Associate Degree in Mexican and Latin-American Studies
Laney College
Key Information
Campus location
Oakland, USA
Languages
English
Study format
On-Campus
Duration
2 years
Pace
Full time
Tuition fees
USD 7,120 / per semester *
Application deadline
Request info
Earliest start date
Aug 2024
* this is for a standard 15 credit semester including fees / price may vary depending on how many credits are taken
Introduction
Welcome to Mexican/Latin American Studies! We are an area of focus within the Ethnic Studies Department at Laney College and are rooted in the rich legacy of students committed to transformative education and social justice.
Our mission is to prepare students with critical thinking skills, deep social consciousness, and an extensive knowledge base necessary to function as effective and empowered leaders in an increasingly diverse and globalized world. It is our intent to promote social justice and appreciation of cultural differences as well as to advance the understanding and interests of Latinx populations in the United States as well as Latin American populations throughout the Americas.
Mexican/Latin American Studies is an interdisciplinary area of study that is comparative in scope. Our curriculum is rooted in Chicanx and Latinx Studies and draws from the social and behavioral sciences as well as the humanities and the arts. Our local Associates of Arts program offers a variety of courses regarding the study of Latin America and the Chicanx and Latinx experiences at a local and transnational level. The aim of Mexican/Latin American Studies is to support students in developing a critical consciousness and an understanding of the social, political, cultural, and economic forces that have shaped the histories and current-day realities of the Latinx Diaspora. Our studies are grounded in the principles of social justice and self-determination of marginalized communities. To achieve this, our program centers on the knowledge, epistemologies, and arts produced by racially and sexually oppressed subjects, and we endeavor to examine the intersections of race, class, gender, and sexuality.
Mexican/Latin American Studies is an interdisciplinary area of study that is comparative in scope and draws from the social and behavioral sciences as well as the humanities and the arts. Our local Associates of Arts program offers a variety of courses regarding the study of Latin America and the Chicanx and Latinx experiences at a local and transnational level. The aim of Mexican/Latin American Studies is to support students in developing a critical consciousness and an understanding of the social, political, cultural, and economic forces that have shaped the histories and current-day realities of the Latina/o Diaspora.
Gallery
Curriculum
Local Degree Requirements
Core Required Courses (9 units)
- M/LAT 33: Introduction to Chicana/o and Latina/o Studies (3 units)
- M/LAT 34: History of Latinos in the United States: 1800 to Present (3 units)
- M/LAT 35: Women of Color (3 units)
- Note: Students may substitute AFRAM 35 OR ASAME 35 OR NATAM 35 for the requirement, but M/LAT 35 is preferred
Arts and Humanities (minimum 3 units)
- M/LAT 30A: Survey of Latina/Latino Film (3 units)
- M/LAT 30B: Survey of Latin American Film (3 units)
- M/LAT 32: African Heritage of Latin America
- Note: Students may substitute AFRAM 18 for the requirement, but M/LAT 32 is preferred
- M/LAT 36: Survey of Latina/o Literature (3 units)
- M/LAT 37: Latinx Culture: Music, Art, and Theater (3 units)
History and Social Sciences (minimum 3 units)
- M/LAT 12: United States Relations with Mexico and Latin America (3 units)
- M/LAT 19: History of the Mexican American (3 units)
- M/LAT 23: Psychology of Latinas and Latinos (3 units)
- M/LAT 31: Survey of Chicana/Latina Women (3 units)
- M/LAT 32: African Heritage of Latin America (3 units)
- Note: Students may substitute AFRAM 18 for the requirement, but M/LAT 32 is preferred. AFRAM or M/LAT 32 can only be used for either History and Social Sciences OR Arts and Humanities, not both.
Comparative Ethnic Studies (minimum 3 units)
Note: ETHST 1 is recommended if you plan to complete the Social Justice Transfer Degree in Ethnic Studies
- ETHS 1: Intro to Ethnic Studies (3 units)
- ETHS 3: Race, Gender, and Sports (3 units)
- ETHS 12: Economics and Social Change: Racial Conflict and Class in America (3 units)
- EHTS 13: Introduction to Community-Based Research in Urban America (3 units)
- ETHS 14: Community Building and Transformation in Urban America (3 units)
- ETHS 30: Introduction to Race, Gender, and Health (3 units)
- ETHS 50: Introduction to Race, Class, and Schools (3 units)
Total Major Units: 18
Rankings
Program Outcome
Upon successful completion of this program, students will be able to:
- Research: Evaluate the development of the field of Chicana/Chicano and Latina/Latino Studies, and utilize research methodologies and scholarship within the field to produce research papers.
- Analysis of Issues: Effectively employ social science methodologies in the analysis of issues related to Chicanx and Latinx Studies.
- History: Identify and describe the general history of Chicana/Chicano and Latina/Latino people in the Americas.
Career Opportunities
Many employers are looking for well rounded students that receive the pedagogical and curricular exposure that is the norm in our department. In an increasingly diverse and complex global society, our degrees give students the training to participate and lead. Many of our students pursue careers in education, non-profit leadership, law, social services, public administration, community organizing, business, health, journalism, the arts, communications and more.