The Chicana/o and Central American Studies major is a designated capstone program. Students have options for completing a senior honors thesis, individual research, or senior project under the direction of a faculty member. Alternatively, students may elect to complete an upper-division course that includes additional coursework culminating in completion of a capstone paper or creative project. Through their capstone work, students are expected to demonstrate working knowledge of the major findings and methods of the disciplines from which they have drawn their Chicana/o and Central American studies coursework, show their capacities for conceiving and executing a research or creative project on a self-selected topic as well as identifying and evaluating relevant documentation pertaining to that project, demonstrate appropriate levels of scholarly discourse on their selected topic, and develop greater capacity to be of lifelong service to the Chicana/o, Central American, and Latina/o communities and to global society in the tradition of César Chávez and scholar activist exemplars.

Chicana/o and Central American Studies majors have the option during their senior year to enroll in two 199 courses with the intention of producing an undergraduate thesis. The first term includes thesis conceptualization and formulation, along with preliminary data collection for the thesis. The second term entails completion of the data collection, analysis of the data, and writing of the thesis. Enrollment in the two 199 courses is  with the advice and consent of a faculty member. 

Optional Multidisciplinary Senior Thesis 

Students completing the Central American Studies concentration must instead select one course from 10A or 10B, complete Spanish 5 or equivalent, and complete the following course:

Central American Studies Concentration

Complete the following two required courses, and Spanish 5 or equivalent:

Preparation for the Major

The proposal, research, data collection, analysis, and writing of the thesis (or the creative equivalent to this process) take place in Chicana/o and Central American Studies 198A, 198B, and 198C, which may not be applied toward the major requirements. An honors thesis of at least 30 pages or a significant creative project is required.

Honors Program

Central American Studies

Border and Transnational Studies

History, Culture, and Language of Americas

Expressive Arts

Labor, Law, and Policy Studies

Select a concentration of four courses in one area listed and two courses in a second area.

Concentrations

Select one course from following list or from the approved list available in the department each term:

Service Learning

Complete the following advanced seminar course or another course by petition to the department chair:

Advanced Seminar

Complete two related study courses from the approved list of courses outside the department (related study includes courses that provide a comparative perspective to Chicana and Chicano studies and/or a contextualization of Chicana and Chicano communities in the world).

Electives from Outside Department

A total of 11 upper-division courses as follows:

The Major

Requirements

The BA program in Chicana/o and Central American Studies is committed to the practice of different forms of scholarship and pedagogy and to the promotion of critical thinking about such issues as gender, sexuality, social action, language, race, ethnicity, class, assimilation/acculturation paradigms, and indigenous traditions. The literary and visual arts often function as vehicles for social change and creative empowerment, and so they constitute one focus of the curriculum, that aims to strike a balance among the social sciences, humanities, arts, and the professions. The major prepares students for graduate education in academic and professional fields and for a variety of positions that involve community and social service in the U.S. and abroad.

No more than 8 units of 188, 191, and 199 courses may be applied toward the major; enrollment in the courses must be approved in writing by the department chair. 
Each major course must be taken for a letter grade, and students must have an overall grade-point average of 2.0 or better.

The Chicana/o and Central American Studies honors program provides the opportunity for motivated and dedicated students to undertake a year-long research or creative project with the guidance and supervision of a faculty member. The program is open to all juniors and seniors who have a 3.5 grade-point average in the major, a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better, and completed 90 or more total units, including Chicana/o and Central American Studies 10A, 10B, 101, and one course from 89, 89HC, 189, or 189HC.
The application for admission must be submitted in spring quarter of the year prior to admission to the program, with the advice and consent of a faculty sponsor.
Students who are currently undertaking the optional multidisciplinary senior thesis and who are eligible for the honors program may opt to switch to the honors program (provided it does not delay their progress toward the degree) with the approval of the department.

Transfer applicants to the Chicana/o and Central American Studies major with 90 or more units must complete as many of the following introductory courses as possible prior to admission to UCLA: one interdisciplinary Chicana/Chicano and/or Central American history and culture course, one interdisciplinary Chicana/Chicano and/or Central American social structure and contemporary conditions course, and five quarter terms of Spanish.
Refer to the <a href="https://admission.ucla.edu/apply/transfer">UCLA transfer admission guide</a> for up-to-date information regarding transfer selection for admission.

College of Letters and Science

Demonstrated skills and expertise, including research, analysis, and writing

Demonstrated ability to identify and analyze appropriate primary and secondary sources, material evidence, and other primary documents

Demonstrated mastery and integration of knowledge and learned abilities

Conception and execution of an original research project that identifies and engages with a topic relevant to the student’s area of concentration

Demonstrated ability to use knowledge gained in classroom to conceive and execute projects

Demonstrated broad knowledge of fundamentals acquired through coursework, as informed by race, class, gender, and sexuality paradigms

Demonstrated familiarity and competence in a range of interdisciplinary methodologies and approaches

Presentation of work to peers for discussion and critique

General Catalog

Chicana/o and Central American Studies BA