The David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies awards a Certificate in Latin American Studies to Harvard College students who have completed an approved course of study as part of their work toward the A.B. degree. To be eligible, students must take 8 credits, or approximately one-quarter of their curricular time at Harvard, through a combination of courses from the Core Curriculum and the related general requirements, the concentration, electives, and senior tutorial. Students must also submit an approved Seniors Honors Thesis on a subject related to Latin America.

For information on the DRCLAS Graduate Certificate in Latin American Studies, please click here. 

Domain of Countries
The countries included are the Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking countries of the Americas.

Language Requirement
Students must demonstrate knowledge of Spanish, Portuguese, or an Amerindian language spoken in Latin America. Spanish and Portuguese knowledge can be demonstrated by satisfying at least one of the following requirements:

1. Scoring at least 670 on the Harvard Placement Test (native speakers are encouraged to take the placement test).

2. Successfully completing the requirements for a Language Citation in Spanish or Portuguese from the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures.

3. Successfully completing a Spanish or Portuguese language course at level 30 or above and conducting a minimum of four weeks field research or study abroad in a Spanish or Portuguese speaking country.

Students who wish to use an Amerindian language to satisfy this requirement should contact the DRCLAS Student Services Coordinator, Katie Ferrari, for more information.

Senior Thesis
Students must write a senior thesis on an approved subject related to Latin America. Please note that the thesis may not be on a topic related to Latino populations in the United States or on Latin American immigrants.

Course Requirements

Each year, DRCLAS compiles a list of the hundreds of relevant courses are offered throughout the University, called the Guide to Courses.

Beyond the senior thesis (2 semester credits) students must complete an additional six semester credits (no pass/fail) in the manner prescribed:

1. The six qualifying credits must include courses in three different departments or concentrations. Core courses are considered a distinct department.

At least one of the six credits must be taken in the social sciences (includes government, anthropology, economics, social studies, sociology) and at least one must be in the humanities (including history, literature, religion, or romance languages).

2. At least four of the six credits must be devoted exclusively to Latin American topics. This means they have either 'Latin America' or the name of a Latin American Country in the title of the course.

The remaining two credits can be filled by another 2 courses devoted exclusively to Latin America, OR by 4 courses related to Latin America that count as 1/2 credit each. These related courses include one about Spain, Portugal, the Caribbean and Latino Studies, or any course that is comparative and topical that is listed in the DRCLAS Course Guide, with the exception of first and second year language classes.)

3. Students may petition to count up to threeo courses taken at other institutions, (i.e. classes taken while a student was studying out of residence. Please submit both a transcript and a syllabus to petition for credit.)

How to Apply

Undergraduate Certificate Application and Plan of Study

Students must fill out an application and plan of study showing how the Certificate requirements will be met. Upon approval of the plan of study by the Center's Director, the student becomes eligible for the Certificate, provided the plan of study is fulfilled. Changes consistent with the Certificate program can be made at any time subject to the Director's approval. Upon verification by the Registrar that the work recorded in the plan of study has been fulfilled, the Certificate will be awarded during Commencement week.

Students are strongly advised to contact the Center's Student Services Associate, Yadira Rivera (yrivera@fas.harvard.edu), at 617-496-9153 or while they are planning their curriculum.