U.S. Latinx StudiesMinor

Health Sciences students working through an experiential learning exercise.

Latinx Studies is a field of study that examines the experiences of people of Hispanic or Latinx ancestry in the United States. This can include transnational experiences as well as local and national trends in the U.S. North Carolina has seen exponential Hispanic/Latinx population growth. The Latinx population of NC grew by 678% from 1990-2006. WCU has seen a 448% increase in Hispanic student enrollment from 2009- 2017. A minor in U.S. Latinx Studies is important to employers in North Carolina and the western North Carolina region.

What You'll Learn

This area of study is interdisciplinary, which means you can study the experiences of people of Hispanic or Latinx ancestry in the U.S. from many perspectives including Latinx literature, Spanish language and Latin American cultures, history of Latin America and Latinx populations in the U.S., education practices, sociological studies, and more.

The minor consists of six courses. Each student will be required to take “The Introduction to U.S. Latinx Studies.” The remaining five courses can come from a variety of departments including history, sociology, world languages, English and education. Many of these courses are also liberal studies courses and will count toward liberal studies electives.

Students who have graduated with this minor have already distinguished themselves by going on to graduate programs in Higher Education and Social Work. In the workforce, students draw on their coursework and experiences working with people of diverse backgrounds. The minor gives students a unique skill set to discuss in interviews with prospective employers.