About the Program
The Department of Chicana and Chicano Studies is an interdisciplinary program that explores the historical, political, social, and cultural dimensions of the diverse Chicana/o experience. Building on traditional disciplines and innovative fields such as gender, ethnic, sexuality, border, and global studies, the department encourages crossing disciplinary boundaries and blending methods to offer a distinctive alternative to conventional inquiry.
In the 21st century, Chicana/o and Latina/o communities—especially in California—are at the forefront of a multicultural, multilingual transformation reshaping the Americas. The department’s curriculum integrates U.S. Chicana/o studies with history, politics, social systems, and cultural expression, addressing contemporary issues like evolving identities, gender and sexuality, immigration, globalization, and transnational connections. Courses critically engage race, culture, power, gender, class, and social change.
The major and minor in Chicana and Chicano Studies prepare students for a diverse, interconnected world by:
- Fostering participatory, student-centered learning;
- Encouraging critical self-examination of political, economic, social, and cultural positions;
- Empowering students to become active producers of knowledge;
- Developing fluency in the historical and structural forces shaping power relations;
- Equipping graduates to contribute meaningfully to a transnational society.
Undergraduate Committee
Micaela Diaz Sanchez
mdiazsanchez@ucsb.edu
Ralph Armbruster Sandoval
ralpharmbruster@ucsb.edu
San Juanita García
juanita_garcia@ucsb.edu
Undergraduate Staff Advisor
Lizbet Alvarez
lizbetalvarez@ucsb.edu
What careers can Chicana/o Studies prepare you for?
The major can be used as preparation for a career in such fields as:
| Teaching and Education | |
| Counseling and Social Services | |
| Health and Human Services | |
| Public Service | |
| Law | |
| Business |
The major also provides excellent undergraduate preparation for students who intend to do graduate work in the field of ethnic-American studies or associated areas in the social sciences, humanities, or arts.
Undergraduate majors/minors, incoming students, and prospective majors/minors are invited to consult the departmental undergraduate academic advisor about all aspects of planning a program in Chicana and Chicano Studies. Detailed descriptions of course offerings are available in the department office prior to the registration period, along with several guides and information sheets for majors and prospective majors.