OpportunitiesLatin American, Latinx, and Caribbean Studies Program

By fostering a lively community atmosphere, offering leadership experiences, and providing opportunities for off-campus engagement, the LALACS program at Gustavus creates a meaningful and inclusive environment for you to explore and engage with Latin American, Latinx, and Caribbean cultures, histories, and social issues. These experiences contribute to your personal and intellectual growth, preparing you to be an informed global citizen working for positive change.

Discover the Opportunities with Latin American, Latinx, and Caribbean Studies

  • Study Away The LALACS program at Gustavus encourages students to study for a semester in various countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. Popular destinations include Chile, Bolivia, Brazil, Argentina, Peru, Cuba, Mexico, Venezuela, Ecuador, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, and more. You can immerse yourself in the local culture, engage with local communities, interact with native speakers, and deepen your understanding of the region's history, politics, arts, and social issues. It can also be an immersive language learning experience for students studying Spanish or French. Faculty and the Center for International and Cultural Education guide you to find a program that matches your interest. These experiences offer valuable opportunities for personal growth, academic enrichment, and cross-cultural learning.

  • Research Linked to the senior capstone class is a final research project. The topic and form of the project is chosen by each student with the support of the faculty. The project may be a traditional thesis or can take a form better suited to the skills and interests of the student, such as a play, art project, or dance. All students complete a literary review, learn research methodology, and apply their learning in their chosen area of study. Students present at a LALACS Research Symposium, which encapsulates the knowledge and diverse integration of LALACS across campus.

    LALACS faculty also provides guidance regarding additional student conferences and research venues like the North Central Council of Latin Americanists (NCCLA).

  • Experiential Learning and Community Engagement The opportunities abound to engage with the Hispanic/Latinx community of the Saint Peter, Greater Mankato, and Twin Cities area. You will gain career-related skills and build broader professional networks through a variety of experiential learning and community engagement opportunities.

    Many classes have community-oriented projects woven into the curriculum that will get you out of the classroom to work with off-campus organizations. The Gustavus Community Engagement Center can help you find a volunteer placement of your choice. The Language Buddies student program serves the English Language Learning population with available placements at the Saint Peter Food Shelf, Cambria, St. Peter Free Clinic, and at the Saint Peter Public Schools.

    There are also opportunities to volunteer in the Saint Peter and Mankato community that may lead to more regular work, an internship, or a research project. Plus, members of the Saint Peter community regularly attend LALACS events.

  • Student Clubs and Leadership The LALACS program supports student clubs and encourages leadership development among its students. OLAS (Organization of Latin American Students) serves as a platform for students to celebrate Latin American and Latinx culture, heritage, and identity through various events and activities. Sigma Delta Pi Spanish Honorary Society, the Pan African Student Organization (PASO) and the International Cultures Club.

    In addition, students in the LALACS Program demonstrate leadership qualities and actively engage in various campus organizations. For instance, they are frequently involved in the Diversity Leadership Council, Student Senate, and help in organizing the Building Bridges Conference, and have served as the Commencement speaker.

  • LALACS Events The year is filled with numerous events to learn more, deepen friendships, build event-planning and organizational skills, and have fun. There are events on campus and partnerships with several community organizations in the Greater Mankato area.

    Regular events include the LALACS Senior Symposium, which showcases research projects; Latinx Night, which is a popular campus event with music and dance performances; a Day of the Dead celebration; Witness for Peace guest speakers, who share insight and experiences on issues related to human rights, social justice, and community development in Latin America; and attending the Minneapolis Latinx Film Festival, which showcases films from Latin American/Latinx and Hispanic filmmakers. These events are co-sponsored by the LALACS faculty, and students contribute to the educational, cultural, and social experiences of students.

  • Internships LALACS students are required to complete an internship or independent study to deepen their learning and gain further career insights and skills. The LALACS faculty hold long-standing relationships with local, regional, national, and international businesses, educational institutions, and non-profit organizations. The faculty and Center for Career Development staff offer guidance to find an experience to match your interests. The program thrives at interdisciplinarity and will help you interweave your interests with an internship or independent study tailored to you.

  • Career Paths With internships, research, and community engagement experiences you will become a vibrant thinker and gain the deep cultural knowledge that employers and graduate programs demand. This means you will stand out as a leading candidate. Graduates go out to fulfill careers in research, study abroad education, non-profit organizations, English language teaching (domestically and abroad), and pursue graduate school in various fields, including Latin American Studies, advocacy, and public policy. Learn more about internship opportunities and career paths.

Past Senior Research Projects