Ibero-American Studies

The Ibero-American Studies Certificate is also available to visiting, study abroad students. The rich, interdisciplinary approach of the program offers students the opportunity to explore the complex dynamics of Ibero-American societies.

The certificate is awarded based upon completion of six courses and one Latin American experience.

IAS Certificate

The Certificate program in Ibero-American Studies offered on the Madrid Campus provides a richly interdisciplinary approach to the history, politics and culture of Spain, Portugal and Latin America. Courses - drawn from the fields of History, Political Science, Anthropology, Archaeology, Economics, Philosophy and Theology, as well as Spanish literature and Portuguese - enable students to explore the complex dynamics of Ibero-American societies, from the pre-historic era to the present. Moreover, by living and studying in Madrid and taking part in trips to or experiental opportunities in Latin America and different regions of the Iberian Peninsula, students not only study Ibero-American issues; they experience them.

The IAS Certificate requires six courses, and courses of study may be tailored based on a student's interests and career aspirations.  Students at the Madrid Campus can complete the IAS Certificate in 2 semesters or in 1 semester and 1-2 summer sessions.  Because the certificate is multidisciplinary, students may simultaneously pursue it and your major area of study, all while staying on track for an on-time graduation (the IAS Certificate also satisfies students' “remaining hours” requirement of completing a Minor or Certificate). 

• What is Ibero-American Studies and why is it important?
• Admission to the IAS Certificate Program
• Requirements for the IAS Certificate Program
• Courses Offered in Ibero-American Studies
• IAS Certificate Program Brochure
  
• Program Fact Sheet
  - for Permanent SLU Madrid Students
  - for Visiting Students
  - for Home Campus Students
  
• Resources for Current Students
  - Ibero-American Studies Career Handbook

What is Ibero-American Studies and why is it important?

Today’s marketplace demands that potential employees be cross-culturally aware and proficient in a second language.  The Ibero-American Studies Certificate Program at SLU Madrid is designed for those who seek to enhance their undergraduate degree with a multidisciplinary education on the Spanish- and Portuguese speaking world.  This program offers a wide range of courses in fields such as history, political science, economics, sociology, Spanish and Latin American literature and Portuguese.  The Ibero-American Certificate Program goes beyond academic study and places cultural and political issues in a contemporary context.  SLU Madrid offers this experience from a unique perspective—Madrid, Spain, the social, political and economic capital of Iberia. 

Top 5 Reasons to Study Ibero-American Studies

• To gain an expertise on Latin America, the Caribbean, and the Iberian Peninsula, enhancing your major area of study
• To link together and synthesize a variety of courses (courses in a wide range of fields count toward the Certificate)
• To “have something to show” from your electives or your studies abroad (visiting students can complete the certificate while staying on track with home university requirements)
• To participate in a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience Ibero-America first-hand by visiting three South American countries where you will interact with local cultures, participate in university seminars, tour historical sights and volunteer within the local community
• To develop valuable interpersonal skills for working with the significant percentage of the population in the US whose cultural roots are in Spanish-speaking countries

Career Options for IAS Certificate Alumni

• Serve in a US government agency: the Peace Corps, State Department, Agency for International Development, Central Intelligence Agency, and National Security Agency recruit area studies students
• Work with an international development organization, such as the Organization of American States or the Inter-American Development Bank
• Work for a multinational corporation with branches in the Iberian Peninsula and/or Latin America
• Work with a national, state or local agency serving Spanish-speaking populations
• Work in the travel or translation industries
• Teach Spanish or Portuguese in a secondary school
• Continue your education for a master’s or doctoral degree in any number of disciplines

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Admission to the IAS Certificate Program

To be admitted to the IAS Certificate Program, a student is required to:

1. Have at least a 2.00 cumulative average;
2. Fill out an application to the IAS Certificate Program and return to the Office of Ibero-American and Special Programs (Avenida del Valle 34, 28003 Madrid Spain).

>> IAS Certificate Program Application

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Requirements for the IAS Certificate Program

Students wishing to obtain an official Certificate in Ibero-American Studies need to meet the following requirements:

PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

General Requirements:

1) Students must complete two semesters or one semester and one-two summer sessions in residence on the Madrid Campus;
2) The language of instruction of at least one of the courses from areas I and II (History / Social Sciences and humanities) must be Spanish; and
3) Saint Louis University students must complete at least 12 of the 18 required credits on the Madrid Campus; visiting students must complete all of the 18 required credits on the Madrid Campus.
4) Students must participate in a pre-approved experiential learning activity in or related to Ibero-America or in the excursion to Latin America offered each year after the Spring semester final exam period, or must have demonstrated living experience in Latin America.

Course Requirements:
Students must complete at least 18 credits of coursework related to Ibero-America.  Requirements are as follows:

• History: 6-9 credits from the following electives.  Students must take a minimum of 3 credits from group A and three from group B.
  
