For Accessible Web Version of Chicana/o Studies
Is Chicana/o Studies Right for You?
Our mission is to expand critical thinking, communication and civic mindedness through an engaging and interdisciplinary curriculum focusing on the arts, humanities and social sciences. We aim to prepare our students for future academic and employment endeavors in order to be successful leaders.
Our vision is to establish and uphold a premier Chicana/o Studies Department that promotes social justice through student-centered teaching/mentoring, research and service that focuses on Chicana/o and Latina/o-origin communities.
What is Chicana and Chicano Studies?
Chicana and Chicano Studies was born out of the student movements of the 1960s and 1970s and created as a space where scholars could see themselves represented in the curriculum and amongst the faculty. As an interdisciplinary field, the discipline draws from history, art, literature, education, sociology, theory, and many more, to examine Chicana/o and Latina/o histories, contributions, and experiences.
What Can I Do With a Degree in Chicana/o Studies?
A common question we receive is “What can I do with Chicana/o Studies?” Selecting a course of study is not the same as selecting a career, although it is one step towards a number of various career choices. Chicana/o Studies offers you all the benefits of an education rooted in social justice-based traditions, critical thinking, writing, reading, and expression. Our students learn to be ethical, cuturally competent leaders in their communities. Our alumni have gone on to graduate school and careers in education, mass media, marketing, community development, community organizing, social work, medicine, law, and a wide variety of positions in federal, state, and government.
Learn More About a Degree in Chicana/o Studies
We encourage you to learn more, and find out if a Major in Ethnic Studies, Option in Chicano Studies or a Minor in Chicano Studies is right for you! Visit our website or call to make an appointment with a Chicana/o Studies advisor who can answer all of your questions, and help lead you down the right path.
Talk to an Advisor
- ethnicstudies@fullerton.edu
- Or call: (657) 278-3731
Alumni Feature
Humberto Rojas
Beyond School Walls Program Specialist, Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Orange County and the Inland Empire
"My degree has helped me better relate to the Hispanic community and to understand their struggles, obstacles, and even accomplishments. I believe in the power of mentoring and having extra support system in your network."
Prior to transferring to CSUF, Humberto had taken several CHIC courses at Santa Ana College that he found extremely stimulating. When he came to CSUF, after speaking with Dr. Alexandro Gradilla, he ultimately came to the conclusion that CHIC was the right major for him.
After earning his degree, he began working with the non-profit “Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Orange County and the Inland Empire” where he manages a mentoring program as the “Beyond School Walls Program Specialist.”
Humberto says “My degree has helped me better relate to the Hispanic community and to understand their struggles, obstacles, and even accomplishments. I believe in the power of mentoring and having extra support system in your network.”
Joyce Roys-Aguilera
Program Associate, the California Endowment
"I remember my studies with extreme fondness and admiration for the professional development and academic preparation I received"
Joyce transferred to CSUF as a Psychology major with no intentions of earning a degree in Chicana/o Studies. But things changed for her during her first semester when she took a class in the subject. “I was immediately intrigued and interested in the study of my history” Joyce recalls.
Determined to pursue a minor in Chicana/o studies, she met with an advisor and soon realized that she could actually declare as a double major and earn a degree by taking just a couple of classes in addition to what she would need for a minor.
During Joyce’s final year at CSUF, she was a McNair Scholar. After graduation, she began a graduate degree program and received a Masters of Arts in Educational Policy and Social Context from UC Irvine.
Today, she works as a Program Associate at the California Endowment where it is their mission to “challenge the conventional wisdom that medical settings and individual choices are solely responsible for people’s health.” Prior to her current position, Joyce has held a variety of positions with organizations such as Hispanas Organized for Political Equity (HOPE), the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO), and as a District Representative in the Greater San Gabriel Valley and Legislative Aide in the Sacramento Capitol for State Senator Carol Liu.
Joyce believes that she would not be where she is today were it not for the combination of experiences and education that she received while at CSUF. As she explains, “The coursework, interactions with faculty and service learning experiences that I received at CSUF were an integral application from the classroom to community. The knowledge and mentoring I received as a Chicana/o Studies major at CSUF allowed me to explore my roots as a child of Mexican immigrants, while encouraging my professional and personal development as a proud Chicana.”
Equally important, Joyce states, “I remember my studies with extreme fondness and admiration for the professional development and academic preparation I received, especially as I expand and evolve as a professional and proud woman of color.”
Contact Information
- (657) 278-3731
- ethnicstudies@fullerton.edu
About Our College and Campus
Chicana/o Studies is a part of the larger College of Humanities and Social Sciences at CSU, Fullerton. H&SS offers its students more than 20 unique degree programs ideal for students who plan to continue their studies in graduate programs, or who want to work in areas such as education, law, politics, business, psychology, public administration, and more.