Ethnic Studies
School of Cultural and Social Transformation
Bennion
Center
Office of
Undergraduate Research
Courses
Getting Started
- Meet with Transform advisor
- Take ETHNC 2510 & 2520 to join our Diversity Scholars Learning Community
- Apply to the Honors College
Explore the major with an intro/experience course:
- ETHNC 2500 – Intro to Ethnic Studies
- ETHNC 2550 – African American Experiences
- ETHNC 2560 – Latinx & Chicanx Experiences
- ETHNC 2570 – American Indian Experiences
- ETHNC 2580 – Asian American Experiences
- ETHNC 2590 – Pacific Islander Experiences
Making Progress
- Regularly meet with advisor to stay on track
- Use degree planning tools like My Degree Audit
- Begin upper-division courses to fulfill your theory and elective requirements
- Consider the Pacific Islands Studies Certificate or add a double major or minor in Gender Studies or Disability Studies
- Check out requirements for Community Engaged Scholar or Undergraduate Research Scholar designations
Finishing Up
- In your final year, take ETHNC 5900 & 5910 and complete your capstone paper/project
- Actively track progress & meet with advisor to review degree audit
- Apply for graduation
Community
Getting Started
- Join our Diversity Scholars Learning Community
- Take an ETHNC Community-Engaged Learning course
- Follow Transform on social media
- Attend the Get Involved Fair & explore student groups that interest you
Making Progress
- Check in with an advisor to learn about events/opportunities in Transform
- Apply for the Dolores Huerta Scholarship to support your social justice community engagement
- Attend (or help plan) our Transform monthly Communi-Teas
- Participate in Praxis Lab if part of Honors College
- Become an Orientation Leader
- Get a job on campus
- Apply to go on an Alternative Break with the Bennion Center
- Meet with an Involvement Ambassador
Finishing Up
- Get involved with the Alumni Association
- Attend Bennion Center events or apply to lead an Alternative Break
- Gain leadership experience in ASUU or your student groups
Knowledge & Skills
Getting Started
- Take advantage of faculty office hours
- Explore academic resources like Marriott Library, Writing Center, & Learning Center
- Talk to a pre-professional advisor if interested in law/med/dental school
Making Progress
Earn credits toward your degree with any of these opportunities:
- Become a TA for an ETHNC class
- Participate in research with a faculty member
- Join Transform's year-long internship program
- Write and/or edit for Frontiers
- Explore for-credit Hinckley Internship courses
- ...
- Attend a workshop at the Financial Wellness Center
- Consider a minor/certificate or double major to enhance your degree
Finishing Up
- Complete requirements to be an Undergraduate Research Scholar
- Take test prep courses for graduate school applications (GRE, GMAT, LSAT, etc.)
Transformation
Getting Started
- Take a course outside your major to explore new perspectives
- Create an Individual Development Plan
- Write down your interests, goals, & dreams
- Attend a Learning Abroad 101 session
Making Progress
- Use your Arts Pass or other UCard benefits to attend social or cultural events you haven’t experienced before - sports event, museum, concert, play, ballet, etc.
- Learn another language
- Go on a learning abroad trip
- Choose electives that complement your career/research interests
- Update your IDP
- Attend Hinckley Forums
Finishing Up
- Participate in commencement & convocation ceremonies
- Explore/apply for graduate programs
- Take personal inventory of skills acquired/enhanced in your undergrad career
- Be proud of yourself!
