Bachelor of Arts Degree in Mexican American Studies

The Bachelor of Arts in Mexican American Studies is an interdisciplinary program integrating Mexican American studies with a specific liberal arts discipline. Majors are required to complete 39 semester credit hours from a prescribed program of study that must include 18 semester credit hours from one of eight concentrations: Anthropology; Communities, Families, and Children; History; Literary and Cultural Studies; Nonprofit Management; Political Science; Sociology; or Spanish.

The minimum number of semester credit hours required for this degree, including the Core Curriculum requirements, is 120. Thirty-nine of the 120 hours must be upper-division. A maximum of 66 community college semester credit hours may be applied to this program.

All candidates for this degree must fulfill the Core Curriculum requirements and the degree requirements, which are listed below.

Core Curriculum Requirements (42 semester credit hours)
Students seeking the Bachelor of Arts degree in Mexican American Studies must fulfill University Core Curriculum requirements in the same manner as other students. The courses listed below satisfy both degree requirements and Core Curriculum requirements; however, if these courses are taken to satisfy both requirements, then students may need to take additional courses in order to meet the minimum number of semester credit hours required for this degree. For a complete listing of courses that satisfy the Core Curriculum requirements, see pages 3-5 of this catalog.

ANT 2033 or ANT 2043 are recommended to satisfy the Level One core requirement in Natural Sciences. ENG 2213, ENG 2383, or ENG 2423 is recommended to satisfy the core requirement in Literature. MAS 2023 is recommended to satisfy the core requirement in Visual and Performing Arts. BBL 2003, BBL 2033, or SOC 2013 is recommended to satisfy the core requirement in Social and Behavioral Science. ANT 2053 or ANT 2063 is recommended to satisfy the core requirement in World Society and Issues.

Degree Requirements

1. 21 semester credit hours of Mexican American studies:
   
   
   1. 18 required semester credit hours:
      
      BBL  2003  Language, Culture, and Society
      or
      BBL  3133  Language Development in Bilinguals
      
      ENG  3513  Mexican American Literature
      or
      ENG  4613  Topics in Mexican American Literature
      
      MAS  2013  Introduction to Chicano(a) Studies
      MAS  2023  Latino Cultural Expressions
      MAS  3033  Mexican Americans in the Southwest
      MAS  4083  Research Seminar in Mexican American Studies
      
      
   2. 3 semester credit hours selected from the following:
      
      BBL   3023  Mexican American Culture (required for anthropology concentration)
      MAS  3003  Musical Mestizaje
      MAS  3013  Chicana/o Queer Communities, Identities and Theories
      MAS  3043  Social Psychological Considerations in Mexican American Communities
      MAS  3413  Mexican American Family
      MAS  4953  Special Studies in Mexican American Studies (Anthropology concentration students may substitute this course for BBL 3023 when topic is on Mexican Americans and cultural anthropology.)
      POL   3093  Mexican American Politics (required for political science concentration)
      SOC  3433  Mexican Immigration and U.S. Society (recommended for communities, families, and children concentration)
      
      ENG  3613  African American Literature (may substitute for MAS 4953, POL 3093 or SOC 343 when courses not offered)
      or
      SPN  3463  Latin American Literature to Modernism (if not taken for the concentration)
      or
      SPN  3473  Latin American Literature since Modernism (if not taken for the concentration)
      or
      WS  4623  Feminist Theories (may substitute for MAS 4953, POL 3093, or SOC 3433 when courses not offered)
      
2. Areas of concentration (18 semester credit hours). One of the following areas of concentration must be selected by the student seeking the Mexican American Studies major. Students are encouraged to select their area of concentration as early in their program as possible.
   Note: * Denotes course substitution accepted when taught by a Mexican American Studies affiliate or focus is on Chicano/Latino content
   
   

   Concentration in Anthropology

   1. 9 semester credit hours selected from the following:
      
      ANT  2033  Introduction to Physical Anthropology
      ANT  2043  Introduction to Archaeology
      ANT  2053  Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
      ANT  2063  Language, Thought, and Culture
      
