The Caribbean is a multilingual, multicultural, multinational region where people from Europe, the Americas, Africa, and Asia have come together in a unique borderland.  The site of first indigenous contact with Europeans, encompassing some of the world’s most valued and fought for colonies, threatened by pirates and privateers, dominated by slave economies, it is rich in diversity and culture.

The islands are often studied as isolated national linguistically separate units. However, through a track in Caribbean studies students will learn about the shared experience of the people in the region. By focusing on Caribbean studies students can explore the archipelago by engaging in cross-national studies of its history, literature, music, art, politics, religions, economics, environment, and health. The Caribbean studies track also encourages students to explore the ways in which the Caribbean is part of an ever more interconnected world.

Students who choose the Caribbean Studies track can find opportunities in organizations such as the Center for Democracy in the Americas, The Center for Economic and Policy Research, and the Organization of American States.

World Language Study

The Caribbean region is linguistically diverse, with Spanish, French, Dutch and Créole being the most predominant languages. Of these four languages, the UI offers courses only in Spanish and French. The Language Media Center is an option for students who wish to study languages which are not currently taught at the University. This allows students to build language skills but because the Language Media Center does not offer credit, this language study does not satisfy the international studies B.A. language requirement. 

Track Requirements

The Caribbean studies track requires a minimum of 18 s.h. of coursework, including at least 12 s.h. earned in courses numbered 2000 or above. Students may not count their foundation courses toward track requirements.