Mission

The Department of Chicana/o and Latina/o Studies (CLS) offers an innovative interdisciplinary curriculum that includes courses in education, health sciences, history, literature, political science, psychology, art and culture (e.g., Mesoamerican, Mexican, Latina(o), and Central American). The cross-fertilization of inter-related disciplines in the humanities and social sciences establishes a comprehensive educational background for students who seek excellence in scholarship, and who aim to succeed in careers in education, law, non-profit organizations and, among other fields and occupations, medicine and government agencies.

The CLS faculty value the importance of a broadly-grounded undergraduate and graduate education that leads not only to public service and to important contributions to the student’s chosen career, but also to critical inquiry and to a life-long creativity in CLS graduates whose academic background functions as a transformative force in their personal and professional lives. The CLS faculty promote an education that inspires and encourages in students an understanding of their place in a complex world, and of their steadfast commitment toward a democratic and more inclusive global society. CLS faculty are thus bound and dedicated to a student’s education based on integrative learning, excellence in research, and on a diversity of world perspectives that provide students with educational opportunities and a university environment that lead to innovation, to a sense of personal achievement, and to life-long public and community service.