The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

Mexican American Studies, Bachelor of Arts

The mission of the UTRGV Mexican American Studies (MASC) program is to prepare students to critically investigate community knowledge and socio-political, economic, cultural, and artistic conditions of and contributions by Mexican Americans, Chicana/ os and Latina/ os to the history, culture, and institutions of the United States and broader Americas. The Mexican American Studies program offers a Bachelors of Arts in Mexican American Studies, a Minor in Mexican American Studies, a Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies in Mexican American Studies, and a Graduate Certificate.

The goal of the BA in MASC is to recognize, validate, and engage students, faculty, and Mexican American, Chicana/o and Latina/o communities as agents of conocimiento and knowledge. Our place-based pedagogies and transdisciplinary methods provide a holistic approach to the study of complex and dynamic Mexican American experiences. We prepare students to critically investigate community knowledge and socio-political, economic, cultural, and artistic conditions of and contributions by Mexican Americans, Chicana/ os and Latina/ os .

Students develop the skills to engage in self-discovery and to communicate their conocimientos to produce salient applied research to effect positive social change in their comunidades . Our position en la frontera requires and enables MASC to have a simultaneous local and hemispheric concentration. This unique transcultural context shapes academic and public conversations regionally, nationally, and globally.

Note: For a PDF version of the degree requirements for this program go to the Undergraduate Programs page on the UTRGV website. 

 

Core Curriculum Requirements – 42 Hours

Students must fulfill the Core Curriculum requirements. The courses listed below satisfy both degree requirements and Core Curriculum requirements.

Recommended

Language, Philosophy, and Culture – 3 hours

MASC 2301Introduction to Mexican American Studies

3

Major Requirements – 36 Hours (12 advanced minimum)

Mexican American Studies Core – 15 hours (6 advanced)

Choose one:

MASC 2301Introduction to Mexican American Studies

3

MCLL 2301Special Topics in Modern and Classical Literature

3

Choose one:

MASC 3332/HIST 3332Mexican American History

3

HIST 3332Mexican-American History

3

Required

MASC 4300Learning and Reflective Service

3

Any 6 hours of SPAN

MASC 4300: Capstone

Mexican American Studies Electives – 21 hours (6 advanced minimum)

Humanities Electives – 6 hours

Choose from:
MASC 1307Mexican Folk Music

3

Or

MUSI 1307Mexican Folk Music

3

 

MASC 2302/MCLL 2301Border Corrido

3

Or

MCLL 2301Special Topics in Modern and Classical Literature

3

 

MASC 2303/MCLL 2301Border Literature

3

Or

MCLL 2301Special Topics in Modern and Classical Literature

3

 

MASC 2351/ENGL 2351Introduction to Mexican American Literature

3

Or

ENGL 2351Introduction to Mexican American Literature

3

 

MASC 3308/SPAN 3308Introduction to Latina/o Literature

3

Or

SPAN 3308/MASC 3308Introduction to Latina/o Literature

3

 

MASC 3365Chicana and Latin American Feminisms

3

Or

PHIL 3365Chicana and Latin American Feminisms

3

 

MASC 4300Learning and Reflective Service

3

 

MASC 4317/ENGL 4317Mexican-American Literature

3

Or

ENGL 4317Mexican American Literature

3

 

MASC 4331/HIST 4331Mexican-American Civil Rights

3

Or

HIST 4331Mexican-American Civil Rights

3

 

MASC 4332/HIST 4332Chicano Movement

3

Or

HIST 4332Chicano Movement

3

 

MASC 4348/SPAN 4348Sociolinguistics and Latino Health

3

Or

SPAN 4348/TRSP 4348/MASC 4348Sociolinguistics and Latino Health

3

 

MASC 4357/ARTS 4357Latin@ Art History

3

Or

ARTS 4357Latin@ Art History

3

 

MASC 4370/ENGL 4370Introduction To Border Language

3

Or

ENGL 4370Introduction to Border Language

3

 

MASC 4385/ENGL 4385Topics In Border Studies

3

Or

ENGL 4385Topics in Border Studies

3

 

MASC 4392Special Topics in Mexican American Studies

3

The following courses are only allowable when topic is Chican@/Latin@:
ENGL 4395Advanced Topics in English

3

HIST 3307Women in History

3

HIST 4393Special Topics in Latin American History

3

SPAN 4317Special Topics in Hispanic Linguistics

3

SPAN 4335Special Topics in Hispanic Literatures

3

Social Behavioral Sciences, Education, and/or Health Sciences Electives – 6 hours (6 advanced)

Choose from:
ANTH 4323Mexican American Culture

3

ANTH 4348Peoples and Cultures of Mexico

3

ANTH 4350Mexican American Folk Medicine

3

ANTH 4375Mexican American Folklore

3

 

MASC 3322/EDBE 3322/EDSL 3322Foundations of Bilingual Education and ESL

3

Or

EDBE 3322Foundations of Bilingual Education and ESL

3

 

MASC 3325/HLTH 3325Latino Health

3

Or

HLTH 3325Latino Health

3

 

MASC 3346/SOCI 3346Hispanics in Global Society

3

Or

SOCI 3346/MASC 3346Hispanics in Global Society

3

 

MASC 4316/POLS 4316U.S. Latin@ Politics

3

Or

POLS 4316/MASC 4316U.S. Latin@ Politics

3

 

MASC 4333/POLS 4333U.S. - Mexico Border Relations

3

Or

POLS 4333U.S. ? Mexico Border Relations

3

 

MASC 4354/POLS 4354Immigration, Race, and Citizenship

3

Or

POLS 4354Immigration, Race, and Citizenship

3

 

MASC 4323/SOCI 4323The Mexican American Experience

3

Or

SOCI 4323/MASC 4323The Mexican American Experience

3

 

MASC 4328/PSYC 4328Psychological Issues in the Mexican-American Community

3

Or

PSYC 4328/MASC 4328Psychological Issues in the Mexican-American Community

3

Mexican American Electives – 9 hours

Choose 9 hours of Electives from the above sections or listed below.

