Online Bachelor of Arts in Chicano Studies

Prepare for a wide range of professions and graduate school opportunities with a greater understanding of the Mexican-origin population in the U.S. Study issues like race, ethnicity, class and gender in a 100% online environment.

The Largest Ethnic Minority Group in the Nation

Deepen your knowledge by studying the historical, socioeconomic and cultural presence of the Mexican-origin population. And thanks to UTEP’s unique location, this program emphasizes the dynamics of the U.S.-Mexico border, so you’ll experience a unique view on topics like immigration patterns and their impact on various sectors of industry, government and society.

As a result, you’ll enhance your knowledge while sharpening your skills across literacy, research and digital communication. These types of insights can take you in a lot of different directions in terms of your career and education. But the biggest result will be a heightened appreciation of culture and history.

“The program brings this whole new awareness of students’ culture, history, background, where they come from, who they are, their family’s history. And it’s really quite eye-opening, I think, because they start to realize that there’s so much that they don’t know and that they haven’t learned.”

Irma Montelongo, Associate Professor of Practice and Online Program Coordinator

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  • 100% online
  • Ideal for professions in the public and private sector that require knowledge of the Mexican-origin population
  • Degree is a good complement to another specialization such as criminal justice, public administration, social work and the health professions
  • Highly affordable and flexible program
  • Tuition: $420/credit hour (in-state students) or $540/credit hour (out-of-state students)

What Can You Do With a Degree in Chicano Studies?

Employers

  • Binational entities in public and private sectors
  • Cultural heritage and preservation organizations
  • Education
  • Law enforcement
  • Local/state/federal government (e.g., SSA/DOD)
  • Nonprofit social service agencies

Graduate/Professional School

  • Education
  • Humanities
  • Law
  • National security
  • Public administration
  • Social sciences

$61,820

High School Teacher Salary (Bureau of Labor Statistics)

$69,510

Writer and Author Salary (Bureau of Labor Statistics)

$61,636

College Administrator (PayScale)

$50,120

Archivist, Curator and Museum Worker Salary (Bureau of Labor Statistics)

$62,290

Human Resources Specialist Salary (Bureau of Labor Statistics)

$53,842

Child Protective Services Worker Salary (PayScale)

$74,000

Social and Community Service Manager Salary (Bureau of Labor Statistics)

$74,938

Policy Advisor Salary (PayScale)

Where Are UTEP Graduates?

A lot of graduates work in federal jobs. For instance, at the time of publishing, faculty members are writing letters of recommendation for students applying to fellowships in Washington, D.C. Those types of opportunities enable UTEP graduates to influence policy, politics and social topics based on the unique perspective they’ve gained by focusing on U.S.-Mexico border dynamics.

But that’s just the start. You’ll find UTEP graduates of the Chicano studies program everywhere—location- and occupation-wise.

“They work in Austin. They work in Washington, D.C., they work all over the country. They work for very prestigious law firms. They work with child protective services, they’re all over the place. ”

Irma Montelongo

Lizeth Gálvez

Paralegal, Immigration and Business Law Group, Waltham, MA Master’s Degree program in Social Work, Boston University

Jesse Arrieta

El Paso Area High School Instructor

Victor Salas

Production Manager, Naolani Productions
Script Writer

Cassandra Lachica

Executive Director Admission and Registrar
El Paso Community College

Dr. Mauricio Rodríguez

Professor and Chicana/o Studies Program Chair, El Paso Community College

Rómulo Armendáriz

Senior Designator/State placement coordinator
Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Prisons

Meet Selected Faculty

Irma Montelongo

Montelongo credits her great-grandmother, who escaped the Mexican Revolution and came to the United States in 1915, for her enduring passion for history. Her interest in Border Studies (she has a doctorate in Borderlands History from UTEP) developed as she learned more about Mexican and Chicana/o history and realized that her communities were ill-represented. Montelongo’s fields of study include gender and sexuality, Latin American history, U.S. history with a sub-field in immigration studies, and Borderlands history with a sub-field in race and ethnic studies. Her research and teaching interests focus on race, class, gender, sexuality and criminology on the U.S.-Mexico border.

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