Research Opportunities in Hispanic Studies
The Hispanic Studies curriculum teaches you to ask and investigate compelling research questions. We are committed to supporting our students in meaningful research, both at home and abroad. Faculty research uses creative arts - literature, film, photography, performance - to explore topics like
- histories of immigration and migrations,
- civil rights,
- border cultures,
- language attitudes and practices,
- social movements, and
- U.S. Latinx communities.
Faculty-student teams have collaborated on projects based in these areas across the Spanish-speaking world.
Many of our classes include research projects where you can develop your skills. Hispanic Studies scholarship is interdisciplinary, so your research will explore the links between culture and other disciplines like history, sociology, or public health. All Hispanic Studies majors also enroll in two 400-level research seminars. Qualified students may apply for the yearlong Honors Program, where you will work one-on-one with a faculty member on a project of your design.
You may also conduct research through our ongoing summer and semester programs abroad. Participants in the summer program in Cádiz, Spain, design and complete a project under the supervision of the faculty director. During the Camino de Santiago summer program, participants carry out field work during the long walk. Our semester program in La Plata, Argentina is the ideal venue for students interested in research about human rights and social justice. Students in the semester in Sevilla, Spain investigate contemporary Spanish social issues.
Students' original research has in the past resulted in public dissemination via publications in professional journals, and in panel presentations at academic conferences as well as at campus events. Occasionally, faculty recruit students as undergradaute research assistants to collaborate in ongoing projects that have included fieldwork and co-authored publications.
W&M has many means to financially support the student researcher. Our faculty strongly support students in their efforts to obtain research funding.
