The CCS Graduate program at SJSU trains students to become leaders in a number of professional fields, including: teaching, social services, government ad policy, health care, and community service. We also prepare students for doctoral study in Chicana/o Studies, Ethnic Studies, and other academic fields.

The MA degree offers three areas of expertise: Education, Policy, and Comparative Ethnic Studies.

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 of Chicana and Chicano Studies website.

University Admission Requirements

Applicants must submit a complete graduate application by applying through the CSU Cal State Apply system and meet all the university admission requirements . 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.

Department 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). Students can be admitted to either classified or conditionally classified standing.

Admission to Graduate Standing - Conditionally Classified

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.

 Advancement to Candidacy

The university requirements for advancement to candidacy  for the master’s degree are outlined in the Graduate Policies & Procedures  section. Students should seek advancement to candidacy as soon as possible for their given program and on the advice of their graduate program coordinator. Graduate students may submit a Petition for Advancement to Graduate Candidacy form to the Graduate Admissions & Program Evaluations (GAPE) office after satisfying the following: achieved classified status; completed a minimum of nine letter-graded units with all grades “C” or higher; fulfilled the Campus Graduate Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (CGGWAR) requirement; achieved a minimum cumulative and program 3.0 GPA, and, graduate within the seven-year time limit for degree completion. Graduate students must submit their petition no later than one semester prior to graduating. Courses that satisfy the CGGWAR are listed in the course requirements for the program.

Additional Department Requirements

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.

Program of Study 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 . Students must comply with all other graduate requirements contained in this catalog.

Culminating Experience

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

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 299  for up to 6 units. CCS 297 , special studies, is an optional pathway for thesis students to satisfy units toward their degree completion and preparation for their theses (CCS 299 ). The course fits in the CCS 299  thesis sequencing, providing an option for thesis students prior to taking CCS 299  for thesis completion.

Plan B (Project)

Students are expected to develop a project describing research results and offer critical analyses (interpretations.) Students should work with their project advisor and CCS graduate studies advisor on the course of study, research culmination, and to follow appropriate formatting guidelines. It is advised that students take CCS 240  prior to CCS 298 , or enroll in CCS 240  with their first CCS 298 . 
CCS 298  can be taken up to 6 units.