      
   2. 9 upper-division semester credit hours:
      
      AHC  3423  Arts of Ancient America
      ANT  3363  Indians of Mesoamerica
      
      ANT  4123  Archaeology of the American Southwest
      or
      SOC  3433  Mexican Immigration and U.S. Society*
      or
      WS  4623  Feminist Theories*
      
      

   Concentration in Communities, Families, and Children
   
   18 required semester credit hours:
   
   BBL   3053  Foundations of Bilingual Studies
   BBL   3143  Children’s Literature for Bilingual Learners
   ESL   3023  Second Language Teaching and Learning in EC–6
   MAS  3413  Mexican American Family               
   SOC  3503  Sociology of Education
   
   SOC  3513  Children and Society
   or
   ECE  3143  Child Growth and Development
   

   Concentration in History

   1. 6 required semester credit hours:
      
      HIS  2003  Historical Methods
      HIS  4973  Seminar in History
      
      
   2. 6 semester credit hours selected from the following:
      
      HIS  3083  History of the American West
      HIS  3153  Development of American Urban Society
      HIS  3463  History of Religion in the United States
      
      
   3. 6 semester credit hours selected from the following:
      
      HIS  2533  Introduction to Latin American Civilization
      
      HIS  3063  The Spanish Borderlands, 1521–1821
      or
      HIS  3073  The Mexican Borderlands/The American Southwest
      
      HIS  3303  History of Mexico
      
      

   Concentration in Literary and Cultural Studies

   1. 3 semester credit hours in methods. Note: This requirement must be completed before continuing with any other concentration requirements.
      
      ENG  2213  Literary Criticism and Analysis*
      
      
   2. 3 semester credit hours selected from the following:
      
      ENG  2383  Multiethnic Literatures of the United States*
      ENG  2423  Literature of Texas and the Southwest*
      
      
   3. 3 semester credit hours selected from the following:
      
      ENG  4393  Feminist Theory of Literature
      WS   3953  Special Topics in Women Writers
      
      
   4. 3 semester credit hours selected from the following:
      
      ENG  3513  Mexican American Literature (if not taken for the major requirement)
      ENG  3713  Topics in Multiethnic Literatures of the United States*
      ENG  4613  Topics in Mexican American Literature (if not taken for the major requirement)
      
      
   5. 3 semester credit hours selected from the following:
      
      BBL   3023  Mexican American Culture (if not taken for the major requirement)
      ENG  3613  African American Literature
      HUM  3103  American Film*
      
      
   6. 3 semester credit hours selected from the following:
      
      ENG  4953  Special Studies in English*
      ENG  4973  Seminar for English Majors*
      
      

   Concentration in Nonprofit Management
   
   12 required semester credit hours:
   
   NPO  3003  Fundraising in Nonprofit Agencies
   NPO  3013  Introduction to Nonprofit Agencies
   NPO  4933  Internship in Nonprofit Management
   PAD  3043  Public and Nonprofit Financial Management

   6 semester credit hours selected from the following:
   
   COM  3893  Organizational Communication
   PAD  3113  Managing Public and Nonprofit Organizations
   PAD  3123  Strategic Planning in the Public and Nonprofit Sectors
   PAD  4953  Special Topics in Nonprofit Organizations

   Concentration in Political Science

   1. 9 required semester credit hours:
      
      POL  2703  Scope and Methods in Political Science
      POL  3083  Race and Ethnic Politics in the United States
      POL  3093  Mexican American Politics (this course also satisfies a major requirement)
      
      
   2. 3 semester credit hours selected from the following:
      
      POL  2503  Introduction to Political Theory
      POL  2533  Introduction to Political Science
      POL  2623  Law and Society
      POL  2633  Comparative Politics
      
      
   3. 9 semester credit hours of upper-division political science courses selected from three of the categories below:
      
      American Politics
      POL  3073  African American Politics
      POL  3183  Women in Politics
      POL  3303  Race, Ethnicity and Public Policy
      POL  3413  The Politics of Urban Development
      POL  3753  Latino/a Politics
      
