Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the international experience requirement?

All Latin American Studies majors are required to complete at least three upper-division units of international experience. Most students satisfy this requirement with a study abroad or internship program in Latin America, though some select SDSU courses and other local opportunities.

San Diego State University is a recognized leader in international education and boasts a wide variety of excellent opportunities for study abroad. We encourage students of all majors and minors to take advantage of these opportunities, and we will work with you to accommodate units transferred from overseas institutions and programs. You may select a program that will develop your language skills, enrich your knowledge of Latin America, provide an opportunity for researching a thesis, work in an international internship, or some combination.

Note that SDSU need not offer an exact equivalent course in order to accept credits earned abroad, particularly at the upper-division level. When you take courses overseas for which no SDSU equivalents exist, we can generally apply those units toward the LAS major or minor, presuming you can support a petition with relevant documents (e.g., syllabus or catalog description).

The university will not normally allow more than 12 units of upper division coursework by transfer to the major, or 6 units to the minor (that is, half of your upper division major or minor units must be completed at SDSU), though some SDSU study abroad programs earn "resident" units, just as if earned on campus.

Can I "double count" courses that satisfy Latin American Studies and also satisfy other major, minor, or General Education requirements?

Lower-division courses (100 and 200-level) can be used to satisfy multiple requirements, such as GE Foundations, American Institutions, major preparation, and minor preparation. Upper-division courses (300-500-level) cannot "double count" between two majors or between a major and a minor.

However, the university now DOES permit unlimited double-counting between majors or minors and the upper-division GE (Explorations A, B, and C). Therefore, Latin American Studies majors or minors can simultaneously satisfy Explorations requirements with any of the courses that appear on both the GE Explorations list and LATAM major/minor list.

Will transfer units from another college or university apply to my minor or major?

Transfer credit depends upon comparability of courses, existing articulation agreements between institutions, and quarter versus semester hours. Normally you must wait until the transcript evaluators have determined transferability of your coursework from other institutions. However, you can log on to assist.org to determine if agreements exist for the courses and schools in question. If the Registrar rejects a course you believe should have been transferable, bring supporting documents to the undergraduate advisor to determine if that decision can be challenged by petition.

Many schools offer equivalents to SDSU's major preparation (lower division) courses. If you have taken lower-division courses with Latin American content, visit the undergraduate advisor to determine whether that coursework might substitute for your major preparation.

Note that SDSU need not offer an equivalent course in order to accept transfer credit, particularly at the upper-division level. If you have taken courses with Latin American content elsewhere for which no SDSU equivalents exist, we can probably apply those units toward the major or minor, presuming you can support a petition with relevant documents (e.g., syllabus). Under no circumstances will the university allow more than 12 units of upper-division coursework by transfer to the major, or 6 units to the minor (in other words, half of your upper-division major or minor units must be completed at SDSU).