The Chicanx/e and Latinx/e Studies undergraduate certificate offers a systematic and interdisciplinary analysis of Mexican-, Caribbean-, and Latin-American-origin people, cultures, and collectivities in the United States and their transnational dimensions. The Chicanx/e and Latinx/e Studies major provides students with a broad knowledge base and the intellectual and practical tools to understand the diversity, unity, and complexity of those people and cultures as they explore the central questions and topics in this interdisciplinary field.
The certificate will be renamed. Through Summer 2027, students earn a certificate in Chicana/o and Latina/o Studies. Beginning in Fall 2027, the program will be the certificate in Chicanx/e and Latinx/e Studies.
Note: The endings “x” and “e” in “Chicanx/e and Latinx/e” represent two gender-neutral ways of referring to people of Latin American descent in the United States.
How to Get in
To declare or cancel this certificate, please follow the process described on the Program's website.
Requirements
Completion of the certificate requires a minimum of 15 credits in Chicana/o and Latina/o studies. 1
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Complete one Introduction Course: | ||
| CHICLA 201 | Introduction to Chicanx/e and Latinx/e Studies | 3 |
| Complete at least one additional course from the following list: | 3 | |
| Introduction to Comparative US Ethnic, American Indian, and Indigenous Studies | ||
| The North American West to 1850 | ||
| The United States West Since 1850 | ||
| Latina/Latino/Latinx History | ||
| Chicanx/e and Latinx/e Cultural Studies | ||
| Border and Migration Studies of Latinx America | ||
| Introduction to Latinx Cultures | ||
| Politics in Multi-Cultural Societies | ||
| Chicana and Latina History | ||
| The U.S. & Latin America from the Colonial Era to the Present: A Critical Survey | ||
| Intersectionalities, Self Awareness, and Social Actions for Social Change | ||
| Race and the Developing Child | ||
| Critical Aspects of Teaching, Schooling, and Education | ||
| Complete at least 9 credits of advanced courses: | 9 | |
| Chicana/o and Latina/o History | ||
| Mexican-American Politics | ||
| Latinx Literacies | ||
| Latinx Feminisms: Women's Lives, Work, and Activism | ||
| Latine Students in the U.S. Higher Education System | ||
| Racial Formation and Whiteness | ||
| Chicanx/e and Latinx/e Educational Justice | ||
| Cultures and Histories Topics in Chicanx/e & Latinx/e Studies | ||
| Education and Service Topics in Chicanx/e & Latinx/e Studies | ||
| Social Science Topics in Chicanx/e and Latinx/e Studies | ||
| Immigrant Health and Wellbeing | ||
| Latinas: Self Identity and Social Change | ||
| Feminist Social Movements Across the Americas | ||
| Education across the Americas: Empire, Capitalism, and Resistance | ||
| Race, Ethnicity, and Media | ||
| Race and Language in STEM and Environmental Education | ||
| Labor in the Americas: US & Mexico in Comparative & Historical Perspective | ||
| Survey of Latinx/e Popular Culture | ||
| Chicanx/e and Latinx/e Literatures | ||
| Latinx/es and Media | ||
| Latinx/e History and Politics | ||
| Colony, Nation, and Minority: The Puerto Ricans' World | ||
| Ethnicity, Race, and Justice | ||
| Immigration, Crime, and Enforcement | ||
| Black and Latinx in Literature and Visual Culture | ||
| US Latinx/e Literature | ||
| Topics in Latinx Culture | ||
| Sociodemographic Analysis of Mexican Migration | ||
| Latinx/e Urbanism: Design and Engagement in the American City | ||
| Border and Race Studies in Latin America | ||
| Chicanx/e and Latinx/e Social Movements in the U.S. | ||
| Latinx Digital Publics | ||
| Dimensions of Latinx/e Mental Health Services | ||
| Advanced Topics in Chicanx/e and Latinx/e Studies | ||
| Esperanza Community-Engaged Research with Latines | ||
| Directed Study 1 | ||
| Carmen Miranda | ||
| Racial Ethnic Families in the U.S. | ||
| The Caribbean and its Diasporas | ||
| Total Credits | 15 | |
- 1
A maximum of 3 credits earned through a directed study course (CHICLA 699) can count toward the certificate. Pass/Fail courses don't count for the certificate.
Residence and Quality of Work
- 8 credits in CHICLA or credits counting toward the certificate, taken in residence
- A cumulative 2.000 GPA in courses counting approved for the certificate
Certificate Completion Requirement
This undergraduate certificate must be completed concurrently with the student’s undergraduate degree. Students cannot delay degree completion to complete the certificate.
Learning Outcomes
- Identify and analyze core concepts, important social and political issues, and key artistic and cultural expressions related to Chicana/o and Latina/o life in the United States.
- Discuss the histories of Chicanas/os and Latinas/os in the United States and their implications for contemporary problems of racialization, social stratification, colonialism, and oppression.
- Describe the commonalities and differences among Chicanas/os and Latinas/os along lines of class, gender, race, sexuality, citizenship, and national origin, and evaluate Latinidad as a pan-ethnic category in the United States.
- Analyze relations between Chicanas/os and Latinas/os in the United States and their countries of heritage from a transnational and transborder perspective.
- Apply ideas from Chicana/o and Latina/o Studies to concrete problems through service-learning and community-based research, in a spirit of dialogue and reciprocal exchange informed by ethical and social justice principles.
Advising and Careers
Academic advising for the Chicana/o and Latina/o Studies certificate is available in the Student Advising Office. Prospective and current certificate students must make an appointment with Rachelle Eilers, reilers@wisc.edu, to discuss requirements, courses, and application to the certificate. Chicana/o and Latina/o Studies certificate recipients have enjoyed great success in fields including the health professions, social service, education, law, journalism, business, the arts, politics, and government service.
Study Abroad
Learning in Letters & Science emphasizes discovery, growth, understanding different perspectives, and challenging yourself, which makes studying abroad an excellent fit for many L&S students: studyabroad.wisc.edu
As a university with global influence, we have more than 300 study abroad programs in over 80 countries. These vary in length, academic focus, teaching format, language requirements, cost, and level of independence. There are many programs to complement every major and any year of college (including the final semester)—and all meet UW–Madison’s high academic standards. Students admitted into Letters & Science can even choose a short program in the summer before they start college or their whole first year: studyabroad.wisc.edu/launch. Talk with your academic advisor about how studying abroad might fit with your academic plan.
SuccessWorks
SuccessWorks at the College of Letters & Science helps you turn the academic skills learned in your classes into a fulfilling life, guiding you every step of the way to securing jobs, internships, or admission to graduate school.
Through one-on-one career advising, events, and resources, you can explore career options, build valuable internship and research experience, and connect with supportive alumni and employers who open doors of opportunity.
- What you can do with your major (Major Skills & Outcomes Sheets)
- Make a career advising appointment
- Learn about internships and internship funding
- Try “Jobs, Internships, & How to Get Them,” an interactive guide in Canvas for enrolled UW–Madison students