The department offers a Masters Degree in Chicana and Chicano Studies. This program is designed to develop advanced studies in the Social Sciences, the Arts, Education, Community Studies, the Humanities, and other areas related to the Chicana/o experience in the United States.
Graduate coordinator:
Dr. Christina Ayala-Alcantar
(818) 677-2737
christina.ayala-alcantar@csun.edu
Department of Chicana and Chicano Studies
18111 Nordhoff Street
Northridge, CA 91330-8246
Departmental Course Requirements
A total of 33 units are necessary to graduate from the Masters program in Chicana and Chicano Studies. In particular, students are required to take 30 units of course work and 3 units for the thesis or graduate project. A 3.0 grade point average or higher is required for all coursework in the program. The university provides students seven years from the date students are admitted to complete the requirements for this degree.
It is important to note that most 500 level courses are offered once a week in the late afternoon (4:20-6:50pm) and/or evening (7-9:50pm). Some courses may be offered Saturday mornings.
Year 1
All students are required to take the following courses in their first year of the program:
- ChS 500: Seminar in Chicana/o Studies (3 units),
- ChS 501: Seminar in the Social Sciences and the Chicana/o (3 units), and
- ChS 502: Seminar in the Humanities and the Chicana/o (3 units)
- Enrollment in ChS 500 and 501 occur in the Fall semester and ChS 502 occurs in the Spring.
Year 1, 2, & 3
tudents are required to take seven elective courses (21 units) throughout the course of the program. Four of the seven elective courses (12 units) must be 500 level courses in Chicano Studies. There is some flexibility with the nine remaining units. For example, graduate students can take up to 9 units (3 courses) of 400 level courses with prior approval from the program coordinator. Also, 6 of the flexible 9 units can be taken outside of the department with prior approval. It is critical that you meet with the program coordinator to determine the best course of action given your time constraints, and future academic and career goals.
The following is a list of current upper division electives in Chicano Studies:
- ChS 503: Seminar in Chicana/o and the Arts (3 units)
- ChS 505: Advanced Field Work in the Barrio (3 units)
- ChS 506: Studies in the Education of the Chicana/o (3 units)
- ChS 560: Seminar in Chicana/o Politics (3 units)
- ChS 584: Novel of the Mexican Revolution (3 units)
- ChS 587: The Contemporary Mexican Novel (3 units)
- ChS 595A-Z: Selected Topics (3 units)
- ChS 599A-C: Independent Studies (1-3 units)
Year 2 or 3
Lastly, enrollment in CHS 698 thesis course (3 units) or graduate project (3 units) occurs the semester of anticipated graduation. The university grants students two years from the point of enrollment in CHS 698 to complete thesis.
The final requirement to complete your masters is known as a culminating experience which in our department takes the form of either a thesis or a graduate project. A thesis is an original scholarly contribution to the field of Chicana and Chicano studies. The graduate project is an art or creative project which blends art/craft and political discourse and/or use art for social or political and cultural purposes.
It is critical that you work with Graduate Student Services during the semester that you are enrolled in ChS 698. They will provide you with deadlines for thesis or project review and the final date the university will accept your final product. It is your responsibility to be aware of these dates and to meet all university deadlines regarding your thesis or graduate project.
If the thesis or graduate project is not completed as anticipated and an additional semester is needed graduate students can enroll in the Culminating Experience with department approval. This option allows students to remain enrolled in the university and provides library privileges, but not health center services and has no unit value. The fee is $185 and is paid to the College of Extended Learning. In order to enroll, a student must have: (1) applied for graduation (or, if previously applied for graduation, file a date change form with Admission and Records, $8 fee); (2) classified standing, and (3) filed a formal program with the Graduate Studies Office. Enrollment is required in the semester the degree is awarded.
Graduate Admissions Information
Applications for the Chicana and Chicano studies department are only accepted for fall semester. There is no spring admission. The departmental deadline is March 1, 2010. Students will be notified of their acceptance or denial no later than May 1, 2010.
Students interested in applying to the graduate program must apply to the university and to the department. Below are the admission criteria and application process for the university and the department.
University Admission Criteria
To be admitted to CSUN, as a graduate student, students must meet the following requirements:
- Have baccalaureate degree from an accredited university or college.
- Have been in good standing at the last institution attended.
- Have at least a 2.5 grade point average in the last 60 semester/90 quarter units attempted, independent of when the baccalaureate was granted.
- GPA is lower than a 3.0, the university requires that you take the GRE.
- Have passed the CSU Upper-Division Writing Proficiency Exam (UDWPE). If you have not taken and passed the exam, the university is willing to accept you conditionally with the understanding that you must pass the exam within the first 12 units of graduate coursework. If you are not classified within this time frame you will not be allowed to continue your enrollment in the Masters program.
University Application Process
The CSUN application is available on the CSU Mentor website: www.csumentor.com. The application fee is $55 and official transcripts are required.
Department Admission Criteria
The department endorses the university admission criteria. However, it is important to note that the department does not require a particular GRE score to be admitted into the program; it solely requires that students with a GPA lower than a 3.0 take the exam to adhere to the university policy.
Departmental Application Process
Complete a Statement of Purpose – The objective of the statement of purpose is twofold. First, it will be used as writing sample and provide the admissions committee an opportunity to examine your writing skills. Second, it allows you to share with the admissions committee why you want to pursue a graduate degree in our department. Please include your name on the first page of your document. The Statement of Purpose is two to three pages in length and answers the following questions:
- How did you become interested in the field of Chicana and Chicano Studies?
- What experiences have contributed toward your preparation for further study in the field?
- What are your future goals?
- What are your research interests?
- How are you a match to the program and department?
- What experience do you have as an activist/scholar in the field of Chicana and Chicano Studies?
Recommendation forms for Spring 2010 (.doc)
Obtain two letters of recommendation from current or former professors. An optional third letter from an individual outside of academia who can speak of your work in the community can also be included. The recommendation forms must be received by the department no later than March 1, 2010.
- Submit a curriculum vitae or resume
- Official transcripts
Departmental Application Checklist
All items below must be mailed or hand-delivered in one packet:
- Statement of purpose
- Curriculum vitae or resume
- Official transcripts in a sealed envelope for every college and/or university attended
Mail or hand-deliver the entire application packet by March 1, 2010 to:
Dr. Christina Ayala-Alcantar
Chicana and Chicano Studies Department
California State University, Northridge
18111 Nordhoff Street
Jerome Richfield Hall, 148
Northridge, CA 91330-8246
TOP