Latina and Latino Studies, Minor

Program Description

This minor in Latina and Latino Studies offers students across the University an opportunity to learn about the diverse histories, cultures, politics, migration patterns, and other aspects of Latina/o populations in the United States. Classes will be offered on:

• Latino history;
• the artistic achievements of Latinas/os in popular culture, literature, theatre, film, and television;
• the migratory flows of Latina/o populations;
• education;
• other issues related to language and identity; and
• family issues.

These courses demonstrate that studying Latina/o social formations is a critical component of understanding the social fabric of the U.S. as well as the U.S. presence in Latin America and the complex phenomenon of globalization. Although the emphasis of Latina/o Studies is on the U.S., the role of Latina/o immigration within wider shifts related to globalization requires an understanding of Mexico, Central and South America, and the Spanish-speaking Caribbean.

What is Latina and Latino Studies?

 Latina/o Studies is an interdisciplinary field that critically analyzes the local, national, and hemispheric importance of the Latino/s in the U.S. It draws from a variety of established disciplinary methods, including social sciences, history, and literary and cultural studies. It traces the birth and transformation of Latino communities within American society from the colonial period to the present. The field comparatively studies U.S. and Latin American contexts, and engages multilingual aspects of Latino culture. The field also studies the sociocultural experiences and cultural production of Latinas and Latinos. It serves as a bridge between the academic and non-academic worlds in order to understand the complexity of all the Latino national groups: scholars of the field often both document and engage with the struggles and political activism of Latino/as in their search for equality, representation, and social justice. (An area of local interest is the growth of immigrant populations in Pennsylvania.)

You Might Like This Program If...

• You want to study the history and culture of Latino communities in the U.S., which constitute the fastest growing minority in American society.
• You want to put into dialogue different disciplines and approaches to study the phenomenon of “Latinidad.”
• You value bilingualism and multilingualism.
• You appreciate Latino literature, arts, and culture.
• You believe that colleges and universities should engage with Latino communities in order to better understand their different problematics and propose innovative projects.

Program Requirements

The minor consists of 18 credits, at least 6 of which must be at the 400 level.

Requirements for the Minor

A grade of C or better is required for all courses in the minor, as specified by Senate Policy 59-10.

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Prescribed Courses
Prescribed Courses: Require a grade of C or better
LTNST 100	Introduction to Latina/o Studies	3
Additional Courses
Additional Courses: Require a grade of C or better
Select 9 credits of the following:		9
LTNST/ENGL 226	Latina and Latino Border Theories
LTNST/WMNST 300	Latinx Gender and Sexuality Studies
LTNST/SPAN 315N	Spanish and Spanish-speakers in the U.S.
LTNST/CMLIT 403	Latina/o Literature and Culture
LTNST/ENGL 426	Chicana and Chicano Cultural Production: Literature, Film, Music
3 credits of SPAN 3 or above
Supporting Courses and Related Areas
Supporting Courses and Related Areas: Require a grade of C or better
Select 6 credits from approved list in consultation with an academic adviser		6

Academic Advising

The objectives of the university’s academic advising program are to help advisees identify and achieve their academic goals, to promote their intellectual discovery, and to encourage students to take advantage of both in-and out-of class educational opportunities in order that they become self-directed learners and decision makers.

Both advisers and advisees share responsibility for making the advising relationship succeed. By encouraging their advisees to become engaged in their education, to meet their educational goals, and to develop the habit of learning, advisers assume a significant educational role. The advisee’s unit of enrollment will provide each advisee with a primary academic adviser, the information needed to plan the chosen program of study, and referrals to other specialized resources.

READ SENATE POLICY 32-00: ADVISING POLICY

University Park

Liberal Arts Academic Advising
814-865-2545
Use the Liberal Arts Majors and Minors web page to see the contact information for the specific adviser(s) of this program

Career Paths

The program develops a critical understanding of the history and contemporary position of Latinas/os in the U.S. It provides valuable cultural fluency for students from a wide variety of career paths. Given the growing importance of the Latino/a population in the U.S., such knowledge is very advantageous in many professional settings.

Careers

A minor in Latino/a Studies, will enrich and enhance your career possibilities in fields including but not limited to, public service, education, marketing, law, politics, business, manufacturing and agriculture.

Opportunities for Graduate Studies

Graduate students from any Ph.D.-granting program may pursue a Latina/o Studies graduate minor, an interdisciplinary doctoral minor. The minor for each student will be planned jointly by the student, the student’s doctoral adviser, and an adviser designated by the Latina/o Studies Initiative committee. In addition, there are methodology and pedagogy seminars designed to introduce graduate students to teaching undergraduates in the field, as well as actual opportunities to teach the introductory undergraduate seminar as the instructor of record and thus build a teaching expertise in the field.

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT OPPORTUNITIES FOR GRADUATE STUDIES

Contact

University Park

LATINA/O STUDIES PROGRAM
442 Burrowes Building
University Park, PA 16802
814-865-4252
jochoa@psu.edu

http://www.latino.psu.edu/