Welcome to Chicana and Chicano Studies

The Chicana and Chicano Studies Department at California State University, Fullerton has a rich and rigorous set of interdisciplinary course offerings that satisfy General Education requirements, major and minor requirements, and electives. Our world-class faculty members teach in sub-areas of the arts, humanities, and social sciences. Chicana and Chicano Studies students graduate with skills that allow them to excel either in graduate school or in the work force. Recent graduates have found employment in the areas of: education, public policy, social work (public, private, and nonprofit sectors), politics, business, and the arts.

 

WHAT IS CHICANA AND CHICANO STUDIES?

Chicana and Chicano Studies was born out of the student movements of the 1960s and 1970s and created as a space where scholars could see themselves represented in the curriculum and amongst the faculty. As an interdisciplinary field, the discipline draws from history, art, literature, education, sociology, theory, and many more, to examine Chicana/o and Latina/o histories, contributions, and experiences.

Through Chicana and Chicano Studies, our goal is to expand critical thinking, communication, and civic-mindedness through an engaging and interdisciplinary curriculum focusing on the arts, humanities, and social sciences. We prepare our scholars for future academic and employment endeavors to be successful leaders in their communities.

"A major benefit of joining the Chicana/o Studies Department is that you are welcomed into a family. For many first time college students, a four-year university becomes a strange place to navigate without guidance. For me, the Chicana/o Studies Department became a place I felt at home and a place where many mentors guided me towards the right direction."

- Jose Macias, Class of 2011

 

"Chicana/o Studies expanded my critical reading, critical thinking, and critical writing skills through its amazing interdisciplinary program. As a double major, Child and Adolescent Studies and Chicana/o Studies, this program has provided me great insight and an edge in my career as a future teacher. Rooted in social justice this program has inspired me to be a teacher who is committed to serving her students, their families, and community."

- Alma Lorenzo, Class of 2014

 

WHY MAJOR IN CHICANA AND CHICANO STUDIES?

Chicana/o Studies offers you all the benefits of an education rooted in social justice-based traditions, critical thinking and analysis, writing, reading, expression, and the ability to work with diverse populations. Our scholars learn to be ethical, culturally competent leaders in their communities. Our alumni have gone on to graduate school and careers in education, mass media, marketing, community development, community organizing, social work, medicine, public health, law, and a wide variety of positions in federal, state, and local government.

 

DOUBLE MAJORING

Chicana/o Studies is a great complementary major to any major. A double-major will offer new opportunities for discovery, new perspectives and methods to explore, and the chance to network with more people. Furthermore, a double-major in Chicana/o Studies will help you stand out as a top candidate amongst other graduate and job applicants as a culturally competent leader and a critically engaged scholar. Finally, given the flexibility of the major, it is easy to tailor the major to meet your interests. Talk to an advisor today!

MINOR IN CHICANA AND CHICANO STUDIES

A minor in Chicana and Chicano Studies is a primer to the content, methods, skills, and tools introduced in the larger major. As U.S. demographics continue to grow more diverse, a minor in Chicana and Chicano Studies becomes important preparation to inform any future career path and supplement any major.