Ethnic Studies Certificate Program

Students receiving an Ethnic Studies Certificate-Chicana/o Studies will be able to:

1. Acquire, demonstrate, and apply content knowledge in the field of Chicana/o Studies, including the theoretical frameworks and pedagogical approaches, necessary to teach and assess student knowledge of Chicana/o Studies in California’s secondary and community college classrooms.
2. Demonstrate in-depth knowledge of the interdisciplinary foundations of Chicana/o/x Studies, including intersectional and ancestral knowledge in literature, popular culture, sociolinguistics, social science, history, and education.
3. Differentiate, analyze, explain, and apply key concepts, epistemologies, theories, and pedagogical practices situated in the discipline of Chicana/o Studies.

• University application (Cal State Apply) for FALL 2024 admission must be completed by March 15, 2024.
• The departmental deadline for FALL 2024 admission is March 15, 2024. Your departmental application is considered incomplete if you did not apply to the university by March 15, 2024.
• Students will receive email notification of their acceptance or denial no later than May 1, 2024. 

Apply to the University: Submit the CSUN Application via Cal State Apply.
Apply to the Ethnic Studies - Chicana/o Studies Certificate Program: Submit the Departmental Program Application via Apply Web.

Departmental Program Application consists of the following documents. Application will be incomplete if one item is missing.

1. Submit a curriculum vitae or resume including two references.
2. Unofficial transcripts for the Department
3. Complete a Statement of Purpose – The objective of the statement of purpose is twofold. First, it will be used as a writing sample and provide the admissions committee an opportunity to examine your writing skills. Second, it allows you to share with the admissions committee why you want to pursue an Ethnic Studies Certificate-Chicana/o Studies. Please include your name on the first page of the document and indicate that you are applying for the Ethnic Studies Certificate-Chicana/o Studies. The Statement of Purpose is a two to three page essay, double-spaced, and answers the following questions:

• • How did you become interested in teaching Chicana and Chicano Studies/Ethnic Studies?
  • Please describe your prior knowledge of Chicana/o Studies/Ethnic Studies content and any previous experience teaching Chicana/o Studies/Ethnic Studies.
  • What experience do you have as an activist or organizer in Chicana/o, Indigenous, and/or other communities of color?
  • What are your research/pedagogical interests?
  • What are your future goals and how would the Ethnic Studies Certificate-Chicana/o Studies support those goals.

Acceptance into the program is with the approval of the certificate program coordinator. Students accepted to the certificate program should consult with the program advisor immediately to find out how best to sequence their coursework.

Admission to the certificate program does not mean automatic admission to any other M.A. program at CSU Northridge. Certificate program students must still apply to their desired M.A. program if they seek to earn an additional M.A. while they are in the certificate program. Some units from the certificate may be transferable to CSU Northridge M.A. programs at the discretion of the graduate coordinator of the M.A. program.

Out-of-state and international students are welcome to apply to the program.

All coursework used to satisfy the requirements for the certificate must be completed with a minimum grade point average of 3.0, and only courses completed with a grade of “B-” or better may be included to meet graduate certificate requirements. While taking courses for the graduate certificate, students will have demonstrated appropriate writing proficiency through written assignments in designated courses by achieving the minimum GPA to complete the certificate.

• CHS 500 Seminar in Chicana/o Studies (3)
• CHS 501 Seminar in the Social Sciences and the Chicana/o (3)
• CHS 506 Studies in the Education of the Chicana/o (3)
• CHS 508 Seminar in Chicana/o Studies Pedagogy (3)
• CHS 517 Advanced Educational Equity and Diversity (3)
• CHS 518 Seminar in Chicanx/Latinx Literature (3)

Total Units for the Certificate: 18