Latina/o Studies Minor

The interdisciplinary Latina/o Studies (LATS) minor will provide students with knowledge of the social, cultural, political, and economic conditions and contributions of Latinas/os and it will enhance the training of students as professionals in many fields. The minor will enrich students’ learning about cultural pluralism and will teach them interpersonal and other skills needed in the workforce. Using a complement of courses from disciplines across the university, this minor will: (1) offer an academic and scholarly foundation for students to understand the experiences of Latinas/os using a global perspective; (2) educate students about the cultural competency skills necessary to work with Latina/o communities; and (3) expose students to the theoretical and research methodologies in Latina/o Studies.

Academic Program Coordinator

Questions about the LATS minor may be directed to Dr. Gloria Martinez, professor in the Department of Sociology. Dr. Martinez can be reached by email at gm21@txstate.edu or by phone at 512.245.2470.

Additionally, a search is currently underway for an assistant professor in Sociology specializing in Latina/o Studies and/or Race and Ethnicity.

Proposal Timeine

Click here for the proposal timeline.

List of courses

The Latina/o Studies Minor is an 18-hour program consisting of six hours of required courses and twelve hours of electives.

LATS 2300 – Introduction to Latina/o Studies (WI) – 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 will be 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) – 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 will explore 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.

In addition to the two required courses, students may choose four courses from the following electives. Please refer to the university catalog for more information on each course.