There are certain academic disciplines in which knowledge of a specific geographic area would provide a competitive edge. This Area Studies minor allows the student to concentrate in the politics, culture, and economic structure of a specific geographic region. This minor will enable students to apply their academic experience in their major discipline to a geographic region. This allows the student to present a broader academic portfolio to potential employers or graduate schools. While eighteen credit hours are the traditional requirement for a minor in the American Public University System, the area studies minor requires 24 credit hours. The credit hours will increase to 30 credit hours with the introduction of foreign language courses. Students may apply transfer credit towards courses that count towards the minor. Many students will be able to fulfill the majority of the course requirements for a minor by carefully selecting and aligning the electives within their degree program. General Knowledge of Comparative Politics - Understand the concepts and theories of comparative analysis of different political regimes and economic markets.
- Understand the role of international and transnational organizations in both a global and regional setting.
- Compare and contrast the political, economic, social and military components of national and regional power.
- Evaluate the role of civilization in relationships among nations.
Politics and Security - Determine the significant political, economic, security, diplomatic, and social challenges facing a selected region -- individually as separate nations and collectively as a region.
- Articulate the importance of key nations to the strategic interests of the United States.
Cultures - Examine the origins, course, and character of the civilization of a selected area from prehistory until the present.
- Understand the history of a selected region and future prospects of the region in the 21st century.
Philosophies, Religions, and Popular Culture - Evaluate the importance of philosophical, cultural, and religious schools of thought underlying development in the selected area of study.
- Analyze the rise and spread of the major philosophies and religions in the selected area of study.
- Understand the impact of the predominant religions in the selected region.
- Value the literature of the selected region through a reading of the national literature.
Core Courses (9 Semester hours)
SS411 / INR 300 - Comparative Political Systems (required)
Student will select 2 courses from the following courses:
SS300 / INR 213 -Political Geography
SS401 / INR 412 - Comparative Foreign Policy
SS403 / INR 302 - International Development
SS450 / INR392 - Globalization and the Market Economy Latin American Studies Specific Courses (15 Semester hours)
The student who graduates with a minor in Latin American Studies will be able to: - Identify specific Mexican/Chicano writers with their respective works and appreciate their correlation to historical, economic, cultural, and social events of the time period.
- Explain the historical, sociological, economic, geographic, political, and defense factors as they relate to current events in Latin America.
- Discuss the key issues that lie ahead for Latin American security relations relating to the U.S. in the coming century.
- Assess the impact of the Pre-Columbian Mesoamerican civilizations on modern Latin America.
IR363 / INR 354 - Government and Politics in Latin America [Required]
Select four courses from the list below:
EN355 / LIT 355 - Latin American Literature
IR361 / INR 352 - Latin American Culture
IR362 / HIS 360 - History of Latin America
IR364 / INR 450 - Latin America International Relations
IR365 / INR 451 - Latin America Security Issues
SS380 / INR 251 - Middle American Indigenous Civilizations
SS383 / INR 252 - Mesoamerican Peoples and Cultures
WS364 / WOM 361 - History of Women in Latin America
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