With the ever-changing world, businesses and organizations are looking for individuals who can work well with people of all backgrounds. The University of Northern Colorado offers college-seeking students a unique program that does just that and more–Mexican American Studies. UNC’s Mexican American Studies is the gateway to career opportunities in community health, globalization, teacher education, social justice and public policy or youth advocacy.

All of these growing fields require sophisticated skills to work in these environments with complex and changing populations and UNC is one of only a few universities in the country to offer such an exclusive Bachelor of Arts program and Graduate Certificate in Mexican American Studies. In fact, the University of Northern Colorado is the only university in the mountain region to offer a graduate certificate in this program. Students with degrees in Mexican American Studies are prepared to enter the following career pathways and professions:

Community Health and Nutrition Professions: school & community health programs

Globalization and Migration: non-profits, journalism, immigration law, international communication

Youth Advocacy: public schools, criminal justice professions, public defenders offices

Public Policy and Social Justice: local and national government and politics; regional planning, non-profits

Education: Teaching K-12, diversity planning, adult literacy

This degree also prepares students for graduate school in multiple areas including law school, graduate school, library sciences, community and regional planning, social work, health education, public administration, professional writing and educational administration. With today’s global society, individuals are required to have intercultural competencies and interdisciplinary proficiencies to be successful in the work field. A major in Mexican American Studies at UNC offers valuable insight into government and public policy, the study of law and immigration, international studies, education and more. It also gives students a better understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities facing this growing demographic.

To learn more about the attending the University of Northern Colorado and the Mexican American Studies program, visit www.unco.edu/programs/mexican-american-studies.

Faculty Spotlights:

Priscilla Falcon, Ph.D., Program Coordinator of Mexican American Studies Priscilla Falcon’s participation with History Colorado, to chronicle the voices and actions of the Colorado Chicano Movement of the 1960’s, culminated with an exhibit entitled El Movimiento. The exhibit immerses the viewer in the urgency and vitality of one of Colorado’s most important social movements, artifacts, images and voices of activists reveal the struggle for social justice and civil rights. 

Jonathan Alcántar, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Mexican American Studies when Dr. Jonathan Alcántar started college at San José State University in California, he was the first in his family to attend college, a role he took seriously. Now, he teaches students about contemporary themes in Chicana/o literature. He helps his students make connections between the past and the present, and as a role model, also offers a connection to their future.

Dennis J. Aguirre, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Mexican American Studies

Dr. Aguirre received his B.A. in History from the University of New Mexico and his M.A. and Ph.D. in History from the University of Texas at El Paso. Dr. Aguirre’s teaching and research interests include Mexican American History, Borderlands, social movements, and intersections of race, class, gender, sexuality and identity. Currently, he is revising his dissertation “¡Grito!: Cultural Nationalism and the Chicana/o Insurgency in New Mexico, 1968-1979” for publication as a manuscript.