Mexican American and Latina/o Studies

Master of Arts

For More Information

Campus address: West Mall Office Building (WMB) 5.102, phone (512) 471-4557, fax (512) 471-9639; campus mail code: F9200

Mailing address: The University of Texas at Austin, Graduate Adviser, Center for Mexican American Studies, 306 Inner Campus Drive Stop F9200, Austin TX 78712

E-mail: nvs@austin.utexas.edu

URL: https://www.utexas.edu/cola/depts/mals/graduate/introduction.php

Facilities for Graduate Work

The Department of Mexican American and Latina/o Studies is the first department of its kind in the nation. In addition to the expertise of the faculty, graduate students have access to the extensive resources of the Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection, the Mexican American Library Program, and the Harry Ransom Center. The University’s central Texas location also provides opportunities for field research within the growing Mexican American population across the Southwest, and for research in Mexico as well.

Areas of Study

Mexican American and Latina/o studies has emerged as a significant area of scholarship over the last four decades. The University has been at the forefront of this area under the leadership of faculty members such as George I. Sánchez, Carlos E. Castañeda, and the founder of the Center for Mexican American Studies, Américo Paredes. These scholars helped to define the discipline of Mexican American studies as academic work carried out from the perspective of the Mexican American and Latina/o experiences. This work should raise new questions, formulate and explore new theories, and carry out empirical research that expands the understanding of a variety of fields, including social science, history, the humanities and arts, education, public and social policy, and the sciences. The objective of the master’s degree program in Mexican American and Latina/o studies is to prepare students for professional careers in which advanced knowledge about Mexican American and Latina/o cultural practices, historical development, and socioeconomic conditions is crucial. In addition, graduates are prepared to pursue doctoral work in ethnic studies or a related discipline.

Graduate Studies Committee

The following faculty members served on the Graduate Studies Committee in the spring semester 2015.

Ricardo C Ainslie Cecilia Balli Mary C Beltran Charles E Berg Norma V Cantu Oscar H Casares Juan J Colomina-Alminana Cary Cordova James H Cox George F Flaherty Richard R Flores Thomas J Garza John M Gonzalez Gloria Gonzalez-Lopez Kenneth F Greene Nicole Marie Guidotti-Hernandez Frank A Guridy David L Leal Raul L Madrid Ramon Antonio Martinez

Martha Menchaca Julie A Minich Robin D Moore Yolanda C Padilla Deborah A Paredez Domino R Perez Manuel Ramirez III Pedro Reyes Maggie R Rodriguez Nestor P Rodriguez Victor B Saenz Roxanne Schroeder-Arce Cherise Smith Joseph Straubhaar Luis Urrieta Fred Valdez Jr Richard Valencia Angela Valenzuela Emilio Zamora

Admission Requirements

Applicants must meet the minimum requirements for graduate study at the University. An admissions committee composed of Graduate Studies Committee members in Mexican American and Latina/o studies also evaluates applications, giving preference to candidates who demonstrate a strong academic background and a clear sense of the areas they wish to pursue through the master’s degree program.