Minor in Latina/o Studies

The undergraduate minor in Latina/o Studies is a multidisciplinary university-wide program. Students learn about the social, political, economic, historical and cultural processes that impact Latina/o communities in the United States. The minor emphasizes applied skills and knowledge, including research skills, for better participating in our diverse society.

Requirements
18 hour minor
Students in the minor take two required courses: Introduction to Latina/o Studies, which provides historical and contemporary context, and Latina/o Identities, Communities and Social Change, exploring migration and immigration, public policy and leadership.
Students take four elective courses to complete the minor. Faculty experts from across the university teach elective courses in the minor that apply cultural perspectives to their fields, including: communication studies, criminal justice, family and child development, marketing, music and political science.
More course information
-
Required courses
These two courses are required to earn the Latina/o Studies Minor:
LATS 2300 — Introduction to Latina/o Studies (WI)
Introduction to Latina/o Studies is a writing intensive course that will contextualize the historical origins, demographic changes, and contemporary issues facing Latinas/os. With a focus on the development of Latina/o ethnicities and identities, the course is an excellent introduction to how Latina/o Studies fit into the broader trends of comparative ethnic studies. The course will expose students to a range of social theories, research methods, and applications relevant to both academe and public policy.
LATS 4325 — Latina/o Identities, Communities, and Social Change (WI)
Latina/o Identities, Communities and Social Change, is a writing intensive course where students will learn about the continuities and change of different Latina/o communities from an interdisciplinary perspective. To understand the underlying conditions facing them and the ways Latina/o community function, the course explores demographic movements and the settlement of Latina/o communities and their cultural expressions. In this course, students will examine, compare, and contrast how Latina/o communities are constituted, understand the role of public policy, and examine leadership strategies to address important issues impacting Latinas/os at the family, local, national, and global levels.
-
Elective course selections
Choose four electives from the following selection of courses:
ARTH 4314 — Art and Politics
Section 01
Dr. Gina TarverARTH 4321O — Colonial Art of Latin America (WI)
Section 251 and 01
Dr. Gina TarverANTH 3324 — Mexican American Culture
ANTH 3350 — Gender and Sexuality in Cross-Cultural Perspective
CJ 3322 — Race, Ethnicity and Criminal Justice
Any section and all instructors
Dr. Ashley Arnio, Dr. Scott Bowman, and Dr. Bob VasquezCOMM 3318M — Intercultural Communication in the Americas
Dr. Seokhoon Ahn
prerequisite: Comm Major or LATS MinorCTE 3313C — Entrepreneurship
CTE 3315 — Leadership Professional Development
FCD 4358 — Latino Youth & Families
Section 252
Dr. Edna AlfaroGEO 3308 — Latin American Geography
Any section and all instructors
Dr. Sara BlueGEO 3349 — Population Geography
Any section and all instructors
Dr. Osvaldo Salari and Dr. Sara Blue
prerequisite: algebraGEO 3353 — American Ethnic Geography
ENG 3341 — Studies in World Literature and Contemporary Culture (WI)
Section S01
Dr. Edna Aguirre-Rehbein
course offered in Round Rock and study abroadENG 3343 — The Work and Career of Sandra Cisneros (WI)
Any section and all instructors
Dr. Geneva GanoENG 3344 — Chicano/a Narrative and Social History (WI)
Any section and all instructors
Dr. Sara Ramirez and Dr. Ruben ZecenaENG 4325 — Literature of the Southwest: Borderlands Narratives (WI)
Any section and all instructors
Dr. Geneva Gano and Robin Cohen
