The Certificate Program in Latino Studies is a fully online trilingual certificate open to Lehman students and the general public. There are no prerequisites for this program, and courses will be held in English, Spanish, and Portuguese, allowing people with language and nationality barriers to apply, attend online courses, and complete the credits necessary for the certificate in their home countries and other parts of the United States, even if they do not have English proficiency.

For professionals in all fields, it offers the possibility of adding to their expertise the knowledge of a community that is, today, one of the most important intellectual, political, and economic forces in the United States.

The presence of Latinos in the international system has expanded dramatically over the course of the past decades, due to improvements in trade as well as migration waves to the United States. According to the Pew Research Center, the group has played a major role in the growth of the U.S. population, accounting for 51% of its increase between 2010 and 2020. Now, more than 62 million Latinos live in the country and they are a major political constituency, having become the biggest ethnic group in California.

As this shift takes place, the certificate is an invitation to address the need for new forms to conceptualize and interpret the connections between the continent and the large community composed of its sons and daughters now living in the United States.

By increasing accessibility to course work in Ethnic Studies and Latino Studies, along with providing a platform that is multilingual, we aim to create a program that increases student access, success, and engagement with underrepresented populations (expanding our offerings via distance learning).

Upon completion of the certificate program, the student will be able to earn up to 3 graduate credits for prior education applicable towards Lehman College and potentially to other institutions.

The Certificate Program in Latino Studies demands the completion of four courses (12 hours each, formatted in a shorter online version, similar to winter and summer courses) from the pool of offerings below:

Completion of 2 of the following 3 courses: 

History of U.S. Latinos; Latinos in the U.S.; Latino Migrations

Completion of two courses from among the following pairs: 

Latino Literature or Latinos in Film; Latino Media or Latino Popular Culture; Latino Health or Latino Political Economy; Latino Politics or Latino Social Movements

For more information: https://www.lehman.edu/academics/continuing-education/learn-more/latino-studies/

Dr. Mila Burns, Assistant Professor, Department of Latin American and Latino Studies at Lehman College

Email: mila.burns@lehman.cuny.edu

Winter and Spring Course Schedule: 

Latinos in the United States (January 3 – 23)

A comparative study of the social, political, and economic processes affecting Latino groups in the United States. The course provides ample discussion on different Latino groups and their cultural, ethnic, and social dynamics, and the impacts that their livelihoods in the United States shape identity, race, ethnicity, gender, economics, and health.

LAT01 / 8 Modules / Self-Paced Online

Latino Media (January 3 – 23)

The course examines the interpretations, productions, and impacts of Latino media in the U.S., including television, radio, film, advertising, newspapers, and magazines. Students will explore ways in which intense migration and transnationalism have generated new notions of Latin American and Latino identity in the United States today.

LAT02 / 8 Modules / Self-Paced Online

Latino Political Economy (March 6 – 31)

Examine the role of migration from Latin America and the Caribbean towards the US, and how these flows shape the “Political Economy” of Latino Populations in the United States. Students will explore issues of power, history, and politics, and the role of “Political Economy” in shaping the lives of Latino Populations in the United States using an interdisciplinary approach rooted in anthropology, sociology, history, ethnic studies and cultural studies.

LAT03 / 8 Modules / Self-Paced Online

Latino Migrations (March 6 – 31)

The course examines Latin America as a hemisphere on the move, with attention not only to mass migrations to the United States but also within the region. Students will analyze the multiple forces impacting the region’s economic, political, and cultural development from the colonial period to the present using interdisciplinary approaches.

LAT04 / 8 Modules / Self-Paced Online