      Comparative or International Politics
      
      Comparative Politics
      POL  3453  The Politics of Mexico
      POL  3463  Politics of the Third World
      POL  3553  Social Policy in Modern Welfare States
      
      International Politics
      POL  3053  United States–Latin American Relations
      POL  3763  Globalization
      POL  4103  Latin America and the World
      
      Political Theory
      POL  3153  Political Philosophy: Contemporary
      POL  3163  Introduction to Feminist Theory
      POL  3203  African American Political Thought
      
      Public Administration or Public Law
      
      Public Administration
      POL  3413  The Politics of Urban Development
      
      Public Law
      POL  3013  The American Legal Process
      POL  3023  Civil Liberties in American Law and Practice
      
      

   Concentration in Sociology

   1. 12 required semester credit hours:
      
      SOC  1013  Introduction to Sociology
      SOC  3043  Race and Ethnic Relations
      
      SOC  3343  Classical Sociological Theory
      or
      SOC  3353  Contemporary Sociological Theory
      
      SOC  3373  Qualitative Research Methods
      or
      SOC  3393  Quantitative Research Methods
      
      
   2. 6 upper-division semester credit hours selected from the following:
      
      SOC  3013  Social Stratification
      SOC  3043  Race and Ethnic Relations
      SOC  3093  Religion and Society
      SOC  3263  Latinas in U.S. Society
      SOC  3283  Poverty
      SOC  3433  Mexican Immigration and U.S. Society
      
      

   Concentration in Spanish
   
   18 required semester credit hours:
   
   SPN  3013  Spanish Phonetics and Pronunciation
   or
   SPN  3113  Linguistic Structures of Spanish
   
   SPN  3043  Advanced Reading
   SPN  3063  Grammar and Composition
   
   SPN  3463  Latin American Literature to Modernism
   or
   SPN  3473  Latin American Literature since Modernism
   
   SPN  3623  Latin American Culture and Civilization
   
   SPN  4123  The Spanish of the Southwest
   or
   BBL  4003  Spanish  for Bilingual Instructional Delivery
   or
   ENG  4613  Topics in Mexican American Literature (when content includes Spanish literature and if not taken for the major requirement)

   
   
3. 39 semester credit hours of electives

   Mexican American Studies majors are encouraged to select a double major in the 39-semester-hour content of their concentration (i.e., Anthropology, Bicultural-Bilingual Studies, Business Administration, History, English, Political Science, Sociology, Spanish).

B.A. in Mexican American Studies – Recommended Four-Year Academic Plan

YEAR 1
Fall		Spring
ANT 2033 or ANT 2043 (core)	3	MAS 2023 (core)	3
BBL 2003 (core and major)	3	POL 1013 (core)	3
WRC 1013 (core)	3	WRC 1023 (core)	3
Mathematics core	3	Natural Sciences Level II core	3
U.S. History & Diversity core	3	U.S. History & Diversity core	3
Total semester hours	15	Total semester hours	15
YEAR 2
Fall		Spring
ANT 2053 or ANT 2063 (core)	3	MAS 3033	3
ECO 2003 (core)	3	ENG 2213, ENG 2383, or ENG 2423 (core)	3
MAS 2013	3	Concentration courses (see Section B)	3
POL 1133 or POL 1213 (core)	3	Degree Requirement course (see Section A.2.)	3
Concentration courses (see Section B)	3	Elective in MAS (MAS 3043 or MAS 3413)	3
Total semester hours	15	Total semester hours	15
YEAR 3
Fall		Spring
ENG 3513 or ENG 4613	3	Concentration courses (see Section B)	6
Concentration courses (see Section B)	6	Upper-division electives (see Section C)	9
Elective in MAS	3
Upper-division electives (see Section C)	3
Total semester hours	15	Total semester hours	15
YEAR 4
Fall		Spring
Electives (enough upper-division hours to meet required 39, see Section C)	15	MAS 4083*	3
		Electives (enough upper-division hours to meet required 39; see Section C)	12
Total semester hours	15	Total semester hours	15

* It is recommended that MAS and concentration courses be completed before taking MAS 4083, as this is the capstone course for the major.

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