Program: Chicano and Chicana Studies, M.A.
Program Description
The Master of Arts in Chicano and Chicana Studies is an online program that provides advanced training in the social sciences, the arts, cultural studies, education, community studies, the humanities, and other areas related to the Chicana/o experience in the United States. Graduates of the program have gone on to careers in a number of fields, including nonprofit sector management, community organizing, academic counseling/recruitment, public sector research, and teaching. Graduates have furthered their education by gaining entry into Ph.D. and Ed.D. programs and pursuing careers in academia.
Program Requirements
A. Requirements for Admission
Minimum University GPA requirement for admission to Graduate Studies at CSUN is a 2.50 in the last 60 semester (90 quarter) units.
B. Requirements for Classified Status
An undergraduate degree from an accredited institution.
C. Requirements for the Degree
A minimum of 33 units is necessary to graduate from the master’s program in Chicana and Chicano Studies. In particular, students are required to take 30 units of coursework and 3 units for the thesis or graduate project. A 3.0 grade point average or higher is required for all coursework in the program. The University provides students 7 years from the date students are admitted to complete the requirements for this degree.
1. Core Requirements (12 units)
All students are required to take the following courses in their first year of the program:
CHS 500 Seminar in Chicana/o Studies (3)
CHS 501 Seminar in the Social Sciences and the Chicana/o (3)
CHS 502 Seminar in the Humanities and the Chicana/o (3)
CHS 507 Seminar in Chicana/o Studies Research Methods (3)
Enrollment in CHS 500 and CHS 501 occurs in the Fall semester, and enrollment in CHS 502 and CHS 507 occurs in the Spring.
2. Electives (18 units)
Students are required to take six elective courses (18 units). Four of the six elective courses (12 units) must be 500-level courses in Chicana/o Studies. The remaining two elective courses (6 units) must be approved 400- and 500-level courses in Chicana/o Studies or may be taken outside of the department with prior approval of the coordinator.
CHS 401 Pre-Cuauhtemoc Meso-American Civilizations (3)
CHS 409 Chicana/o Art Studio in Painting (3)
CHS 413 Practicum in Mexican American Choral Music (3)
CHS 414/L Dance of Mexico I and Lab (1/2)
CHS 415/L Dance of Mexico II and Lab (1/2)
CHS 416 Children’s Songs and Games (3)
CHS 417 Equity and Diversity in Schools (3)
CHS 420 Chicana/o in the U.S. Economy (3)
CHS 430 The Chicana/o Child (3)
CHS 431 The Chicana/o Adolescent (3)
CHS 432 Counseling the Chicana/o Child
CHS 453 Theory and the Chicana/o Experience (3)
CHS 460 Politics of the Chicana/o (3)
CHS 470 Cultural Differences and the Chicana/o (3)
CHS 471 Chicano Families (3)
CHS 473 The Chicana/o and Social Institutions (3)
CHS 476/F Healing Traditions in Chicana/o Communities (2/1)
CHS 480/F Chicana/o-Latina/o Children’s Literature in Communities (2/1)
CHS 482 Language of the Barrio (3)
CHS 488 Literature of Borders and Globalization: The Americas (3)
CHS 495A-Z Selected Topics in Chicana/o Studies (3)
CHS 496A-Z Experimental Topics Courses in Chicana/o Studies (3)
CHS 503 Seminar on Chicana/o and the Arts (3)
CHS 504 Xicana Visual Art (3)
CHS 505 Advanced Fieldwork in the Barrio (3)
CHS 506 Studies in the Education of the Chicana/o (3)
CHS 508 Seminar in Chicana/o Studies Pedagogy (3)
CHS 509 Chicanas and Feminism (3)
CHS 514 Performance and Identity (3)
CHS 517 Advanced Educational Equity and Diversity (3)
CHS 518 Seminar in Chicanx/Latinx Literature (3)
CHS 560 Seminar in Chicana/o Politics (3)
CHS 584 The Novel of the Mexican Revolution (3)
CHS 587 The Contemporary Mexican Novel (3)
CHS 595A-Z Experimental Topics Courses in Chicana/o Studies (3)
CHS 596A-Z Selected Graduate Topics in Chicana/o Studies (3)
3. Culminating Experience (3 units)
Students enroll in CHS 698 (3 units) or CHS 697 (3 units) during the year the M.A. is completed. A comprehensive evaluation in the discipline of Chicana/o Studies in the form of any one of the following—(a) Thesis, (b) Oral and Comprehensive Exam or (c) Project—is required.
Total Units Required for the M.A. Degree: 33
Contact
Department of Chicana and Chicano Studies
Chair: Gabriel Gutierrez
Jerome Richfield (JR) 148
(818) 677-2734 and (818) 677-2735
Graduate Coordinator: Christina Ayala-Alcantar
(818) 677-2737
Program Learning Outcomes
Students receiving a Master of Arts in Chicano and Chicana Studies will be able to:
- Demonstrate a refined ability to think critically, analytically and creatively beyond the undergraduate level about the Chicana/o experience in the local and global society.
- Demonstrate strong oral, writing and research skills.
- Demonstrate a sufficient level of expertise in a particular field within the discipline, having read most of the literature in that area, and be able to develop and teach a course in that field.
- Demonstrate a critical understanding of the role of the creative and performance arts in the expression of Chicana/o identities and social issues.
- Master a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of Chicana/o Studies history, culture, arts, language and sociopolitical issues.
- Choose an area of research within Chicana/o studies and contribute to this area through the thesis project.
- Develop further leadership skills that will promote social change in Chicana/o communities and the broader society.