Latin American and Latinx Studies | Social Sciences and Cultural Studies

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Program Description

The Program in Latin American and Latino Studies is an interdisciplinary field that grew out of the recognition that the experience and potential of a population has brought on new ways of thinking about race, ethnicity and their intersections with gender and sexuality in addition to the intersections in political, economic and social life. The program has a minor in Latin American and Latino Studies and presents students with the following: past and present scholarship, a methodology which treats the experience of Latin Americans, Latinos and Chicanos as equal in value and scholarly importance, and opportunities to conduct interdisciplinary research. The objectives of the minor include:

offering a place to study the experiences and contributions of Latin American, Latinos and Chicanos,
understanding the diversity of perspectives
analyzing the causes and consequences of racial and ethnic hierarchies in society
preparing students to contribute knowledgeably to the contemporary discourse on Latin Americans, Latinos and Chicano relations in global communities,
making connections between academic learning and one’s own life experience, and to learn about the contributions of Latin

American, Latino and Chicanos in varied social and cultural roles in the United States and the world.By strengthening critical thinking skills and understanding of issues and social justice, students will enhance their appreciation for diversity and discover the deep (interdisciplinary) connections among academic disciplines, gain a greater sense of their own personal worth and their connectedness with Latin Americans, Latinos and Chicanos.

Student Learning Outcomes

Latinx/Chicanx Studies

Students will learn to think critically and write effectively.
Students will understand how the place of Latinx and Chicanx peoples have varied by gender, race, and class across time and place.
Students will evaluate the evolution of the U.S.-Mexican borderlands across time and the manner in which developments have affected people in both nations.

Latin American Studies

Students will understand how the evolution of U.S./Latin American relations has defined and been defined by domestic changes in migration, globalization, political participation, and economic development.
Students will utilize interdisciplinary methods to analyze the disparate issues effecting nations and peoples throughout the hemisphere.
Students will apply the great questions of the Applied Liberal Arts and Sciences program to understanding the history and development of the nations of Latin America.

Degree Requirements

Latin American Studies Degree Plans

Here you will find the Latin American Studies minor degree plan. The degree plan will give you an idea of what courses will be taken. This is also used by Latin American Studies to record what classes they have taken, and to plan out the classes they will take in the future. Just prior to graduation, the student will fill out this degree plan, get appropriate signatures and submit it to the Registrar’s Office. It is also advised that they do a degree audit as they approach the semester they plan to graduate. It is best to print this out and bring it to your history advisor for their review.

Need help? Contact SSCS@wnmu.edu.

Admissions

Students may declare a minor in Latin American and Latino Studies upon enrollment to the university. Generally, students will choose their major in the spring semester of their Sophomore year. You will want fill out a Declaration of Minor form, available at the link below or through the First Year Experience Office.

Declaration of Latin American Studies Minor Degree Form — Link Below!

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What can I do with a Latin American Studies minor degree?
A. You can obtain jobs in both the private and government sectors.

Educator (i.e. Teacher)
Researcher
Lawyer
Activist

Q: Does the Latin American studies degree offer online courses?
A: Yes, the Latin American studies program offers lower and upper division courses, and graduate offerings, that are online. We support the class offerings through Masters of Interdisciplinary Studies (MAIS), a masters degree that is fully-online.

Q: How do I Learn More?
A. You can contact our office manager:

Holly Anderson
Phone: 575-538-6634
Email: holly.anderson@wnmu.edu

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