New courses and special topics courses appear frequently. Any course with a minimum 50% MASC content may be petitioned as part of a students’ degree plan to the MASC program by presenting course syllabus.

ANTH 4385Topics in Anthropology

3

ANTH 4369Archeology of Mexico and Central America

3

ARTS 3350Pre-Hispanic Mesoamerican Art and Architecture

3

ARTS 3356Mexican Viceregal Art and Architecture

3

ARTS 4352Latin American Art and Architecture

3

ARTS 4354Modern Mexican Art, 1785-1940

3

ARTS 4355Modern Mexican Art since 1940

3

ARTS 4352Latin American Art and Architecture

3

ARTS 4357Latin@ Art History

3

ARTS 4358Research Methods in Latin American Art and Architectural History

3

COMM 3336Media, Race, and Ethnicity

3

DANC 2250Folklorico I

2

DANC 2349Folklorico I

3

DANC 3250Folklorico II

2

DANC 3349Folklorico II

3

DANC 4250Folklorico III

2

DANC 4349Folklorico III

3

DANC 1249Introduction to Folklorico I

2

DANC 1250Introduction to Folklorico II

2

ENGL 4318South Texas Literature

3

GEOG 3333Latin American Geography

3

HIST 3333Texas History

3

HIST 3363Mexico from Pre-Conquest to the Present

3

HIST 3361Colonial Latin America

3

HIST 4321The Spanish Southwest to 1821

3

HIST 4322American Southwest and Borderlands after 1821

3

HIST 4362History of Mexican Culture

3

HIST 4361Contemporary Mexico

3

HIST 4363History of Mexican Cinema

3

HIST 3364Mexico through Independence

3

HIST 3365Mexico since Independence

3

HIST 3362Modern Latin America

3

HIST 4393Special Topics in Latin American History

3

LAMS 2301Introduction to Inter-American Studies

3

LAMS 3377Latin American Womanhood in the Modern Era

3

LAMS 3378Women in Colonial Latin America

3

LAMS 4301Seminar on Latin American Studies

3

LAMS 4391Latin American Philosophy: Special Topics

3

MCLL 2301Special Topics in Modern and Classical Literature

3

PHIL 1305Introduction to Latin American Philosophy

3

PHIL 3365Chicana and Latin American Feminisms

3

PHIL 4305/LAMS 4391Special Topics in Latin American Philosophy

3

PSYC 4328/MASC 4328Psychological Issues in the Mexican-American Community

3

POLS 4354Immigration, Race, and Citizenship

3

POLS 4320Latin American Politics

3

POLS 4321Central American and Caribbean Politics

3

SOCI 4313Race and Ethnic Relations

3

SOCI 4352Social Stratification

3

SOCI 4380Social Protest and Social Movements

3

SOCW 4370Mexican American Mental Health

3

SPAN 1311Beginning Spanish I

3

SPAN 1312Beginning Spanish II

3

SPAN 2313Spanish for Heritage Language Learners II

3

SPAN 2315Spanish for Heritage Language Learners III

3

SPAN 2317Spanish for Healthcare Professionals I

3

SPAN 2318Spanish for Healthcare Professionals II

3

SPAN 3300Advanced Spanish Grammar & Composition I

3

SPAN 3301Advanced Spanish Grammar & Composition II

3

SPAN 4320The Mexican Novel

3

SPAN 3307Introduction to Latin American Literature

3

SPAN 4318Spanish Language Media Studies

3

SPAN 2320Latina/o Culture and Civilization in Spanish

3

SPAN 2340Fundamentals of Hispanic Culture

3

SPAN 3348Advanced Spanish for Healthcare Professionals II

3

SPAN 4321Mexican Literature

3

SPAN 4328Mexico's Contemporary Literature

3

SPAN 4323Spanish American Novel

3

The following courses are only allowable when topic is Chican@/Latin@:
ANTH 1354The Anthropology of Expressive Culture

3

ANTH 4345Anthropological Theory and Methodology

3

ARTS 4359Seminar on Topics in Art History

3

COMM 4303Special Topics

3

ENGL 4395Advanced Topics in English

3

ENGL 3370Language and Culture

3

ENGL 3337Children's and Adolescent Literature

3

ENGL 4313Topics in Single Author

3

HIST 4393Special Topics in Latin American History

3

INTS 4315/ANTH 4315Discovering the Rio Grande Valley

3

PSYC 4383Special Problems

3

SPAN 4338Children's Literature in Spanish

3

SPAN 4360Topics Studies in Hispanic Culture

3

SPAN 4352Hispanic Theater

3

Double-Major or Minor – 42 Hours

Credit hours should be used to attain minor and/or second major in a different discipline. After earning enough credit hours for a minor and/or second major in a different discipline, students may choose advanced MASC courses, a second minor, or use as advanced electives in other disciplines.

Advanced Minimum Credit Hours: 42

Total Credit Hours: 120