MAIS — Mexican American Studies

MAS graduate group

Masters of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies in Mexican American Studies

The MAIS in MAS provides master’s students with a concentrated study in the transdisciplinary field of Mexican American Studies, including Chicana/o and Latina/o studies. Our location as a border institution in South Texas and the available resources (such as our numerous, established faculty in the fields of Mexican American studies and Chicana/o studies, and other academic resources, such as our growing Mexican American Studies program, and other institutional resources, such as the border studies archive) makes this an exciting program for UTRGV students. Many careers today in South Texas and nationally – including those in Education, Health, Social Services, Communication, Law, Humanities, among others – require students to have a specialized knowledge of the Mexican American community and experiences, due to regional and national demographic trends. The MAS concentration in MAIS will strengthen your competitiveness in the job market in various fields. The MAIS in MAS, as evidenced by our Graduate Certificate student placement in PhD programs, will lead to continued and increased student placement in PhD programs in various fields, including in Chicana/o Studies, English, American Studies, Spanish, Education, among other programs, both state-wide and nationally. Ultimately, the interdisciplinary nature and culturally relevant curriculum of the MAIS in MAS, offers exciting, rich, and unique opportunities for UTRGV students and faculty engaged in research, experiential learning, and community engagement, related to Latina/o communities in South Texas and nationally.

MAIS- MAS Primary Area of Concentration (Non-Thesis Option) Total 36 hours
 Research Methods in Mexican American Studies (3 hrs) Mexican American and/or Latina/o Studies Coursework (15 hours) 9 hours in Discipline Two 9 hours in Discipline Three

MAIS-MAS Primary Area of Concentration (Thesis Option) Total 36 hours
Research Methods in Mexican American Studies (3 hrs) Thesis Hours (6 hrs) Mexican American and/or Latina/o Studies Coursework (9 hrs) 9 hours in Discipline Two 9 hours in Discipline Three

MAIS in MAS Courses

MASC 6300 Research Methods in Chicana/o Studies
 Introduction to the historical and contemporary development of Chicana/o and Latina/o studies as a field. Readings will be drawn from interdisciplinary readings in the field and will focus on history, gender, and culture.

MASC 6340 Directed Readings
 A directed study of selected topics in Chicana/o and/or Latina/o Studies. Topics are varied according to availability of faculty and student interest. Course can be repeated once as topic changes. (May be repeated once)

MASC 6350 Learning and Reflective Service: The Mexican American Experience
 This course will provide students with an experiential learning opportunity in a topic related to social justice in Mexican American communities. Students will gain hands on experience while reflecting on that experience critically through the lenses of Chicana/o and Latina/o studies. The purpose is different from an internship in that the process is geared towards developing a lifelong ethic of service and civic engagement and is not necessarily career or job oriented. (May be repeated once)

MASC 7300 Thesis Course A (Thesis Option Only)* 3 Credit Hours
 MASC 7301 Thesis Course B (Thesis Option Only)* 3 Credit Hours

For additional information please contact the MAS Graduate Studies Director, Dr. Christopher Carmona at christopher.carmona@utrgv.edu or mas@utrgv.edu