Swarthmore's Latin American and Latino Studies Program introduces students to the shared history and the rich diversity of Latin American societies, cultures and nation-states, as well as with the transnational dynamics that shape Latino, Latina and Latinx experiences in the United States. Students in the program draw on a variety of disciplines for a fuller understanding of how to conceptualize "Latin America" and "latinidad" in all their complexity.  Spoken language, literature and visual culture; pre-colonial, colonial, and modern history; indigenous, immigrant, and diasporic experiences; political and economic systems and social movements; religion, spirituality and other forms of devotion; and socioeconomic conditions and cultural identities all figure into this far-ranging and broadly inclusive course of study.  Courses in anthropology, educational studies, history, modern languages and literatures, religion, and political science contribute to this exciting interdisciplinary program.

Students may pursue a minor or a special major in Latin American and Latino Studies.  Studying beyond the traditional classroom walls provides students with invaluable opportunities for enriching intellectual experiences and personal growth.  Most students pursuing a minor or a special major spend at least one semester abroad in Latin America. For students who are unable to study abroad for whatever reason, faculty-guided off-campus involvement in a local immigrant or Latinx community offers another way to pursue comparable opportunities. ​