Mexican-American Studies

Associate of Arts

The Mexican American Studies Associate of Arts degree provides students with an interdisciplinary education that can transition to any Liberal Arts or Humanities baccalaureate degree program at a four-year institution. The interdisciplinary curriculum provides students with the general academic background necessary for success at any four-year institution while providing them with awareness of Mexican American history, culture, political agency and the formation of the Mexican American identity.

The Mexican American Studies degree is especially useful for students planning to work in areas with large Hispanic populations, as it will provide them with a better understanding of the community where they work. Employers value them as bilingual and culturally aware professionals. Earning an Associate of Arts in Mexican American Studies prepares students for multiple career paths in the public and private sectors, including social service, urban planning, non-profits, healthcare, education and business operations.

The Mexican American Studies program not only provides students with cultural awareness, but also an advantage in both a four-year program and the workforce by honing critical thinking, oral, written and research skills.

Program Learning Outcomes

1. The student will apply the appropriate uses of Mexican American Studies graduates will recognize and explain key historical elements in the formation of a Mexican American identity.
2. Mexican American Studies graduates will demonstrate critical thinking through the identification and explanation of how Mexican American language, literature, and art have impacted culture overall.
3. Mexican American Studies graduates will demonstrate their analytical skills by identifying and explaining the results of Mexican American political activism and agency in the United States.
4. Students will demonstrate an ability to explain significant social movements and their impact on history.
5. The student will apply the appropriate uses of accents and grammatical structures in the Spanish language in written form.

TSI Liable

Course List

Code	Title	Credit Hours
Field of Study - 12 credit hours
HUMA 1305	Introduction to Mexican-American Studies	3
ENGL 2351	Mexican American Literature	3
HUMA 1311	Mexican-American Fine Arts Appreciation	3
GOVT 2311	Mexican American and Latinx Politics	3
Spanish Language Requirement		3-4
SPAN 1411	Beginning Spanish I for Non-Spanish Speakers
SPAN 1412	Beginning Spanish II for Non-Spanish Speakers
SPAN 2311	Intermediate Spanish I
SPAN 2312	Intermediate Spanish II
SPAN 2313	Spanish for Native/Heritage Speakers I
SPAN 2315	Spanish for Native/Heritage Speakers II
Field of Study Electives - 3 credit hours
To complete the Mexican-American Studies Field of Study, students must take 3 credit hours listed in any Associate of Arts Field of Study from the following list: Anthropology, Business Administration (transfer plan only), Communication, Criminal Justice, Drama, Education, English, Arts, History, Interdisciplinary Studies, Language and Cultural Studies, Mexican-American Studies, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, Social Work, or Sociology.		3
STC Core Curriculum - 42 credit hours
Complete 42 credit hours of required Core Curriculum including the following: 1,2		42
History
HIST 2327	Mexican-American History I
HIST 2328	Mexican-American History II
Total Credit Hours		60

¹

In addition to the courses in the Field of Study, the student is required to take 42 credit hours from the STC Core Curriculum. These courses must not duplicate courses taken to fulfill field of study requirements.

²

Students who select a 3 credit hours Mathematics course to fulfill the Mathematics component of the Core Curriculum must take 4 credit hours to complete the Component Area Option for the Core Curriculum.

TSI Liable

Recommended Course Sequence

Plan of Study Grid

First Year
Fall		Credit Hours
ENGL 2351	Mexican American Literature	3
Component Area Option - Core Curriculum		3
HIST 2327	Mexican-American History I	3
HUMA 1305	Introduction to Mexican-American Studies	3
Spanish Language Requirement		3-4
	Credit Hours	15-16
Spring
Field of Study Elective 1		3-4
Recommended:
SPAN 1412	Beginning Spanish II for Non-Spanish Speakers
SPAN 2315	Spanish for Native/Heritage Speakers II
HIST 2328	Mexican-American History II	3
ENGL 1301	Composition I	3
Mathematics Elective - Core Curriculum		3-4
	Credit Hours	13
Summer
GOVT 2311	Mexican American and Latinx Politics	3
	Credit Hours	3
Second Year
Fall
GOVT 2305	Federal Government	3
Language, Philosophy & Culture Elective - Core Curriculum		3
Recommended:
SPAN 2311	Intermediate Spanish I
ENGL 1302	Composition II - Rhetoric	3
Life and Physical Sciences Elective - Core Curriculum		4
HUMA 1311	Mexican-American Fine Arts Appreciation	3
	Credit Hours	16
Spring
GOVT 2306	Texas Government	3
Life and Physical Sciences Elective - Core Curriculum		4
Social and Behavioral Sciences Elective - Core Curriculum		3
Component Area Option - Core Curriculum (if required)		1
Creative Arts Elective - Core Curriculum		3
	Credit Hours	13
	Total Credit Hours	60-61

¹

To complete the Mexican-American Studies Field of Study, students must take 3 credit hours listed in any Associate of Arts Field of Study from the following list: Anthropology, Business Administration (transfer plan only), Communication, Criminal Justice, Drama, Education, English, Arts, History, Interdisciplinary Studies, Language and Cultural Studies, Mexican-American Studies, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, Social Work, or Sociology.