As a Latina/Latino studies major, you gain skills that will set you apart in the workplace: 

  • Deeply critical and analytic thinking
  • Clear, concise, and compelling communication
  • Courage to disagree and think independently
  • Commitment to community and justice
  • Insight into the complexity of solving problems
  • Skill in asking probing and relevant questions
  • Knowledge of Latina/Latino communities and history
  • Experience understanding ambiguity
  • Aptitude for sorting and condensing information
  • Intercultural knowledge and understanding

Latina/Latino studies graduates have gone on to pursue advanced degrees and find employment in a wide variety of fields. Below find lists of graduate programs and jobs our students have pursued after graduation. 

Pursue advanced degrees in:

  • Political Science
  • Administrative and Policy Studies
  • Public Affairs
  • Public Policy
  • Urban Planning and Policy
  • Caribbean Studies
  • Critical Ethnic Studies
  • Law
  • Criminology and Criminal Justice
  • Public Health
  • History
  • Latin American and Latino Studies
  • Library and Information Science
  • Sound Studies

  • Education

  • Curriculum and Instruction

  • Early Childhood Special Education

  • Education Policy, Organization and Leadership

  • School Counseling

  • Higher Education

    • Student Affairs

    • Administration and Policy

  • Marketing
  • Organizational Communication
  • Social Work
  • Mental Health Counseling

Find Employment in:

  • Community/Social Service Centers
    • Nonprofit Organizations
    • Social Workers
  • Child Welfare
  • Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
  • Employment/Human Resources
  • Environmental Advocacy
  • Healthcare organizations, Advocacy Groups, and Hospitals
    • Community Health
    • Health Equity
    • Health Policy Analysts
  • Labor Unions
  • Law Firms, Legal Aid
  • Libraries
  • Mental Health
  • Schools, Colleges, and Universities
    • Academic Advisors
    • Counselors & Career Coaches
    • Secondary Education Teachers
    • Professors
  • Youth Outreach and Mentoring

Resources

The University of Illinois and College of Liberal Arts and Sciences offer a variety of career counseling services that you can take advantage of as a student.
Career Center LAS Career Services Paul M. Lisnek LAS Hub
Teresa Ramos

Alumni spotlight: LLS and anthropology alumna Teresa Ramos, (BA, ’04; MA, ’08; PhD, ’12), first secretary of the Illinois Department of Early Childhood

LLS and anthropology alumna Teresa Ramos (BA, ’04; MA, ’08; PhD, ’12; anthropology with a minor in Latina/Latino studies) has been named the first secretary of the Illinois Department of Early Childhood (IDEC). Ramos is currently the first assistant deputy governor for education in Governor JB Pritzker’s office. Pending state Senate approval, Ramos will begin her new role in January and the department will be fully operational by the summer of 2026. The department combines programs currently overseen by several other state agencies including oversight and funding of preschool programs and...