Undergraduate Experiential Learning
When possible, we encourage students to consider studying in a Spanish- or Portuguese-speaking country or community or participating in domestic exchange or internship programs to enhance their learning. We also highly recommend that students participate in undergraduate research, to gain hands-on experience with skills for knowledge production. Funding for experiential learning is available through scholarships and awards from the Latin American and Latino Studies Department or the Social Sciences Division.
Programs, internships, and field study
Most of the opportunities listed below include LALS elective coursework that can count toward a major or minor, and these are just a few examples of how you can incorporate hands-on learning experiences into your LALS program.
Community outreach
Politics, policy, and activism
Research
Study abroad
All study abroad (travel and study in another country) and most study away programs (encompassing all programs, like the UCDC Washington DC Internship Program and UC Center Sacramento) are managed by the Office of Global Learning. Students who want to travel abroad and do work related to their LALS major or minor can apply to the summer LALS Global Internship program in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Financial aid can be used towards your global learning program. The Office of Global Learning also has resources to guide undocumented students in exploring study away options. Find more information about using credits from study away courses toward your LALS degree by visiting our Undergraduate Advising page.
Learn more about undergraduate research
How to get started in research
Once you understand the fundamentals of undergraduate research, all you need to get started is a question or a spark of curiosity. Many students find that engaging in research enhances their undergraduate experience, adding a focus and a sense of purpose to their UCSC studies. If you are curious whether research might be right for you, consider undertaking a mini-research project based on a topic from one of your classes.
LALS students who are eager to design their own research projects should enroll in LALS 100A/L as early as possible, which introduces research design and methods in the interdisciplinary field of LALS. This core course combines the analysis of existing LALS research with hands-on experience in a range of research strategies: reading archives, administering surveys, interviewing, conducting participant observations, analyzing quantitative data, and interpreting texts. Students also learn the overall process of designing a research project, from formulating research questions to writing a critical literature review to the effective presentation of research findings. This course emphasizes research oriented toward the pursuit of social change and social justice.
Campus resources for student research
We enjoy a close connection with the Dolores Huerta Research Center for the Americas (Huerta Center), which sponsors research projects and internships in-house. The Huerta Center is also connected with the Institute for Social Transformation, which offers funded opportunities for students to pursue research alongside faculty members–including LALS faculty.
Students are welcome to inquire about potential undergraduate research opportunities with any of our department’s affiliated research centers, labs, and initiatives, or ask your faculty. More ideas and guidance for research can be found at UCSC Undergraduate Research.
Publishing undergraduate research
There are many places to submit your research project for presentation or to win awards and scholarships. See the slides below for ideas about where and how to present your research in a public forum.