SPECIAL PROGRAMS / 51

 SPECIAL PROGRAMS

 INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
 As the leading institution of higher education in the state, the University
 of Florida has long been aware of Florida's unique international position.
 By the beginning of this century, the University had begun to focus its atten-
 tion on the Latin American nations. Advanced degrees were given in Latin
 American studies as early as 1927, and by the midcentury a School of Inter-
 American Studies had been formed.
 During the last two decades, the University of Florida's commitment to in-
 ternational studies has expanded rapidly. This expansion has resulted in the
 creation of a Center for Latin American Studies, a Center for African Studies,
 a Center for Tropical Agriculture, a program in International Relations,
 and an English Language Institute for speakers of other languages. Programs
 in Asian Studies, Soviet and East European Studies, and West European Studies
 have been added to the undergraduate curriculum. The University of Florida
 has participated in programs of assistance and development in many major
 areas of the world: Africa, South America, Central America, and Southeast
 Asia. There has also been a corresponding increase in the number of faculty
 members involved in teaching and in research within the field of international
 studies.
 The expansion of efforts in these directions represents a conviction on the
part of the University that today's students must be aware, in more than a
superficial way, of developments and trends outside our national boundaries if
they are to live in a world of peace and harmony. International education is
essential for the citizenry and leaders of the twenty-first century-the students
of today.

 LATIN AMERICAN STUDIES
 The Center for Latin American Studies is responsible for directing and
coordinating graduate training, research, and other academic activities related
to the Latin American area. All students who meet the equivalent of a Master
of Arts minor in Latin American Studies are eligible for inclusion in the Latin
American Studies Program. Though requirements for this minor vary with
individual departments, normally they consist of a minimum of 15 credits of
Latin American language or area courses, or 9 credits of Latin American area
courses and a reading knowledge of a Latin American language which is ac-
ceptable to the department in which the major is taken.
 MASTER OF ARTS WITH MAJOR IN LATIN AMERICAN STUDIES.-This is an
interdisciplinary area degree offered directly by the Center. Requirements are:
(a) a major of 21 credits consisting primarily of Latin American language or
area courses in one department, which may be food and resource economics,
anthropology, economics, Romance languages (Spanish and Portuguese), geog-
raphy, history, political science, and sociology; (b) 18 credits of Latin Ameri-