The struggle is inner: Chicano, indio, American Indian, mojado, mexicano, immigrant Latino, Anglo in power, working class Anglo, Black, Asian–our psyches resemble the bordertowns and are populated by the same people. The struggle has always been inner, and is played out in outer terrains. Awareness of our situation must come before inner changes, which in turn come before changes in society. Nothing happens in the “real” world unless it first happens in the images in our heads.”
— Gloria E. Anzaldúa

“What most failed to recognize was that activism alone would not transform society as a whole. That could not happen without the constant critique of the social order and a correction of its imperfections. For many, this was the pedagogical mission of Chicano Studies; to empower Chicana and Chicano students and the whole community through the act of critical thinking. This was what San Francisco State, the Chicano Walkouts, and the establishment of Chicano Studies was about. The stemming of the dropout problem was essential to this mission.”
— Rodolfo Acuña

“To be CHICANO is (NOT) to hate the gabacho or the gachupin or the pobre vendido…To be CHICANO is to love yourself, your culture, your skin, and your language… And once you become CHICANO that way you begin to love other people otras razas del mundo…because they need us more than we need them.”
— Luis Valdez

A. For Admission to Graduate Status

1. Minimum University GPA requirement for admission to Graduate Studies at CSUN is a 2.50 in the last 60 semester (90 quarter) units.

B. Required for Admission to Classified Status:

1. An undergraduate degree from an accredited institution.
2. Appropriate score on GRE, GMAT, MAT or other acceptable examination.
3. A passing score on and Upper Division Writing Proficiency Exam.
4. Graduate Coordinator can inform you of the specific requirement for classified status.

C. Department Requirements for the Degree

A minimum of 33 units is necessary to graduate from the Masters 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 (9 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)

Enrollment in CHS 500 and 501 occur in the Fall semester and CHS 502 occurs in the Spring.

2. Electives (21 units)

Students are required to take seven elective courses (21 units). Four of the seven elective courses (12 units) must be 500-level courses in Chicana/o Studies. The remaining three elective courses (9 units) must be approved 400- and 500-level courses in Chicana/o Studies. (6 of these 9 units may be taken outside of the department with prior approval of the coordinator.)

3. Comprehensive Evaluation (3 units)

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.