Courses

Specialization Coordinator and Director of LABE: Mary Risner, mrisner@latam.ufl.edu

The Latin American Business Environment (LABE) program is an interdisciplinary approach for students with interest in Latin America who seek to acquire the analytical skills for a variety of careers in business, government, non-profits or non-government organizations, and government. LABE coursework and extracurricular activities are designed to promote applied and experiential learning opportunities to prepare students for future career pathways. The LABE program also serves the general public and business community through speaking engagements and publications, including the annual Latin American Business Environment report.

Purpose of specializations in Latin American Studies

To help graduate students and advisors to navigate the vast and constantly shifting curricular landscape supporting Latin American Studies at UF.
To foster connection and collaboration around shared interests among current and prospective UF faculty and students.

Requirements for Master’s Degree in Latin American Studies at UF

Complete 30 credit hours, fulfilling distribution requirements listed below
Demonstrate advanced proficiency in Portuguese, Spanish, or Haitian Creole
Produce a thesis, internship, or capstone project

Course distribution requirements

6 hours of gateway seminars
- LAS 6220 Issues and Perspectives in Latin American Studies
- LAS 6292/3 Research Design and Methods in Latin American Studies
At least 15 of the 30 total hours completed in courses listed as LAS
Thesis students must register for LAS 6971 in the semester of graduation
Internship students must register for 3 credits of LAS 6949
12 hours of courses in an interdisciplinary specialization*

*Students may take more than 12 credits—potentially as many as 21 of required 30 credits—in courses associated with interdisciplinary specialization of choice

Latin American Business Environment Specialization Requirements: 12 credits

The business specialization requires three courses for five credits, one of which is a 1-credit course offering perspectives on the workplace and careers as they relate to Latin America and mentorship activities with UF alumni engaged in Latin American business endeavors.

LABE students are also expected to take part in an experiential learning opportunity through the graduate business school’s international trip, GEB6930 Global Immersion Experience for two credits. Alternatively, LABE students may participate in an internship opportunity with an organization in Latin America or one in the U.S. working directly with Latin America. The remaining five credits of this specialization can be selected from a list of optional courses selected in consultation with the LABE program director.

Required Courses

LAS 6295 Latin American Business Environment (2 credits)
LAS6905/4905 Fundamentals of the Latin American Workplace
FIN 6638 International Finance (2 credits) or FIN 6575 Emerging Markets Finance (2 credits)
GEB6930 Global Immersion Experience -Latin American Financial Markets (2 credits) OR LAS 6905 Latin American Business Internship (1-4 credits)

Elective Courses

Business

For permission to enroll in Master of International Business (MIB) courses, contact MIB advisor Ana I. Portocarrero, via email ana.portocarrero@warrington.ufl.edu.

BUL 6852 International Business Law (2 credits)
GEB 6366 Fundamentals of International Business (2 credits)
MAN6617 International Operation/Logistics (2 credits)

Entrepreneurship

ENT 6416 Venture Finance (2 credits)
ENT 6506 Social Entrepreneurship (2 credits)
ENT 6006 Entrepreneurship (Mod 3)
ENT 6008 Entrepreneurial Opportunity (Online, Mod 3)
ENT 6930 Innovation and Sustainability: Business doing Good (Mod 3)
ENT6930 International Entrepreneurship (Online, Mod 4)

Finance

FIN 6528 Asset Allocation and Investment Strategy (2 credits)
FIN 6366 Fundamentals of International Business (2 credits)

BUSINESS LANGUAGES

SPN 3440 - Commercial Spanish (3 credits; offered every Spring)
SPN 3443 - Marketing & Advertising in the Spanish-Speaking World (3 credits; offered every Fall)
POR 3224 Business FLAC–Portuguese (1 credit, topics and offerings vary)
POR 3224 Business FLAC–Spanish (1 credit)
POW 4930 Tourism in Brazil (3 credits - Offered every other year)

College of Journalism and Communication

MMC 5708 – Intercultural Communication (3 credits)
MMC 5306 – International Communication (3 credits)
ADV 6405 – International Advertising (3 credits)
PUR 6608 – International Public Relations (3 credits)
RTV6508: Audience Analysis (3 credits)
RTV 6801: Media Management and Theory (3 credits)
MMC 6406: Media Innovation and Entrepreneurship (3 credits)
VIC 6316: Brand Management (3 credits)

SOCIAL SCIENCES/LAS

LAS6938/AEB 6933 Economic Development in Latin America (3 credits)
LAS 6938 | LAS 4935 Latin American Elites (3 credits)
LAS 6938/ CPO 6307 Latin American Politics (3 credits)
LAS 6938 Crime and Violence in Latin America (3 credits)
LAS 6938 Policing the Americas (3 credits)
LAS 6938 Spatial and Economic modeling (3 credits)

Law

Law credit hours vary. For permission to enroll in law courses, contact Associate Dean Rachel Inman, inman@law.ufl.edu.

LAW 6936 Law and Policy in the Americas (3 credits)
LAW 6263 International Human Rights Law (3 credits)
LAW 6262 International Law (3 credits)
LAW 6936 International Crimes (3 credits)
LAW6261 International Business Transactions (2-3 credits)

Frequency of course offerings

Before each semester, the Center compiles and posts online a Guide to hundreds of LAS-related courses available in the coming semester. Some courses contributing to specializations are offered every semester, others once every few years. The list of courses provided here is not intended to guarantee any curricular offerings, but rather to open horizons to topics that have been and may be offered in widely varied programs around UF.

Additional courses

Each specialization offers students the opportunity to craft personalized programs of study and to add their own contributions. Students may identify additional courses relevant for a specialization, including new and one-time offerings, and may seek approval from the Specialization Coordinator to count such courses toward specialization credits.

FACULTY & STAFF ENGAGED WITH LATIN AMERICAN BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT

Any faculty member who teaches one of the courses listed above has an interest in Latin America to the extent the courses have content relevant to understanding the business environment in Latin America. Faculty with a special interest in the region include:

Brian Gendreau (Finance and Latin American Studies) Emerging Markets, Asset Allocation, and Financial Crises.

Rebecca Hanson (Latin American Studies/Sociology; Venezuela and Colombia) Crime and Citizen Security, Political Sociology, Human Rights, Global Studies, Urban Sociology, Social Movements and Citizen Participation, Gender; Latin America, Qualitative Methods.

Kristin Joys, UF Lecturer, Social Entrepreneurship & Sustainable Business.

Heitor Takashi Kato, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná (PUC-PR), School of Business, Marketing, Management & Strategy.

Timothy McLendon (Law; Haiti) Comparative & Florida Constitutional Law, Historic Preservation Law.

Andy Naranjo (Finance) International Finance, Asset Pricing, Corporate Finance, Real Estate Finance, Capital Market Linkages and Flows, Information Flows and Processing.

Mary Risner (Latin American Studies, Associate Director of Outreach and Business Programs, Project Manager of Florida/Brazil Institute) Global education, Languages for Specific Purposes (LSP), teacher professional development, and Globally Networked Learning Environments (GNLEs).

Welson Tremura, (Latin American Studies) professor and International Business Consultant.

Pilar Useche (Latin American Studies & Food and Resource Economics; Andes and Central America) Land Policy, Natural Resource Economics.

Robert Walker (Latin American Studies/Geography) Amazon, Land Change, Geospatial Analysis.