The department offers an undergraduate major and minor in ethnic studies.
The department offers courses in five areas of concentration: Africana Studies, Native American and Indigenous Studies, Asian American Studies, Latinx and Chicanx studies and Critical Ethnic Studies. In addition, students can take classes in the area of Critical Sports Studies to fulfill the undergraduate certificate in critical sports studies.
Requirements
In addition to the general requirements of the College of Arts and Sciences, students must complete 33 credit hours of ethnic studies requirements: 12 credit hours of required ethnic studies core classes and an additional 21 credit hours in ethnic studies, 15 credit hours of which must be upper division for a total of 24 upper-division credit hours in the major (required courses mentioned below are included), 12 of the 24 upper-division credit hours in the major must be completed on the CU Boulder campus. The 21 credit hours in ethnic studies can be selected from the current ethnic studies course offerings; they may include courses that are cross-listed with the Department of Ethnic Studies, as listed in this catalog.
A grade of C- or better must be received in all courses used to satisfy the major requirements, with an overall average of 2.00 in the major. No more than 6 credit hours may be taken in independent study. No pass/fail graded courses may satisfy the 33-credit-hour minimum requirement. No more than 45 credits in ETHN may be applied to overall graduation requirements.
Required Courses and Credits
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| ETHN 2001 | Foundations of Comparative Ethnic Studies: Race, Gender and Culture(s) | 3 |
| ETHN 3501 | Theory/Methods/Writing in Ethnic Studies | 3 |
| ETHN 4951 | Senior/Graduate Seminar in Ethnic Studies | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Selected Topics in Ethnic Studies | ||
| Selected Topics in African American Studies | ||
| Selected Topics in American Indian Studies | ||
| Selected Topics in Asian American Studies | ||
| Selected Topics in Chicana and Chicano Studies | ||
| Elective Courses | ||
| A minimum of 21 credit hours in ETHN electives, 15 credit hours of which must be upper-division courses in the major. The 21 credit hours in electives can be selected from the current ETHN course offerings; they may also include coursework from outside the department, as approved by the department’s curriculum committee and advisor. | ||
| Lower or Upper-division Major Electives | 6 | |
| Upper-Division Major Electives | 15 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 33 | |
Graduating in Four Years
Consult the Four-Year Guarantee Requirements for information on eligibility. The concept of "adequate progress" as it is used here only refers to maintaining eligibility for the four-year guarantee; it is not a requirement for the major. To maintain adequate progress in ethnic studies, students should meet the following requirements:
- Declare ethnic studies as their major.
- Complete at least 12 credit hours toward the ethnic studies major requirements by the fourth semester.
- Complete at least 21 credit hours toward the ethnic studies major requirements by the end of the sixth semester.
- Complete ETHN 2001 no later than the fourth semester.
- Complete ETHN 3501 not later than the seventh semester.
- Complete at least one ethnic studies selected topics course selected from the following: ETHN 3101, ETHN 3102, ETHN 3103, ETHN 3105 or ETHN 3106 no later than the eighth semester.
- Complete ETHN 4951 no later than the eighth semester.
Recommended Four-Year Plan of Study
Through the required coursework for the major, students will complete at least 12 credit hours across the Arts & Humanities and Social Sciences areas of the Gen Ed Distribution Requirement, and potentially one or both of the categories of the Gen Ed Diversity Requirement. (Most ETHN students will complete all of the Arts and Humanities and Social Sciences areas of the Gen Ed Distribution Requirement and the U.S. Perspective category in the Gen Ed Diversity Requirement with major coursework.)
