Graduate Program

Graduate Portfolio Program in Mexican American Studies

Since 2002, the Center for Mexican American Studies has offered a graduate portfolio program dedicated to enriching the research experience, increasing the breadth of training, and expanding the scholarly credentials of graduate students interested in Mexican American Studies. The initial portfolio program focused on doctoral students and to date, twenty former students have completed the program along with their degrees. In the Spring Semester 2007, the program was renamed the Graduate Portfolio in Mexican American Studies and expanded to include master’s students.

The Graduate Portfolio Program in Mexican American Studies provides a rigorous intellectual environment for the exploration of issues critical to Mexican-origin communities throughout the United States. The program brings together graduate students and faculty from all over campus, and fosters cross-disciplinary dialogue, research, and study. In addition, it provides a cohesive structure for graduate work in Mexican American Studies. General areas of focus include communication studies, cultural studies, history, the humanities, education, performance studies, public and social policy, and the social sciences. 

Students in the Graduate Portfolio Program in Mexican American Studies come from such institutions as UT Austin, UT Brownsville, the University of North Texas, the University of New Mexico, UC Berkeley, UCLA, Stanford University, and Yale University.

Eligibility

The Graduate Portfolio Program in Mexican American Studies is not a degree program, however it allows graduate students to obtain a credential in a cross-disciplinary area of inquiry while completing the requirements for a master’s or doctoral degree in their home department.

To participate in the Graduate Portfolio Program in Mexican American Studies, prospective students must be newly admitted or currently enrolled in a graduate degree program at the University of Texas at Austin with a minimum 3.00 grade-point average.

Requirements for Master’s Students

Over the course of their graduate studies, master’s students participating in the Graduate Portfolio Program in Mexican American Studies must complete a minimum of 9 hours of graduate course work with a clear Mexican American or Mexican Studies content. The Graduate Program Coordinator reviews these courses, which are taken in at least one department outside of the student’s home department.

Portfolio requirements are independent of the requirements for a master’s degree. However, with the approval of a student's supervising professor and graduate studies committee (in the student's home department), portfolio courses may be included in the program of work.

Master’s students are encouraged, but not required, to plan their thesis/report on topics in Mexican American Studies, and to include at least one member of the Graduate Studies Committee in Mexican American Studies on their thesis/report committee.

Requirements for Doctoral Students

Over the course of their graduate studies, doctoral students participating in the Graduate Portfolio Program in Mexican American Studies must complete a minimum of 12 hours of graduate course work with a clear Mexican American or Mexican Studies content. The Graduate Program Coordinator reviews these courses, which are taken in at least one department outside of the student’s home department.

Portfolio requirements are independent of the requirements for doctoral degrees. However, with the approval of a student's supervising professor and graduate studies committee (in the student's home department), portfolio courses may be included in the program of work.

Doctoral students are required to plan their dissertation on topics in Mexican American Studies, and to include at least one member of the Graduate Studies Committee in Mexican American Studies on their dissertation committee.

Courses

Course work for the portfolio program may be chosen from a variety of fields of study but must have at least 25% content in Mexican American or Mexican Studies. Graduate courses offered by CMAS may also be counted. Courses taken for the portfolio program may not be taken pass/fail or credit/no credit. Students should contact the Graduate Program Coordinator each semester to find out about the graduate course offerings of CMAS faculty associates.

Pláticas

Graduate students are required to participate in pláticas (list of recent platicas, PDF, 95K), semi-formal presentations of research by graduate students. The plática can be based on the work conducted for a master’s report or thesis, or a doctoral dissertation. The Graduate Program Coordinator schedules the plática before a student completes graduate degree requirements.

Certification

Upon graduation, after the completion of degree and portfolio requirements, the Graduate School awards certification in the Graduate Portfolio in Mexican American Studies. This certification is noted on the student’s official transcript. Graduate students can earn the certification in this specific portfolio program only once in their graduate careers.

Graduating portfolio students are also recognized by CMAS in its annual graduation ceremony.

Information on other Doctoral Portfolio Programs at UT Austin Offsite link

Portfolio Admissions

Students seeking admission to the Graduate Portfolio Program in Mexican American Studies may be newly admitted to the Graduate School or currently enrolled in a graduate program at the University of Texas at Austin with a minimum 3.00 grade-point average.

Applicants must submit the following items:

Print the form and submit all materials to:

Program Coordinator
Center for Mexican American Studies
University of Texas at Austin
1 University Station, F9200
Austin, Texas 78712

Prospective applicants should contact the Program Coordinator with any questions they might have about the admissions process.

PDF files require Adobe Acrobat Reader,Offsite link a free download from Adobe's website.