Impact
Getting Started
- Talk to your professors/advisor about your interests, goals, and opportunities
- Meet with a Student Success Coach
- Explore volunteer opportunities in the Bennion Center & other community partners
Making Progress
- Apply for the Dolores Huerta Scholarship to support your social justice community engagement
- Complete the requirements to become a Community Engaged Scholar
- Join or lead an Alternative Break with the Bennion Center
- Apply for leadership within ASUU or campus clubs
- Explore the Sorenson Impact Center and Lassonde Institute
Finishing Up
- Present your capstone project in the spring at the Undergraduate Research Symposium
- Publish your work in the Undergraduate Research Journal
Careers
Getting Started
- Meet with a Career Coach to explore your strengths, interests, & values
- Familiarize yourself with CPDC services and resources
- Activate your Handshake account
Making Progress
- Create a resume & have it reviewed by a Career Coach
- Attend a career fair or expo
- Take a Career Exploration course
- Build relationships with faculty so they can effectively serve as references or write letters of recommendation in the future
- Conduct personal research & informational interviews to learn about careers/fields that interest you
- Expand your network via LinkedIn, Alumni Search, Forever Utah
Finishing Up
- Refine your resume/application materials and practice interviewing with a Career Coach
- Connect with employers through Handshake
- Apply for jobs/grad school
Start Your Career Journey
Find support at the Career and Professional Development Center (CPDC)
About the Major
Ethnic Studies is a field that examines traditional forms of history and culture from the perspective of people who are underrepresented, while considering the role that race and racism play in today’s world. The U’s Ethnic Studies major lives within the School for Cultural & Social Transformation, aka Transform—a nickname we feel embodies what we are, do, and feel: our goal is to forge the wave of the future for the study of shifting sexualities, changing genders, dynamic immigrations, and emergent struggles against all racist thought and action.
As an Ethnic Studies major, you will examine differences in power as expressed by the state, civil society, and individuals; challenge social constructions of race, ethnicity, nationality, sexuality, and gender; and learn to be a critical observer, participant, and actor in the social world. Ethnic Studies is a versatile major with many elective options for you to explore your interests and passions. You can focus your degree on the broader field of Ethnic Studies or deepen expertise in a content area such as African American studies, American Indian studies, Asian American studies, Chicano/a/x & Latino/a/x studies and Pacific Islands studies. Across all of your coursework, you develop the skills you need to analyze, understand, and transform important matters in your personal life, your communities, and the world. With a degree in Ethnic Studies, you can work in any field—healthcare, business, the nonprofit sector, or government—and bring your knowledge of working with historically-underserved populations into the industry.
As an Ethnic Studies major, you will examine differences in power as expressed by the state, civil society, and individuals; challenge social constructions of race, ethnicity, nationality, sexuality, and gender; and learn to be a critical observer, participant, and actor in the social world. Ethnic Studies is a versatile major with many elective options for you to explore your interests and passions. You can focus your degree on the broader field of Ethnic Studies or deepen expertise in a content area such as African American studies, American Indian studies, Asian American studies, Chicano/a/x & Latino/a/x studies and Pacific Islands studies. Across all of your coursework, you develop the skills you need to analyze, understand, and transform important matters in your personal life, your communities, and the world. With a degree in Ethnic Studies, you can work in any field—healthcare, business, the nonprofit sector, or government—and bring your knowledge of working with historically-underserved populations into the industry.
Learning Outcomes
- Develop an understanding of the socio-historical relations shaping the political, economic and/or social trajectory of at least two U.S. based ethnic groups.
- Explain at least two of the social and historical forces shaping the formation of race and racial categories in the U.S.
- Define and explain key concepts that underpin the program's content (e.g., intersectionality, racial formation, cultural knowledge, social justice, essentialist and cultural)
- Define the ways in which race, gender, and social class intersect in producing different world views and knowledge frameworks of at least two U.S. based ethnic groups.
- Employ and differentiate between theories to explain patterns and events of social protest and domination that comprise the landscape of U.S. history.
Plan & Prepare
At the U, we plan for our students to have an exceptional Educational Experience identified by four broad categories we call the Learning Framework: Community, Knowledge & Skills, Transformation, and Impact. This major map will help you envision, explore, design, and plan your personalized Exceptional Education Experience with the Learning Framework at the core. In addition to assisting you in planning your coursework and navigating the requirements of your major, this map will help you incorporate other kinds of experiences to expand your knowledge, support your development, and prepare you for the future you want.