estudios

Estudios is a Spanish noun that typically translates to studies in English. It can refer to the act or process of studying, the curriculum or courses pursued by students, or a field of study within higher education. In universities and colleges across Spanish-speaking countries, “estudios” often appears in department and program names, such as Estudios Hispánicos (Hispanic Studies), Estudios Culturales (Cultural Studies), or Estudios Latinoamericanos (Latin American Studies). These programs commonly employ interdisciplinary approaches that combine humanities and social sciences to analyze cultures, histories, languages, and societies.

In English-language contexts, “studies” similarly denotes both a field of study and a suite of interdisciplinary programs, including Cultural Studies, Gender Studies, Area Studies, and Religious Studies. The suffix helps name programs that emphasize critical perspectives rather than a single traditional discipline.

The term derives from Latin studium, meaning eagerness, application, or study. The modern use of “studies” as a disciplinary label expanded in the 20th century with movements such as cultural studies and area studies, which emphasized context, power relations, and cross-disciplinary methods.

Other uses of the word include estudio as a room or workshop (a studio) and estudios to refer to studios in film or music (estudios de grabación).