Chicana/o and Latinx Studies
(Formerly Mexican American Studies)
UNC’s Chicana/o and Latinx program works to achieve a strong, culturally-based education for you to thrive in. Through community engagement and small classes guided by top faculty who are well rounded on contemporary culture and history, our deeply experienced teachers ensure that our students receive personal attention.
The superb education practices will assist all students in meeting their professional career paths. The variety of program concentrations available through the CLAS department provides plenty of opportunities to expand your career path. Students will gain sophisticated skills to work with complex and changing populations in the U.S. In recent years, undergraduates have been involved in celebrating Dia de los Muertos and the Chicana/Chicano Festival de Artes; as well as participated in UNC’s World Language Day.
Summer 2024 Courses
Fall 2024 Courses
Undergraduate Concentrations
Youth Advocacy
The U.S. Census Bureau projects that by 2020, youth from ethnic/racial minorities will together comprise half of the population under the age of 18. Use your education to examine concepts of race, ethnicity, class, gender and diverse family experiences to assist this quickly-growing population. Some careers include: residential youth advocacy programs, juvenile corrections, new-corner programs, probation offices and many more.
Social Justice and Public Policy
For those pursuing careers in such places as immigration law, education, political office and many others, the Social Justice and Public Policy concentration is a superb place to start. This will introduce students to human rights and political issues through the lens of social justice. They will be led to navigate frameworks and theories of poverty, inequality and intersectionality among diverse Latinx populations.
Globalization, Borders, and Migration
With global migration patterns becoming an ever-prevalent modern dynamic, students in the Globalization, Borders, and Migration concentration will be introduced to the complex migratory concerns that have evolved in the 21st century. Internships complementing the concentration are available for students in many various local and state non-profit organizations.
Community Health and Nutrition Professions
Combine your passion for health professions with your understanding of the Humanities in the Community Health and Nutrition Professions concentration. Since Latinx are the second largest ethnic population in the United States, information about specific health and nutrition concerns among these populations is a growing concern—here, you can use your studies to help assess this concern.
Secondary Teaching Concentration
UNC’s reputation as a teacher-training university is unparalleled in the state of Colorado. Proudly sporting an excellent education in the history, geography, political science and cultural studies of Mexican-American cultures, graduates of this program are perfectly suited to teach a culturally diverse social studies curriculum.
News & Announcements
Students Recognized at 2024 Honors Convocation
Students Angelica Rodriguez, Marely Martinez and Marisol Madrid Flores were recognized during the 2024 HSS Honors Convocation ceremony for excellence in their program. Congratulations to these outstanding students!
The Importance of Teaching Underrepresented Cultures
David Barillas Chón, Ph.D. and assistant professor in the Department of Chicana/o and Latinx Studies, was recently featured in an article on UNC's main news page. The piece focused on Dr. Barillas Chón's past, his history in education, and priorities and philosophies for instructing students here at UNC.
The Life and Times of Dr. Martin Candelaria
The mural on the three walls of the north stairwell of Candelaria Hall on the University of Northern Colorado campus in Greeley, Colorado reflects the life of Dr. Martin Candelaria. On the stairwell tower are scenes reflecting the culture and heritage of Dr. Candelaria’s Hispanic Colorado and New Mexico heritage, beginning from lower left.
