Why Major in Chican@ & Latin@ Studies?
The 30-credit CLS major enables students to explore the histories, experiences, arts, cultures, and social lives of communities of Latin American descent in the United States, who are now the country’s fastest-growing minority group. In CLS classes, students combine perspectives from the humanities, social sciences, and human services fields to develop their capacities for civic and community engagement as well as research, writing, and analytical skills. Many classes that count for the Certificate offer opportunities for service-learning, community-based learning, and applied research. Alumni of CLS academic programs at the UW-Madison have distinguished themselves in such fields as education, social services, communications, publishing, business, journalism, agriculture, engineering, the arts, construction, and the health professions. SuccessWorks has created a helpful summary of career opportunties for graduates with degrees in CLS. The Program collaborates with student-run pre-professional societies and regularly offers co-curricular programming about graduate and professional school and career planning. Our advisor provides one-on-one career counseling to students, and the Program regularly organizes events and workshops on applying to graduate and professional schools. The CLS major works well as a stand-alone degree or in combination with other majors. Co-curricular programming organized by CLS is open to all, and students in the major and certificate work actively to create community on campus.
Learn About the Requirements
Learn about the requirements for the Major and the Certificate in the Guide before declaring.
Declare the Major or Certificate
To declare, view this presentation about the program and find the declaration link at the end.
Meet with CLS Advisor Rachelle Eilers
For more information, contact Advisor Rachelle Eilers. Schedule an appointment via Starfish or send her an email.
Course Planning
- Schedule an advising appointment through Starfish to discuss how the CLS major fits with your academic interests.
- Browse the CLS Course List for the upcoming semester.
- Use the planning grid as you think about how to complete the 10 courses for the CLS major. You may wish to consult the 4-year and 3-year plans in the Guide.