Bachelor of Arts - Latin America and the Caribbean Minor

A specialisation in Iberian, Latin American and Caribbean worlds

The Latin America and Caribbean minor within the Sciences Po Bachelor’s programme forms part of the shared multidisciplinary curriculum in the social sciences across the Undergraduate College, while offering a distinctive focus on the political, economic, social and cultural issues of Latin America and the Caribbean. Its approach is characterised by both a regional and a comparative perspective, attentive to the relationships between this area and other major global contexts.

Delivered at the Poitiers campus, this minor provides students with a dual perspective: an understanding of long-term historical trajectories, including colonisation, independence movements, civil wars, dictatorships and democratic transitions, alongside an analysis of contemporary dynamics that make Latin America and the Caribbean a particularly rich political and social laboratory. Key themes of the minor include transformations of political regimes, social and indigenous movements, inequalities and redistribution policies, regional integration, environmental challenges linked to natural resource extraction, and geopolitical shifts associated with the rise of new powers.

The minor draws on multiple disciplines, including political science, economics, law, sociology and history, to develop critical and context-sensitive approaches to the region’s contemporary challenges.

Two international dual degree programmes are available to students at the Poitiers campus, in partnership with leading universities:

• University College London (UCL) ;
• Columbia University.

The campus also offers two integrated BA/MA programmes with partner universities in Latin America: Universidad Torcuato di Tella (Buenos Aires, Argentina) and Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (Santiago de Chile). Find out more (PDF) 

The Latin America and Caribbean minor explained in video

Courses and subjects at the heart of Latin American and Caribbean issues

The Latin America and Caribbean minor within the Sciences Po Bachelor’s programme is primarily French-taught, with a strong multilingual dimension. Courses are delivered in French, Spanish, English and Portuguese, reflecting the linguistic diversity of the region and the ambition to provide a genuinely multicultural education.

For international students who are proficient in English but have not yet reached the required level of French to begin their studies in that language upon admission to Sciences Po, the first semester of the first year may be followed in English. At the same time, intensive French language courses are offered to support their transition into the French-taught curriculum from the second semester onwards.

The courses within the minor cover a broad thematic spectrum, combining historical, political, geopolitical, social and cultural approaches. They enable students to explore the major political and social transformations of the region through a range of topics, including democratic transitions, urban development, integration into globalisation, regional and continental integration, and environmental disputes.

Examples of courses include:

• Latin American International Relations
• A diplomacia no Brasil
• Environmental disputes in Latin America

Languages taught as part of the minor

A nuanced understanding of Latin American and Caribbean societies relies in part on proficiency in the region’s languages. In addition to the languages of instruction, the Poitiers campus offers students the opportunity to develop in-depth language skills specific to the region. As part of the minor, students may study or further develop their Spanish and Portuguese, whether at beginner or advanced level.

French as a Foreign Language courses are offered to students whose level is below B1, and can be taken throughout their studies to support their continuous progress.

Proficiency in one or more of these languages represents a significant asset for international mobility, internships and careers with a Latin American or broader international dimension.

Find out more about language teaching.

Skills grounded in Latin American and Caribbean realities

The Latin America and Caribbean minor within the Sciences Po Bachelor’s programme combines the acquisition of core knowledge in the social sciences with regional specialisation. Students develop the ability to analyse political regimes, regional integration dynamics, and key issues related to development, inequality and sustainability.

They also acquire strong methodological skills, including quantitative and qualitative analysis, structured argumentation and critical thinking.

This programme opens up opportunities across a wide range of sectors, including diplomacy, international organisations, NGOs, journalism, political risk consultancy and research.

A third year to deepen regional immersion

The third year of the Sciences Po Bachelor’s programme takes place entirely abroad, at one of the institution’s 445 partner universities. This international mobility, shared by all seven campuses of the Undergraduate College, is a core component of the academic programme.

For students at the Poitiers campus, this year abroad builds directly on the Latin America and Caribbean minor. Many partner universities offer courses focused on the political, social and economic dynamics of the region. In this context, partnerships with universities in Latin America are particularly encouraged. They provide academic environments closely aligned with the campus minor and support a deeper immersion in the realities of the region.

Beyond its academic dimension, a stay in the region, and especially in a country whose language has been studied during the first and second years, allows for in-depth cultural and linguistic immersion, strengthening proficiency in Spanish or Portuguese.

However, mobility to Latin America or the Caribbean is not compulsory. Students at the Poitiers campus may choose a destination anywhere in the world. To validate the minor, they are nevertheless required to take several courses related to the region or to the relationship between their host country and Latin America.

Studying the Latin America and Caribbean minor on the Poitiers campus

The Latin America and Caribbean minor is offered at the Poitiers campus, whose academic programme is entirely dedicated to this geographical specialisation.

Find out more about the Poitiers campus and its student community.