The Oregon State Board of Higher Education has authorized OSU to establish a program leading to a master of arts in contemporary Hispanic studies, effective immediately.

Students completing the coursework would have a wide range of career opportunities, including work in non-governmental organizations, migrant workers’ social and legal programs, Volunteers in Service to America, Organization of American States, and education. A master's degree in contemporary Hispanic Studies would also prepare students for future study at the doctoral level.

The state board noted that the degree is adapted to the growth and complexity of Hispanic populations in both the Northwest and across the country, and acknowledged a deficit of graduate programs anchored in interdisciplinary and community-oriented education that focus on communication across cultures. The program will cultivate differences in various Spanish-speaking groups while identifying sufficient common ground to facilitate intracultural communication and cross-cultural communication.