| Year One | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall Semester | Credit Hours | |
| ETHN 2001 | Foundations of Comparative Ethnic Studies: Race, Gender and Culture(s) | 3 |
| Gen. Ed. Skills course (example: Lower-division Written Communication) | 3 | |
| Gen. Ed. Distribution course (example: Natural Sciences) | 3 | |
| Elective or MAPS (if needed) | 3 | |
| Elective or MAPS (if needed) | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| ETHN Elective Lower or Upper-Division | 3 | |
| ETHN Elective Lower or Upper-Division | 3 | |
| Gen. Ed. Distribution course (Natural Sciences) | 3 | |
| Gen. Ed. Skills course (QRMS) | 3 | |
| Elective or MAPS (if needed) | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Year Two | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| ETHN Selected Topic Course Upper-Division | 3 | |
| Gen. Ed. Distribution course (example: Natural Sciences with Lab) | 4 | |
| Free Elective | 3 | |
| Free Elective | 3 | |
| Free Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 16 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| ETHN Elective Upper-Division | 3 | |
| Gen. Ed. Distribution course (example: Natural Sciences) | 3 | |
| Gen. Ed. Distribution/Diversity course if needed (example: Social Sciences/Global Perspective) | 3 | |
| Free Elective | 3 | |
| Free Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Year Three | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| ETHN Elective Upper-Division | 3 | |
| ETHN Elective Upper-Division | 3 | |
| Gen. Ed. Skills course (example: Upper-division Written Communication) | 3 | |
| Gen. Ed. Distribution course (example: Arts & Humanities) | 3 | |
| Free Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| ETHN Elective Upper-Division | 3 | |
| Gen. Ed. Distribution/Diversity course if needed (example: Arts & Humanities/US Perspective) | 3 | |
| Upper-Division Elective | 3 | |
| Free Elective or Upper-Division Elective (if needed) | 3 | |
| Free Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Year Four | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| ETHN 3501 | Theory/Methods/Writing in Ethnic Studies | 3 |
| ETHN Elective Upper-Division | 3 | |
| Gen. Ed. Distribution course (example: Arts & Humanities) | 3 | |
| Upper-Division Elective | 3 | |
| Upper-Division Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| ETHN 4951 | Senior/Graduate Seminar in Ethnic Studies | 3 |
| Gen. Ed. Distribution course (example: Arts & Humanities) | 3 | |
| Upper-Division Elective | 3 | |
| Upper-Division Elective | 3 | |
| Free Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 121 | |
Learning Outcomes
Upon completing an undergraduate degree in ethnic studies, students will be able to:
- Think critically about social disparities and use an intersectional epistemic frame to understand social justice and strategies for social liberation.
- Learn about the histories, cultures and world-views of marginalized communities (domestic and transnational).
- Make evidence-based written and oral arguments to address complex social problems, such as those sitting at the intersection of racism, classism, sexism and homophobia.
Bachelor's–Accelerated Master's Degree Program(s)
The bachelor's–accelerated master's (BAM) degree program options offer currently enrolled CU Boulder undergraduate students the opportunity to receive a bachelor's and master's degree in a shorter period of time. Students receive the bachelor's degree first but begin taking graduate coursework as undergraduates (typically in their senior year).
Because some courses are allowed to double count for both the bachelor's and the master's degrees, students receive a master's degree in less time and at a lower cost than if they were to enroll in a stand-alone master's degree program after completion of their baccalaureate degree. In addition, staying at CU Boulder to pursue a bachelor's–accelerated master's program enables students to continue working with their established faculty mentors.
BA in Ethnic Studies, MA in Educational Foundations, Policy and Practice
The School of Education and Department of Ethnic Studies have partnered to support a BAM degree program that reflects each unit's commitment to educational opportunity, diversity, and engaged scholarship examining how race and the interrelated categories of ethnicity, disabilities, language, gender, class and sexuality impact the lives of people locally and globally.
The program invites highly focused ethnic studies majors who are interested in applying their dedication to social justice and critical thinking skills to transformative careers in education. The program emphasizes policy and curricular issues, and the development of an interdisciplinary lens in graduate-level research.
The BAM degree program offers an efficient and rigorous path toward earning, in five years, a bachelor's degree in ethnic studies and a master's degree in educational foundations, policy and practice.
Admissions Requirements
In order to gain admission to the BAM program named above, a student must meet the following criteria:
- Have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.
- Have a minimum of 90 credit hours of coursework completed or in progress.
- Have declared ethnic studies as a major.
- Have completed all MAPS requirements (students admitted to CU Boulder prior to Summer 2023 only).
Program Requirements
Students may take up to and including 12 hours while in the undergraduate program which can later be used toward the master’s degree. However, only 6 credit hours may be double counted toward the bachelor's degree and the master's degree.
Students must complete 6 credit hours of graduate-level coursework by their eighth undergraduate semester. Students must also maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher to continue in the program.
Students must apply to graduate with the bachelor's degree, and apply to continue with the master's degree, early in the semester in which the undergraduate requirements will be completed.
Contact Us
Completing the BAM degree program requires early and careful planning. To learn more about the program or how to apply, please contact an advisor at any time.
- Contact education advisors at edadvise@colorado.edu or 303-492-6555.
- Contact ethnic studies advisors at ethnicst@colorado.edu or 303-492-8852.