Ethnic Studies

Minimum Units Required: 24.0 units

The Associate Degree in Ethnic Studies provides students with a critical understanding of the complex and diverse experiences and contributions of major racial and ethnic groups in the United States including African Americans, Native Americans, Chicanx/Latinx Americans, and Asian Pacific Islander Americans. The interdisciplinary program allows a wide latitude of study to meet various interests in the history, expressive culture, sociological conditions, and political movements of these four core groups. Students can pursue intensive studies of one or more of these groups while expanding a holistic and comparative understanding of relationships among and between members of these populations and other members of U.S. society. Interdisciplinary coursework exposes students to various theoretical and research frameworks spanning the humanities and social sciences. Students who complete the Ethnic Studies A.A. are well prepared to transfer to four-year universities as ethnic studies majors or majors in related liberal-arts fields. The Ethnic Studies A.A. prepares students to be leaders in DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) work in a variety of settings—professionals who can build more inclusive cultures and further efforts to combat racism and intersectional forms of oppression (classism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, xenophobia, ableism, etc.). The curriculum is designed for people interested in a wide variety of career paths spanning the private and public sector including education, the arts, human services, public policy and administration, and communications fields including journalism, media production, and marketing. The Ethnic Studies A.A. degree can be obtained by completing the 24-unit major requirements, general education requirements, and electives as needed to complete a minimum of 60 units. All courses in the major must be completed with a minimum grade of C or a P if the course is taken on a Pass/No Pass basis. While units in this program are transferable to other institutions, students should contact a counselor for more information.

Program Learning Outcomes

• Demonstrate understanding of the profound historical, political, social, cultural and economic contributions of racially marginalized groups in U.S. society.

• Gain comparative knowledge of the unique experiences of Black/African American, Native American, U.S. Latinx, and Asian American Pacific Islander populations—how these experiences differ and overlap

• Develop critical-thinking skills necessary to recognize and combat multiple forms of racism and intersecting forms of oppression including classism, sexism, xenophobia, homophobia and transphobia.

Program Requirements