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 major and certificate are designed to provide students with a broad knowledge base and the intellectual tools to understand the unity and diversity of those people and cultures, both historically and in the contemporary period, as they explore the central questions and topics that have emerged in this interdisciplinary field. The CLS curriculum enables students to engage with the history, experience, arts, literature, cultural production, and social lives of communities of Latin American descent in the United States, developing their capacities for civic and community engagement as well as research, writing, and analytical skills. CLS graduates are equipped to include and engage with diverse perspectives as they pursue careers in such fields as education, social service, communications, publishing, business, journalism, agriculture, engineering, the arts, construction, and the health professions.
How to Get in
To declare the Chicana/o and Latina/o Studies (CLS) major, a student should set up an appointment with the CLS advisor. It is recommended that students declare the major as early as possible to plan the required coursework. There are no specific courses that must be completed before declaration.
Students declared in the Chicana/o and Latina/o Studies Certificate may not be declared in the Chicana/o and Latina/o Studies major at the same time. Students who do wish to declare this major must first cancel their declaration into the Chicana/o and Latina/o Studies Certificate.
University General Education Requirements
All undergraduate students at the University of Wisconsin–Madison are required to fulfill a minimum set of common university general education requirements to ensure that every graduate acquires the essential core of an undergraduate education. This core establishes a foundation for living a productive life, being a citizen of the world, appreciating aesthetic values, and engaging in lifelong learning in a continually changing world. Various schools and colleges will have requirements in addition to the requirements listed below. Consult your advisor for assistance, as needed. For additional information, see the university Undergraduate General Education Requirements section of the Guide.
| General Education |
* The mortarboard symbol appears before the title of any course that fulfills one of the Communication Part A or Part B, Ethnic Studies, or Quantitative Reasoning Part A or Part B requirements. |
College of Letters & Science Degree Requirements: Bachelor of Arts (BA)
Students pursuing a bachelor of arts degree in the College of Letters & Science must complete all of the requirements below. The College of Letters & Science allows this major to be paired with either a bachelor of arts or a bachelor of science curriculum.
Bachelor of Arts Degree Requirements
| Mathematics | Complete the University General Education Requirements for Quantitative Reasoning A (QR-A) and Quantitative Reasoning B (QR-B) coursework. |
| Language |
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| LS Breadth |
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| Liberal Arts and Science Coursework | Complete at least 108 credits. |
| Depth of Intermediate/Advanced work | Complete at least 60 credits at the intermediate or advanced level. |
| Major | Declare and complete at least one major. |
| Total Credits | Complete at least 120 credits. |
| UW-Madison Experience |
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| Quality of Work |
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Non–L&S students pursuing an L&S major
Non–L&S students who have permission from their school/college to pursue an additional major within L&S only need to fulfill the major requirements. They do not need to complete the L&S Degree Requirements above.
Requirements for the Major
The major requires a minimum of 30 credits and the specific requirements include:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Introductory Course | ||
| CHICLA 201 | Introduction to Chicana/o and Latina/o Studies | 3 |
| Introductory Elective | 3 | |
| Introduction to Comparative US Ethnic and American Indian Studies | ||
| The North American West to 1850 | ||
| The United States West Since 1850 | ||
| Latina/Latino/Latinx History | ||
| Chicana/o and Latina/o Cultural Studies | ||
| Border and Migration Studies of Latinx America | ||
| Introduction to Latinx Cultures | ||
| Politics in Multi-Cultural Societies | ||
| Chicana and Latina History | ||
| The U.S. & Latin America from the Colonial Era to the Present: A Critical Survey | ||
| Critical Aspects of Teaching, Schooling, and Education | ||
| Intersectionalities, Self Awareness, and Social Actions for Social Change | ||
| Race and the Developing Child | ||
| Cultures and Histories | 9 | |
| Chicana/o and Latina/o History | ||
| Cultures and Histories Topics in Chicana/o & Latina/o Studies | ||
| 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 | ||
| Colony, Nation, and Minority: The Puerto Ricans' World | ||
| Black and Latinx in Literature and Visual Culture | ||
| US Latino Literature | ||
| Topics in Latinx Culture | ||
| Border and Race Studies in Latin America | ||
| Latinx Digital Publics | ||
| Directed Study | ||
| The Caribbean and its Diasporas | ||
| Individuals, Peoples, Societies | 9 | |
| Mexican-American Politics | ||
| Latinx Feminisms: Women's Lives, Work, and Activism | ||
| Racial Formation and Whiteness | ||
| Topics in Chicano/a Studies | ||
| Latinas: Self Identity and Social Change | ||
CHICLA 334 | ||
| Latino History and Politics | ||
| Ethnicity, Race, and Justice | ||
| Immigration, Crime, and Enforcement | ||
| Sociodemographic Analysis of Mexican Migration | ||
| Latino Urbanism: Design and Engagement in the American City | ||
| Chican@ and Latin@ Social Movements in the U.S. | ||
| Advanced Topics in Chicana/o and Latina/o Studies | ||
| Directed Study | ||
| The Political Economy of Race in the United States | ||
| Serving Chicanx and Latinx Communities | 6 | |
| Latinx Literacies | ||
| Chicano/Latino Educational Justice | ||
| Education and Service Topics in Chicana/o & Latina/o Studies | ||
| Immigrant Health and Wellbeing | ||
CHICLA 342 | ||
| Dimensions of Latin@ Mental Health Services | ||
| Esperanza Community-Engaged Research with Latines | ||
| Directed Study | ||
| Theories of Bilingualism and Biliteracy | ||
| Bilingualism and Biliteracy in Schools | ||
| Racial Ethnic Families in the U.S. | ||
| Total Credits | 30 | |
Residence and Quality of Work
- 2.000 GPA in all CHICLA and major courses
- 2.000 GPA on at least 15 credits of upper-level work in the major, in residence. Upper-level in the major includes CHICLA courses numbered 300 and above and courses that count for the major that are designated as Intermediate or Advanced level.
