The core of the Major in Chicana/o Studies is broken up into three Areas as follows. 

History and Narrativity

The study of oral and written representations of Chicana/o experiences and cultures.  Recognizes the complications of representation within and across languages.  Acknowledges the challenges of representations in written documents.  Investigates the constraints and opportunities within oral traditions.

Cultural Production

The study of Chicana/o experiences and events through cultural texts, made up of both verbal and non-verbal communication and representation.  Recognizes the importance of visual, audio and performative artistic representations in maintaining cultures. 

Social Processes

The study of societal structures—from the local and home-levels to national and global scales—and the opportunities and challenges they present for Chicana/o experiences and cultures.  Includes the investigation of social structures through large-scale, quantitative methods.  Emphasis on the study of education, governmentality and globalization/neoliberalism.  

Through these 3 areas and the additional Major Requirements, we present five aims of the Bachelor of Arts in Chicana/o Studies:

1. An education through culturally relevant pedagogies, committed to social justice, which presents an alternative to a Euro-centric liberal arts approach.

This prepares students for:

2. Advanced degree programs in the Humanities and Social Sciences
3. Careers in Education, including K-12 teaching, counseling and administration
4. Careers in the Law, as professionals engaged in policy, government and the law
5. Careers in Non-Profit Organizations and Social Work;

Major Requirements

Reminder: courses taken for the major require a letter grade.

Current Major Requirements

Change of Major

If you are interested in changing your major, please complete these forms:

Change of Major Petition

Chicana/o Studies Major Requirements

This form is required if you wish to pursue more than one major:

Memo of Understanding for Double Majors

Spanish Language Requirement:

Our Spanish language requirement may be fulfilled in the following ways:

• Complete Spanish 3 at UCSB or its equivalent at another college or university.
• Achieve a score of 3 or higher on the College Board Advanced Placement Examination in Spanish
• Achieve a minimum score of 570 on the Spanish with Listening SAT Subject Test
• Complete the third year of Spanish in high school with a grade at least C.
• Pass a UCSB Spanish language placement examination with a minimum score of 374
• or AP Spanish Language score of 3 or higher.

This information is based on the most recent Letters and Science Academic Requirements (LASAR) document: http://www.duels.ucsb.edu/advising/planning/degree

Planned Course Schedule, AY2018-2019:

This schedule of courses is subject to change. Current UCSB students should monitor the Gaucho On-Line Data (GOLD) system for official course schedule details.

Course Descriptions:

Chicana/o Studies General Catalog

Petition Process

If you are interested in petitioning a course to count toward the Chicana/o Studies major, you may send the request to Professor Armbruster-Sandoval (armbrust@chicst.ucsb.edu), Chicana/o Studies Director of Undergraduate Studies. The request should include:

• The syllabus for the course
• List the quarter that you completed the course
• Your grade
• The requirement that you wish to target with your petition.