BA Latin American and Caribbean Studies at University of Chicago

Programme overview

Latin American and Caribbean Studies (LACS) is an interdisciplinary program for students who want to engage critical issues in the social sciences and humanities through deep immersion in the histories, cultures, economies, politics, and natural environments of Latin America, the Caribbean, and their global diaspora. In addition to gaining deep knowledge of a region closely tied to Chicago and the United States, LACS students develop strong linguistic, research, and analytical skills; most also spend significant time studying or conducting fieldwork in a Latin American or Caribbean country or

Faculty: The College | Department: Latin American and Caribbean Studies | Study mode: full-time | Intake: Autumn | Location: Chicago, IL, United States

What you will study

LACS majors are required to take 10 courses (3 foundational courses, 4 LACS content electives, 2 methods electives, 1 proseminar), as well as to meet a language requirement and an experiential learning requirement, broken down as follows:

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Admission is to the College, not to the major (university-level requirement): first-year applicants apply through the Common Application or Apply Coalition with the UChicago supplement essays and submit the secondary school report and transcript, two teacher evaluations and a mid-year report; testing follows the University's No Harm Testing Policy. Majors are declared after enrolment and must satisfy the College general education Core plus the major requirements listed in the catalogue.

USD 75,960 a year (2026-27). College tuition for the 2026-27 academic year (cost of attendance table); excludes student services fee, U-Pass fee, class fee, housing, food and books. Source

First-year admission is offered for entrance in the Autumn Quarter only (except prospective students-at-large).

First-year application plans (as published for the 2025-26 cycle): Early Decision I and Early Action deadline 3 November 2025; Early Decision II and Regular Decision deadline 5 January 2026. Applications are accepted through the Common Application and Apply Coalition, Powered by Scoir. An application fee or automatic fee waiver is required, SAT/ACT scores are covered by the No Harm Testing Policy.

Apply through the official page: https://collegeadmissions.uchicago.edu/apply/application/

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