- 15 credits in CHICLA taken in residence on the UW-Madison campus
University Degree Requirements
| Total Degree | To receive a bachelor's degree from UW–Madison, students must earn a minimum of 120 degree credits. The requirements for some programs may exceed 120 degree credits. Students should consult with their college or department advisor for information on specific credit requirements. |
| Residency | Degree candidates are required to earn a minimum of 30 credits in residence at UW–Madison. "In residence" means on the UW–Madison campus with an undergraduate degree classification. “In residence” credit also includes UW–Madison courses offered in distance or online formats and credits earned in UW–Madison Study Abroad/Study Away programs. |
| Quality of Work | Undergraduate students must maintain the minimum grade point average specified by the school, college, or academic program to remain in good academic standing. Students whose academic performance drops below these minimum thresholds will be placed on academic probation. |
Learning Outcomes
- 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.
Four-Year Plan
This Four-Year Plan is only one way a student may complete an L&S degree with this major. Many factors can affect student degree planning, including placement scores, credit for transferred courses, credits earned by examination, and individual scholarly interests. In addition, many students have commitments (e.g., athletics, honors, research, student organizations, study abroad, work and volunteer experiences) that necessitate they adjust their plans accordingly. Informed students engage in their own unique Wisconsin Experience by consulting their academic advisors, Guide, DARS, and Course Search & Enroll for assistance making and adjusting their plan.
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| CHICLA 201 | 3 | CHICLA introductory elective | 3 |
| Communication A | 3 | Biological Science Breadth | 3 |
| Quantitative Reasoning A | 3-4 | CHICLA major course 3 (Cultures and Histories) | 3 |
| Foreign Language | 4 | Elective | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | Elective | 3 |
| 16 | 15 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| CHICLA major course 4 | 3 | CHICLA major course 5 (Serving Chicanx & Latinx Communities) | 3 |
| Quantitative Reasoning-B | 3 | Communication B (Communication B can be fulfilled with CHICLA 501 or 520) | 3 |
| INTER-LS 210 (elective) | 1 | Physical Science Breadth | 3 |
| Intermediate elective | 3 | Intermediate elective | 3 |
| Intermediate elective | 3 | Intermediate elective | 3 |
| 13 | 15 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| CHICLA major course 6 (Individuals, Peoples, Societies) | 3 | CHICLA major course 7 (Cultures and Histories) | 3 |
| I/A Comp Sci, Math or Stats (if required for BS) | 3 | CHICLA major course 8 (Serving Chicanx & Latinx Communities) | 3 |
| Intermediate Elective | 3 | Science Breadth | 3 |
| Science Breadth | 3 | Intermediate Elective | 3 |
| Intermediate Elective | 3 | Intermediate Elective | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| CHICLA major course 9 (Individuals, Peoples, Societies) | 3 | CHICLA major course 10 (Cultures and Histories) | 3 |
| Advanced elective | 3 | Advanced elective | 3 |
| I/A Comp Sci, MATH, or STAT (if BS) | 3 | Advanced elective | 3 |
| Advanced elective | 4 | Advanced elective | 3 |
| Advanced elective | 3 | Advanced elective | 3 |
| 16 | 15 | ||
| Total Credits 120 | |||
Three-Year Plan
This Sample Three-Year Plan is a tool to assist students and their advisor(s). Students should use it —along with their DARS report, the Degree Planner, and Course Search & Enroll tools — to make their own three-year plan based on their placement scores, credit for transferred courses and approved examinations, and individual interests.
Three-year plans may vary considerably from student to student, depending on their individual preparation and circumstances. Students interested in graduating in three years should meet with an advisor as early as possible to discuss feasibility, appropriate course sequencing, post-graduation plans (careers, graduate school, etc.), and opportunities they might forgo in pursuit of a three-year graduation plan.
