The University of California at Santa Barbara announced on Monday that it will offer a Ph.D. in Chicano studies, making it the first university in the country with a doctoral program in the discipline.

The new degree is an important step not just for the university, but for the entire field, according to Chela Sandoval, chairwoman of the Chicana and Chicano studies department. The professor said in a statement that the program "heralds a new era" in the study of Mexican-American history and culture. "We can now say that the university is moving toward having a truly global perspective on human consciousness and culture," the statement said.

The discussion about whether to offer a Ph.D. in Chicano studies at the university began nearly a decade ago following a hunger strike by undergraduate students in the department. The students felt "a sense of isolation and marginalization," according to Ms. Sandoval. Since that time, the department has grown from three faculty members to 12 and now has more than 150 undergraduate students.

The details of the program have yet to be worked out. Classes will begin in either 2004 or 2005 and Ms. Sandoval says the department will accept between five and eight graduate students the first year.