2025 |
|
FLSP 552 |
Literature of the Caribbean |
Frances Jaeger |
Wednesday |
Online 100% |
Aug. 25, 2025 - Dec. 13, 2025 |
|
MUHL 626 |
Survey of World Music |
Jui-Ching Wang |
Monday/Wednesday/Friday |
Music Building 202 |
Aug. 25, 2025 - Dec. 13, 2025 |
Mode of instruction for all courses subject to change. Please check the NIU Schedule of Classes for the most up-to-date information.
Contact Us
Center for Latino and Latin American StudiesNorthern Illinois University
515 Garden Rd.
DeKalb, IL 60115
815-753-1531
latinostudies@niu.edu