Departmental Expectations
A three-year degree is feasible for students with a variety of backgrounds and specific preparation. The plan assumes that students are coming to UW-Madison with approximately 27 credits from AP/IB or college transfer credits. Your plan may look different depending on the number of credits you bring in.
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| CHICLA 201 | 3 | CHICLA Introductory Elective | 3 |
| Communication A | 3 | Biological Science Breadth | 3 |
| Quantitative Reasoning A | 3-4 | CHICLA Major Course 3 (Serving Chicanx and Latinx Communities) | 3 |
| Foreign Language | 4 | Elective | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | Elective | 4 |
| 16 | 16 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| CHICLA major course 4 (Individuals, Peoples, Societies) | 3 | CHICLA major course 5 (Cultures and Histories) | 3 |
| Quantitative Reasoning-B | 3 | Communication-B Communication B can be fulfilled with CHICLA 501 or 520 | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | Physical Science Breadth | 3 |
| Foreign Language 3 | 3 | CHICLA major course 6 (Individuals, Peoples, Societies) | 3 |
| INTER-LS 210 (elective) | 1 | Intermediate Elective | 3 |
| Intermediate elective | 3 | ||
| 16 | 15 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| CHICLA major course 7 (Individuals, Peoples, Societies) | 3 | CHICLA major course 9 (Cultures and Histories) | 3 |
| I/A Comp Sci, Math or Stats (if required for BS) | 3 | CHICLA major course 10 (Serving Chicanx & Latinx Communities) | 3 |
| CHICLA major course 8 (Cultures and Histories) | 3 | I/A Comp Sci, Math or Stats (if required for BS) | 3 |
| Science Breadth | 3 | Science Breadth | 3 |
| Advanced elective | 3 | Advanced elective | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Total Credits 93 | |||
Advising and Careers
Departmental Advising
Academic advising for the CLS major and certificate is available in the Student Advising Office, 307 Ingraham Hall. Prospective and current students must make an appointment with Advisor Rachelle Eilers, reilers@wisc.edu, to discuss requirements, courses, and application to the major or certificate. CLS graduates 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
Wisconsin Experience
The Chican@ & Latin@ Studies Program provides co-curricular support programs and opportunities for undergraduate research as part of the Wisconsin Experience, UW–Madison’s vision for students’ growth inside and outside the classroom. CLS majors at UW–Madison have a wide range of opportunities available to help them make the most of their major and carry the study of communities of Latin American descent into the broader community.
CLS Community Gatherings
Join us on Thursdays at noon for a workshop luncheon featuring speakers on topics of interest to undergraduate CLS students. The gatherings are a great place to learn about resources available on campus, make new friends, and create community.
PASOS (Promotores Académicos Sembrando, Orientando, y Superando)
The PASOS program pairs CLS majors and certificate students interested in graduate school with graduate student mentors. PASOS mentors guide mentees as they explore whether graduate school is for them, work on their writing, develop resumes or CVs for future use, identify opportunities, and learn requirements to graduate schools and assess how those fit students’ wants and needs. For more information, contact Advisor Rachelle Eilers
Wisconsin Latinx History Collective
The CLS Program is the major UW–Madison partner for the Wisconsin Latinx History Collective, an effort to document the history of communities of Latin American descent in Wisconsin. CLS faculty and students are interviewing members of those communities and collecting documents to be held in the Wisconsin Historical Society (WHS) collection for future researchers. The Wisconsin Latinx History Collective has also embarked on a public humanities initiative to make these oral histories and documents more widely available through a digital platform. Many CLS classes offer the opportunity to participate in original research related to this project.
Latinx Studies Journal
The Latinx Studies Journal (formerly Concientización) is an annual publication that highlights writing by CLS students. Students may submit original research papers, creative writing, art, and more.
Chicanx and Latinx Studies Online
Students in CHICLA 520 (“Latinx Digital Publics”) create digital projects for the Program’s Web magazine, Chicanx and Latinx Studies Online.Resources and Scholarships
Undergraduates in the CLS Major or Certificate may apply for the Jesus Salas Academic Activist Scholarship and the Somos Student Development Award. Conferred annually in the spring, the Salas Scholarship recognizes academic excellence and community leadership by outstanding CLS students. The Somos award supports internships, research projects, or other initiatives by undergraduates. Students pursuing the Somos award may wish to contact the Program at chicla@letsci.wisc.edu to determine whether their initiatives and the expenses they propose are eligible. The Program encourages students to seek out other opportunities through the Wisconsin Scholarship Hub.
The Program has a library with a collection of books and videos on topics related to the field, as well as an Academic Resource Center with computers and a printer that are available to students.
Students enrolled in the CLS Major or Certificate may participate in the Chican@ & Latin@ Studies Certificate Students Association (ChiLaCSA). A list of related student organizations is available on the Program’s website.