HIST 3369Z — Immigration and EthnicityAny section and all instructors
Dr. Sarah ColemanHIST 4372 — Mexican American History
Any section and all instructors
Dr. John McKiernan-Gonzalez
Students majoring in fields other than history are advised to begin with HIST 1310 or 1320 before enrolling the advanced History coursesHIST 4373 — Economic and Social History of the Americas
Section 01
Dr. Paul Hart
Students majoring in fields other than history are advised to begin with HIST 1310 or 1320 before enrolling the advanced History coursesMC 4319 — Latinas/Latinos and the Media
Any section and all instructors
Dr. Vanessa de Macedo Higgins JoyceMKT 3385 — Ethnic and Niche Marketing
Any section and all instructors
prerequisite: MKT 3343 and MKT 3350; student must be admitted to McCoy College of Business and have junior standingMUSE 3102 — Salsa del Rio
prerequisite: students will be required to audition to qualify to take the class. May be repeated for credit.MUSE 3103 — Texas State Mariachi: Mariachi Nueva Generación & Mariachi Lince de Oro
prerequisite: students will be required to audition to qualify to take the class. May be repeated for credit.
MUSE 3108 — Orquesta del RioPHIL 4372 — Latin American Philosophy (WI)
Any section and all instructors
Dr. Lori Gallegos de Castillo
prerequisite: PHIL 1305 (Philosophy and Critical Thinking) or permission of the instructorPOSI 4323 — Latina/o Politics (WI)
Any section and all instructors
Dr. Tomas Longoria
New course starting Spring 2019
Hybrid (in-person and online) coursePOSI 4358 — United States-Latin American Relations (WI)
Any section and all instructors
Dr. Edward MilhalkaninPSY 3334 — Psychology of Human Diversity (WI)
Section 1 and 251
Dr. Roque Mendez
prerequisite: PSY 1300PSY 4390 - Latinx Psychology
Dr. Roque Mendez
prerequisite: PSY 1300SOCI 3320 — Population Dynamics
Any section and all instructors
Dr. Debarun MajumdarSOCI 3322 — Latinos and Immigration
Any section and all instructors
Dr. Beatriz Aldana Marquez and Dr. Gloria P. MartinezSOCI 3327 — Sociology of Race and Ethnicity
SOCI 3333 — The Sociology of Popular Music
Any section and all instructors
Dr. Joseph KotarbaSOCI 3375K — Latinos and Aging
Any section and all instructors
Dr. Gloria P. MartinezSPAN 3308 — Advanced Composition (WI)
Any section and all instructors
prerequisite: a grade of C or higher in Spanish 2310 and 2320
Section 7 Spanish for Spanish speakersSPAN 4312 — Contemporary Hispanic Linguistics
Section 1
Dr. Yasmine Beale-Rivaya
prerequisite: grade of C or higher in SPAN 3308SPAN 4370 — Hispanic Literature of the Southwest: Space and Images (WI)
Any section and all instructors
Dr. Sergio Martinez
prerequisite: grade of C or higher in Spanish 3309 and/or a co-requisite 3308 or equivalentTH 4303 — Ethnic Theatre Workshop
TH 3339 - Latinx Theatre and Performance

Research and Career Opportunities
Graduates with cultural competency skills and an understanding of multiple cultures will be well positioned for professional roles in the nation’s changing workforce. The Latina/o Studies minor prepares students for careers in education, government, nonprofit organizations, research, social services, the arts and more. Graduates will also be prepared for advanced study in areas such as law, business and medicine.

Library Research and Professional Resources Guide
This guide was created in partnership with Alkek Library to support the Latina/o Studies minor at Texas State University.
Faculty Advisors
- Dr. Luz Maldonado
- Dr. Edna Alfaro
- Dr. Thomas Longoria
- Dr. Beatriz Aldana-Marquez
- Dr. Sergio Martinez
- Dr. Bob Vasquez
- Dr. Maria Resendiz
- Dr. Vanessa Joyce-Higgins
- Dr. Roque Mendez
- Student Representatives: Johana Perales, Cristina Jardon,
Learn More
If you're interested in declaring the Latina/o minor, or learning more about it, you can make an appointment to meet with your academic advisor, or contact us in the Department of Sociology.