Ethnic Studies, Minor

The department of Ethnic Studies offers an interdisciplinary curriculum designed to foster an understanding of the histories and cultures of racial and ethnic groups in their local, national, and global contexts. The program emphasizes studies of race and ethnicity, gender and sexuality, and the historical processes of slavery, colonial conquest, immigration, and globalization, among other subject areas.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the baccalaureate degree, students in ethnic studies are expected to:

• Comprehend how racial and ethnic identities are constructed, negotiated, or contested over time, cultures, and geographical space;
• Employ diverse analytical resources, case studies, and comparative modes of study as critical cognitive tools to address issues of difference;
• Articulate general principles that shape ethnic relations and their intersections with gender, sexuality, and class in structural contexts of power;
• Draw larger theoretical lessons from comparisons among ethnic groups in the U.S. and in other diasporic sites;
• Effectively communicate and address issues of race and ethnicity, especially in multicultural environments.