Chicana and Chicano Studies - San Diego State University

Chicana and Chicano Studies from San Diego State University is a Campus Bachelor Language degree that prepares you for a Liberal Arts career. The Department of Chicana and Chicano Studies is committed to excellence in teaching, research and service. The Chicana and Chicano studies degree provides the student with a timely, interdisciplinary education regarding the nation's fast-growing ethnic group, the Chicano/Latino, and the interplay of culture, politics, economics and society in the dynamic United States-Mexican border region. The Department of Chicana and Chicano Studies also endeavors to contribute to the development of knowledge about the Chicano/Latino populations and the border region through original scholarship on the part of its faculty and students. The department recognizes women and gender based issues as integral to a Chicano studies program. Program Overview A two-semester introduction to Chicana and Chicano studies is taken in preparation for the major. At the upper-division level, all students must complete a course entitled "Political Economy of the Chicano People." The remaining work consists of specialization courses to be chosen in the area of humanities, social science, or border studies. In addition, the Chicana and Chicano Studies Department offers the United States-Mexico Border Studies Certificate. The purpose of the certificate is to provide students with training and direct experience in border institutions and policy issues in both public and private sectors. The program is interdisciplinary, requiring proficiency in Spanish and the completion of seven related courses from various departments throughout the campus, such as geography, political science, journalism, and economics. The department's programs are designed to meet the needs of students who will be seeking employment or pursuing advanced education in law, urban planning, journalism, business or medicine. Chicana and Chicano studies students acquire timely skills, experiences, and knowledge indispensable to the development of leaders and citizens in a region, state and nation where Chicanos/Latinos will comprise the largest ethnic racial group in the population in the 21st century. Through specialized course offerings, the Chicana and Chicano Studies Department also recognizes women and gender-based issues as integral to a Chicana/o studies program. In addition, Chicana and Chicano studies contributes to the preparation of future public school teachers by offering courses that satisfy the liberal studies , emphasis in education major requirements. Career Opportunities Bilingual/bicultural graduates are more sought after than ever before. A student with a major or minor in Chicana and Chicano studies has a good possibility of securing a position and career advancement because of the special preparation in their program. While jobs in regular classroom teaching and other career possibilities may be limited, positions for bilingual/ bicultural graduates are in greater demand. Chicana and Chicano studies is also an excellent major in preparation for postgraduate study in various professional schools. For example, students can continue their studies for the master's degree and other advanced degrees in law, with positions specializing in minority or barrio problems; social work, with careers as caseworker, or medical or psychiatric social worker in a minority community; public administration; librarianship; and business administration, with careers in accounting, marketing, bank management and insurance. Recent students in Chicana and Chicano studies are currently pursuing graduate studies at diverse institutions, such as Harvard University, the University of California, and San Diego State University . Chicana and Chicano studies students have been selected for participation in academic programs, such as the Minority Research Internship Program at the University of California, Los Angeles, and Leadership Program of the Center for the Study of American Women in American Politics at Rutgers University. View more details on San Diego State University . Ask your questions and apply online for this program or find other related Language courses.