Established in 1969, the Department of Chicana and Chicano Studies  is the oldest graduate program in Chicana/o Studies in the United States and only one of five programs in Chicana/o Studies in California today. Founded on the principles of  social justice, the  interdisciplinary program educates students in the intellectual traditions of CCS and prepares students to critically examine and address  contemporary issues resulting from intersections of race, ethnicity, class, and gender in Chicanx-Latinx communities. The MA degree offers three areas of expertise: education, policy, and comparative ethnic studies. Our graduates become leaders in the fields of teaching, social services, policy, health care, government, and community service. Many pursue doctorates in Chicana/o Studies, Ethnic Studies, and other academic fields.

MA - Chicana and Chicano Studies, Specialization in Comparative Ethnic Studies

The Comparative Ethnic Studies specialization is designed to prepare students for doctoral study in Chicana/o Studies, Ethnic Studies, and other academic fields. In addition to courses in Chicana and Chicano Studies, students may take courses from other areas of Ethnic Studies, such as African American Studies and Asian American Studies, so as to develop strengths in several areas of Ethnic Studies.

MA - Chicana and Chicano Studies, Specialization in Education

The Education specialization is intended to prepare students for effective work in a number of fields requiring expertise in issues relevant to Chicanx and Latinx education. Among the most critical areas within this emphasis are the analysis of the K-12 educational system and the development of methods for training competent professionals to work with these communities.

MA - Chicana and Chicano Studies, Specialization in Policy Studies

The Policy Studies specialization is designed to provide students with a strong background in policy analysis and development as they relate to the Chicanx and Latinx community. The intent of this specialization is to prepare students to apply a Chicanx and Latinx perspective to the development and implementation of contemporary policies that address the needs of this and other communities.

Information about the program and important dates can be obtained at the department website: https://www.sjsu.edu/ccs/

Admissions Requirements

Candidates must meet all the university admission requirements . In addition to the regular application for admission to the university, each applicant must submit directly to the graduate advisor of the Chicana and Chicano Studies MA Program two letters of recommendation (faculty letters are preferred), a statement of purpose, and a writing sample (6 to 10 pages). Those students who do not meet the standards for classified status may be admitted with specific conditions as conditionally classified; the conditions must be fulfilled before the student will be advanced to candidacy for the master’s degree in Chicana and Chicano Studies. If the conditions are not fulfilled, the program reserves the right to dismiss the student from the program by notifying the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies.

Applicants from countries in which the native language is not English must achieve a minimum English-language proficiency test score as indicated on the Graduate Program Test Requirements webpage at GAPE.

Requirements for Advancement to Graduate Candidacy

Students must meet the university requirements for candidacy. General university requirements for advancement to candidacy  for the MA degree are detailed in the Graduate Policies and Procedures  section. Candidacy includes the successful completion of the Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR) . Students pursuing the Plan A (Thesis) option must meet additional departmental requirements for candidacy by securing the commitment of three faculty members of the university, two of whom must be members of the program permanent faculty, to serve as members of the student’s Plan A (Thesis) committee, with one permanent faculty member agreeing to serve as chair. The committee must approve the student’s thesis proposal no later than one month prior to the end of the semester preceding the one in which enrollment in the final thesis course (CCS 299 ) is planned.

Requirements for Graduation

University Graduation Requirements

Students must complete all residency, curriculum, unit, GPA, and culminating experience requirements as outlined in the Graduation Requirements  section of the Graduate Policies and Procedures .

Department Graduation Requirements

At an appropriate time, and with the assistance of the graduate advisor, students will select a specialization and a culminating experience (Plan A, Plan B Project, or Plan B Applied Project) as outlined below:

Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement

At SJSU, students must pass the Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR) .

Culminating Experience

Plan A (Thesis)

The thesis must meet university requirements as stipulated in this catalog and in the SJSU Master’s Thesis and Doctoral Dissertation Guidelines. It will be written under the guidance of the candidate’s thesis committee chair with the assistance of the thesis committee. The candidate for the MA - Chicana and Chicano Studies degree must successfully pass a final oral defense of the thesis. This requirement is fulfilled by enrolling in CCS 298  and CCS 299  in consecutive semesters.

Plan B (Project)

The project is independently conducted research under the supervision of one member of the program permanent faculty. It is typically more focused on working directly with communities than the thesis. The candidate for the MA - Chicana and Chicano Studies degree must successfully complete a final project paper approved by the project advisor. This requirement can be fulfilled by enrolling in CCS 298  for one or two semesters.

Plan B (Applied Project)

The Applied Project is completed in the Capstone Seminar under the direction of the faculty and is presented to the campus community. Students choosing this option will complete other coursework instead of the CCS 298  and/or CCS 299  to meet the units required for the MA - Chicana and Chicano Studies degree.