About Us
I would like to take this opportunity to welcome you to Ethnic Studies at the University of California, Riverside. UCR is the third most diverse major university in the country, and Ethnic Studies, one of the most diverse departments on the campus.
Ethnic Studies is the comparative study of race and ethnicity, racism, racialization, and the impact of law and social inequality in contemporary society. Our interdisciplinary curriculum focuses on the histories, cultures, diasporas and experiences of the major racial/ethnic groups (African American, Asian American, Chicano/Latino, and Native American) in the United States and assesses their comparative position and experiences in a global context. Our underlying mission is the production of theoretical policy-oriented, community-based research, and teaching, and our students and faculty are immersed in current issues, policies, and problems affecting our respective communities.
The Department of Ethnic Studies offers a dazzling array of courses on diverse historical and contemporary issues and a major leading to a Bachelor of Arts degree in Ethnic Studies. The major is an integrated and comparative approach to the study of ethnic groups in society and prepares students to pursue careers that require knowledge and expertise relative to the history, culture, and socioeconomic status of racial/ethnic groups in contemporary society. The major is also designed for those desiring a broad liberal arts curriculum. Students may elect to major in Ethnic Studies or focus on a specific group and major in African American, Asian American, Chicana (o)/Latina (o), or American Indian Studies.
Faculty areas of research and teaching cover a wide range of topics, including Native American, African American, Asian American, and Chicana/Latina Literature and Culture; Black Culture and Performance; Chicano/a Politics & Social Movements; Native American History & Culture; History of Black Education; Education, Law, & Policy; Law, Race, Class, & Culture; Asian Americans & Culture; Chicano History, Music, & Popular Culture; Immigration History, Law, & Policy; African American History; Anthropology; Chicana Feminism; and Critical Prison Studies & Critical Race Studies.
UC Riverside is now accepting applications for students seeking admission into the Ethnic Studies Ph.D. in the fall of 2009. The comprehensive and autonomous Ph.D. prepares students to enter public agencies or the private sector as applied researchers and policy experts, or to pursue careers in academia as researchers and university professors. Students can focus on one or more of three graduate areas of specialization: (1) Theories of Race and Power, (2) Cultural Politics and Production, and (3) The State, Law, and Social Transformation.
With the changing ethnic composition of society and the State of California there is a growing demand for individuals in education, government, medicine/public health, and the private sector with knowledge and expertise in race, ethnicity, and culture. An Ethnic Studies major can be used to prepare students for graduate or professional school as well as for careers in a number of areas including education, corrections, law, human services, social welfare, urban planning, and state and county government.
If you would like additional information on the Majors, Minors, graduation requirements, or any other matter. Please feel free to come by the Ethnic Studies Department at 4033 CHASS Interdisciplinary North, or call (951) 827-1823. We are here to serve and to assist you.
Cordially,
Alfredo Mirandé, Chair