The program in Chican@ and Latin@ Studies (CLS) offers a systematic and interdisciplinary analysis of Mexican- and Latin-American-origin people, cultures, and collectivities within the United States. The CLS certificate is designed to provide students with a broad knowledge base and the intellectual tools to understand the unity and diversity of US Latin@ populations. The primary objective of the CLS program is to train students in the study of Chican@s and Latin@s, as well as to introduce them to the central questions, topics, and applications that have emerged in this field of inquiry.
To declare, students should make an appointment with the program advisor to discuss requirements, courses, and application to the certificate.
Students declared in the Chicana/o and Latina/o Studies major are not eligible to declare the Chicana/o and Latina/o Studies certificate.
Requirements For the Certificate
Completion of the certificate requires a minimum of 15 credits in Chicana/o and Latina/o studies. 1
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Complete one Introduction Course: | ||
| CHICLA 201 | Introduction to Chicana/o and Latina/o Studies | 3 |
| Complete at least one additional 100- or 200-level course | 3 | |
| Introduction to Comparative US Ethnic and American Indian Studies | ||
| The North American West to 1850 | ||
| The U.S. West Since 1850 | ||
| Latina/Latino/Latinx History | ||
| Chicana/o and Latina/o Cultural Studies | ||
| Politics in Multi-Cultural Societies | ||
| Chicana and Latina History | ||
| The U.S. & Latin America from the Colonial Era to the Present: A Critical Survey | ||
| Intersectionalities, Self Awareness, and Social Actions for Social Change | ||
| Race and the Developing Child | ||
| Critical Aspects of Teaching, Schooling, and Education | ||
| Latin America: An Introduction | ||
| Sociology of Race & Ethnicity in the United States | ||
SPANISH 206 | ||
| Second Semester Spanish for Native or Heritage Spanish Speakers | ||
| Complete at least 9 credits of advanced courses: | 9 | |
| Chicana/o and Latina/o History | ||
| Mexican-American Politics | ||
| Latinx Literacies | ||
| Latinx Feminisms: Women's Lives, Work, and Activism | ||
| Racial Formation and Whiteness | ||
| Chicano/Latino Educational Justice | ||
| Cultures and Histories Topics in Chicana/o & Latina/o Studies | ||
| Education and Service Topics in Chicana/o & Latina/o Studies | ||
| Topics in Chicano/a Studies | ||
| Immigrant Health and Wellbeing | ||
| Latinas: Self Identity and Social Change | ||
| Race, Ethnicity, and Media | ||
| Labor in the Americas: US & Mexico in Comparative & Historical Perspective | ||
| Survey of Latino and Latina Popular Culture | ||
| Chicana/o and Latina/o Literatures | ||
| Latino/as and Media | ||
| Latino History and Politics | ||
| Colony, Nation, and Minority: The Puerto Ricans' World | ||
| Ethnicity, Race, and Justice | ||
| Immigration, Crime, and Enforcement | ||
| Black and Latinx in Literature and Visual Culture | ||
| US Latino Literature | ||
| Topics in Latinx Culture | ||
| Sociodemographic Analysis of Mexican Migration | ||
| Latino Urbanism: Design and Engagement in the American City | ||
| Border and Race Studies in Latin America | ||
| Chican@ and Latin@ Social Movements in the U.S. | ||
| Latinx Digital Publics | ||
| Dimensions of Latin@ Mental Health Services | ||
| Advanced Topics in Chicana/o and Latina/o Studies | ||
| Directed Study 1 | ||
| Carmen Miranda | ||
| Racial Ethnic Families in the U.S. | ||
| Total Credits | 15 | |
- 1
A maximum of 3 credits earned through a directed study course (CHICLA 699) can count toward the certificate.
Pass/Fail courses don't count for the certificate.
residence and quality of work
- 8 credits in CHICLA or credits counting toward the certificate, taken in residence
- A cumulative 2.000 GPA in courses counting approved for the certificate
Certificate Completion Requirement
This undergraduate certificate must be completed concurrently with the student’s undergraduate degree. Students cannot delay degree completion to complete the certificate.
- Identify and analyze core concepts, important social and political issues, and key artistic and cultural expressions related to Chicana/o and Latina/o life in the United States.
- Discuss the histories of Chicanas/os and Latinas/os in the United States and their implications for contemporary problems of racialization, social stratification, colonialism, and oppression.
- Describe the commonalities and differences among Chicanas/os and Latinas/os along lines of class, gender, race, sexuality, citizenship, and national origin, and evaluate Latinidad as a pan-ethnic category in the United States.
- Analyze relations between Chicanas/os and Latinas/os in the United States and their countries of heritage from a transnational and transborder perspective.
- Apply ideas from Chicana/o and Latina/o Studies to concrete problems through service-learning and community-based research, in a spirit of dialogue and reciprocal exchange informed by ethical and social justice principles.
An undergraduate certificate in Chican@ and Latin@ studies is available for those students from any undergraduate major who wish to pursue Chican@ and Latin@ studies courses in a systematic manner. Academic advising for the CLS certificate is available in the Student Advising Office, 307 Ingraham Hall. Prospective and current certificate students must make an appointment with Rachelle Eilers, reilers@wisc.edu, to discuss requirements, courses, and application to the certificate. CLS certificate recipients have enjoyed great success in fields including the health professions, social service, education, law, journalism, business, the arts, politics, and government service.
L&S career resources
Every L&S major opens a world of possibilities. SuccessWorks at the College of Letters & Science helps students turn the academic skills learned in their major, certificates, and other coursework into fulfilling lives after graduation, whether that means jobs, public service, graduate school or other career pursuits.
In addition to providing basic support like resume reviews and interview practice, SuccessWorks offers ways to explore interests and build career skills from their very first semester/term at UW all the way through graduation and beyond.
Students can explore careers in one-on-one advising, try out different career paths, complete internships, prepare for the job search and/or graduate school applications, and connect with supportive alumni and even employers in the fields that inspire them.
- SuccessWorks
- Set up a career advising appointment
- Enroll in a Career Course - a great idea for first- and second-year students:
- INTER-LS 210 L&S Career Development: Taking Initiative (1 credit)
- INTER-LS 215 Communicating About Careers (3 credits, fulfills Comm B General Education Requirement)
- Learn about internships and internship funding
- INTER-LS 260 Internship in the Liberal Arts and Sciences
- Activate your Handshake account to apply for jobs and internships from 200,000+ employers recruiting UW-Madison students
- Learn about the impact SuccessWorks has on students' lives
For a detailed list of faculty, please see the department website.