  

  Group A • HIST-332 Early Modern History of Spain: 1469-1808 • HIST-333 Modern History of Spain: 1808 to the Present • HIST-334 The Spanish Civil War • HIST-376 Medieval Spain: Christians, Jews and Muslims • HIST-377 History of the Jews in Spain • HIST-393 National Identity in Spain • HIST-393 The Spanish Inquisition • HIST-393 Spain’s Golden Age:1492-1665 • HIST-393 From Reconquest to Conquest • HIST-393 / POLS-393  The Rise and Fall and Rise of Spain

  Group B • HIST-317 History of Colonial Latin America • HIST-318 History of Modern Latin America • HIST-393 From Reconquest to Conquest

  
  
• Social Sciences and Humanities: 6-9 credits from the following electives.  A student may not take more than three credits from any single group.  POL-293 is required and either POLS-257 or ECON-379 is required.
  
  

  Group A • POLS-367 Political Development in Contemporary Spain

  Group B • PHIL-475 Latin American Thinkers • PHIL-476 Spanish Philosophy • THEO-369 Studies in Morality and Society: Liberation Theology • THEO-493 Liberation Theology

  Group C • POLS-257 Introduction to Latin American Politics • POLS-293 Inside Contemporary Latin America

  Group D • SOC-325 Studies in Culture: Spain • SOC-345 The Sociology of Development: Latin America

  Group E • ECON-379 The Economies of Latin America and Iberia

  Group F • EAS-293 Environment and Developmment in Latin America • BIOL-293 Ecology and Environment of Latin America

  
  
• History of Art; Spanish and Latin American Literature; Portuguese: 3-6 credits from the following electives.  A minimum of 3 credits must be taken from Group B.
  
  

  Group A • ARTH-100 Approaching the Arts: Art History • ARTH-293 Masterpieces of Museo del Prado and Reina Sofía • ARTH-293 Art in Madrid and Paris • ARTH-293 The Madrid Experience • ARTH-320 History of Spanish Art I • ARTH-321 History of Spanish Art II • ARTH-419 Spanish Contemporary Art • ARTH-424 Jewish and Muslim Art and Culture in Iberia • ARTH-470 Masterpieces of Spanish Painting, Music and Dance Any course in Spanish Literature at 300 or 400 level: • SPAN-335 Spanish Literature I: From Cid to Golden Age • SPAN-418 Spanish Culture and Civilization • SPAN-420 Introduction to Hispanic Literature  • SPAN-438 Spanish Literature and Film • SPAN-439 Contemporary Spanish Women Writers • SPAN-454 Golden Age Drama • SPAN-455 Don Quijote • SPAN-461 Spanish Romanticism • SPAN-462 Nineteenth-Century Spanish Novel • SPAN-466 Generation of ’98 • SPAN-467 Twentieth-Century Spanish Thought • SPAN-468 Contemporary Spanish Short Stories • SPAN-470 Twentieth-Century Spanish Poetry • SPAN-471 Twentieth-Century Spanish Novel • SPAN-472 Twentieth-Century Spanish Drama • SPAN-473 The Picaresque and the Origins of the Novel • SPAN-475 Spanish Novel after 1970 • SPAN-493 El Camino de Santiago: Literature and Culture • SPAN-493 Modern Tendencies in Twentieth-Century Hispanic Drama • SPAN-493 Narratives of the Spanish Civil War • SPAN-493 Spanish Avant-Garde Literature • SPAN-493 The City and the Novel • SPAN-493 History of the Spanish Language • SPAN-493 Spanish Literature and Film

  Group B • ARTH-293 Mexican Art and Culture • ARTH-494 Art in Latin America Any course in Latin American Literature or Portuguese Language: • SPAN-420 Introduction to Hispanic Literature • SPAN-424 Contemporary Latin American Short Story • SPAN-426 Latin American Modernism • SPAN-427 Contemporary Latin American Poetry • SPAN-429 Contemporary Latin American Novel • SPAN-431 Contemporary Latin American Drama • SPAN-432 Themes in Latin American Literature: Pre-Columbian and Colonial Literature • SPAN-433 Latin American Novel After 1970 • SPAN-435 Latin American Testimony • SPAN-436 Women’s Literature in Latin America • SPAN-437 Latin American Literature and Film • SPAN-438 Latin American Stereotypes in Literature • SPAN-493 Modern Tendencies in Twentieth-Century Hispanic Drama • SPAN-493 Hispanic Literature in the US • PG-110/115 Communicating in Portuguese I and II (intensive course) • PG-210/310 Intermediate Portuguese  (intensive course)

  
  

In the future, the program will expand its subject offerings to include the following courses, among others: History of Women in Spain and Latin America; History of Mexico; Archival Research in Spain; Christian Tradition in Spain; Liberation Theology in Latin America; The Spanish Influence on World Art; and others.

For more information, please contact:

Office of Admissions
Avenida del Valle, 34
Madrid 28003 Spain
Telephone (+34) 91 554 5858
Fax (+34) 91 554 6202
admissions@madrid.slu.edu

Academic Director: Francisco García-Serrano, Ph.D.

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