A new degree program focusing on the experiences and contributions of the Latino community in the United States has been approved by the University of Houston.

The university's Board of Regents unanimously approved the Bachelor's of Arts in Mexican American and Latino/a Applied Studies on February 24.

The program would still need approval from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. But Dr. Jeronimo Cortina, associate director of the university's Center for Mexican American Studies who headed the effort to establish the degree program, said the degree could be available by fall 2023, Houston Chronicle reported. 

When surveyed, an 88 percent majority of students agreed that the degree should be offered. 

University of Houston Says U.S. Bilingual Workers More Than Doubled

A statement released by the University of Houston said the demand for bilingual workers in the United States has more than doubled in the last five years, covering low- and high-skilled employment, especially in Texas.

Labor demand for multicultural and bilingual employees is particularly strong in areas where human interaction is higher than the average.

Recognizing that the Houston metropolitan area has the largest Hispanic and Latino community in Texas and the country's third-largest, the university said the curriculum aims to provide students with a broad skill set to succeed in a multicultural economy.

Given Houston's geographic location and rapidly diversified economy, Paula Myrick Short, University of Houston's senior vice president for academic affairs and provost, said the university is strategically positioned to develop a major that will produce "graduate culturally competent and knowledgeable students ready for the transition to the labor market and success in society."

The University of Houston is one of only five-tier public research Hispanic-Serving Institutions and the nation's second most ethnically diverse major research university.

Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, Dan O'Connor, noted that one of the fastest-growing populations in the society is the Latino community and that they are vital to the state and national success.

As a higher education institution, O'Connor continued that they are proud to be developing curricula that educate all students about the Latino/a community's rich historical and cultural contributions.

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New Degree Program to Provide Variety of Perspectives of Predominant Latino Sub-Groups

Students in the new degree program will be provided with a range of predominant Latino sub-groups perspectives, such as Mexican Americans, Cuban Americans, and Puerto Ricans.

It will also include sub-groups from Central America, South America, and the Caribbean in relation to fundamental elements for the formation of U.S. society, such as economy, politics, education, and the arts.

The program, consisting of 120 semester credit hours, will also offer some tracks in public policy, quantitative methods, enterprise applications, and Latino/a cultural studies.

At present, the University of Houston's Center for Mexican American and Latino Studies features two full-time faculty members, a visiting scholar, four lecturers, and affiliated faculty teaching courses for the minor in Mexican American Studies.

Courses in business, political science, sociology, and economics will also be included, given the new degree program's interdisciplinary nature.

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This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Jess Smith

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