Ethnic Studies Major Requirements

To receive a B.A. degree with a major in Ethnic Studies, students must meet the following requirements:

Lower-Division Requirements

Ethnic Studies offers several lower-division courses featuring an intensive introduction to issues of race and power that can be used toward earning a B.A, in Ethnic Studies. An undergraduate student earning a major in Ethnic Studies needs to select two (2) of the courses listed below. Please note, ETHN 1/1R, ETHN 2/2R, ETHN 3/3R are a pair of the same course that is offered in different modalities. A student may select only one version of each courses for credit (ETHN 1/1R, ETHN 2/2R, ETHN 3/3R):

ETHN 1. Introduction to Ethnic Studies: Land and Labor
ETHN 2. Introduction to Ethnic Studies: Circulations of Difference
ETHN 3. Introduction to Ethnic Studies: Making Culture
ETHN 1R. Remote—Introduction to Ethnic Studies: Land and Labor
ETHN 2R. Remote—Introduction to Ethnic Studies: Circulations of Difference
ETHN 3R. Remote—Introduction to Ethnic Studies: Making Culture
ETHN 20. Introduction to Asian American Studies
ETHN 30. Introduction to Chicanx & Latinx Studies

If you take ETHN 20 or ETHN 30 you need to submit a Student Petition to Ethnic Studies requesting to include this course for your Ethnic Studies major.

Foundational Core Sequence

Complete all three courses in the ETHN 100A, ETHN 100B, ETHN 100C series. This three-part sequence on theories, methodologies, and praxis is required for an Ethnic Studies major. The core sequence consists of the following courses:

ETHN 100A. Theoretical Approaches— an advanced survey of key issues, themes, and debates in the field of critical ethnic studies. ETHN 100A is only offered in the Fall Quarter of each academic year.
ETHN 100B. Interdisciplinary Methodologies— an introduction to interdisciplinary research methodologies in critical ethnic studies. ETHN 100B is only offered in the Winter Quarter of each academic year.
ETHN 100C. Social Justice Praxis— A capstone experience for Ethnic Studies majors, this course combines an advanced exploration of praxis-based approaches to social justice with independent campus, community, creative, or research practicum-based projects. ETHN 100C is only offered in the Spring Quarter of each academic year.

The foundation core sequence should be taken in order; however, the three courses need not be taken in the same academic year.

Upper-Division Electives

Majors must complete ten upper-division Ethnic Studies electives from those listed below. Please see current schedule for quarterly course offerings. Some courses outside of the major can be petitioned, but only three petitions via the Student Petition Process are appliable toward an Ethnic Studies B.A.

How-to-Earn-a-BA-in-Ethnic-Studies

UCSD Plan: http://plans.ucsd.edu/

ETHN Course List

ETHN 100M. Premedical Ethnic Studies Writing
ETHN 101. Ethnic Images in Film
ETHN 101TV. Ethnic Images on TV
ETHN 102. Science and Technology in Society: Race/Gender/Class
ETHN 103. Environmental Racism
ETHN 103A. The United States and the Pacific World
ETHN 104. Race, Space, and Segregation
ETHN 105. Ethnic Diversity and the City
ETHN 106. Life, Death, and the Human
ETHN 107. Fieldwork in Racial and Ethnic Communities
ETHN 108. Race, Culture, and Social Change
ETHN 109. Race and Social Movements
ETHN 109A. Race, Empire, and Japanese America
ETHN 110. Cultural Worldviews of Indigenous America
ETHN 111. Native American Literature
ETHN 112A. History of Native Americans in the United States I
ETHN 112B. History of Native Americans in the United States II
ETHN 112C. California Native American History
ETHN 113. Decolonizing Education
ETHN 113A. Decolonizing Geology
ETHN 114A. Representing Native America
ETHN 114B. Representing Native America - Exhibition Design
ETHN 115. Monsters, Orphans, and Robots
ETHN 116. The United States-Mexico Border in Comparative Perspective
ETHN 117. Organic Social Movements
ETHN 118. Contemporary Immigration Issues
ETHN 119. Race in the Americas
ETHN 120. Race and Performance: The Politics of Popular Culture
ETHN 120D. Race and Oral History in San Diego
ETHN 121. Contemporary Asian American History
ETHN 121R. Remote - Contemporary Asian American History
ETHN 122. Asian American Culture and Identity
ETHN 123. Asian American Politics
ETHN 124. Asian American Literature
ETHN 125. Asian American History
ETHN 125R. Remote - Asian American History
ETHN 126. Comparative Filipino- and Vietnamese-American Identities and Communities
ETHN 127. Sexuality and Nation
ETHN 128. Hip Hop: The Politics of Culture
ETHN 129. Asian and Latina Immigrant Workers in the Global Economy
ETHN 130. Social and Economic History of the Southwest I
ETHN 131. Social and Economic History of the Southwest II
ETHN 132. Chicanx Theatre
ETHN 133. Latinx Theatre and Performance
ETHN 134. Immigration and Ethnicity in Modern American Society
ETHN 135A. Early Latino/a-Chicano/a Cultural Production: 1848 to 1960
ETHN 135B. Contemporary Latino/a-Chicano/a Cultural Production: 1960 to Present
ETHN 136. The Science and Critical Analysis of Environmental Justice
ETHN 137. Latina Issues and Cultural Production
ETHN 138. Black & Latinx Crossing
ETHN 139. Chicano Literature in English
ETHN 140. Comparative Refugee Communities from Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia
ETHN 140A. Refugee San Diego
ETHN 141. Gandhi in the Modern World: From Civil Rights to the Arab Spring
ETHN 142. Medicine, Race, and the Global Politics of Inequality
ETHN 143. Chicana/o Film and Media Studies
ETHN 144M. Antiracist Medicine & New Perspectives in Healthcare
ETHN 146A. Theatrical Ensemble
ETHN 147. Black Feminisms, Past and Present
ETHN 149. African American History in the Twentieth Century
ETHN 150. Visuality, Sexuality and Race
ETHN 151. Ethnic Politics in America
ETHN 152. Law and Civil Rights
ETHN 153. Citizenship and Civil Rights in the Twentieth Century
ETHN 154. History of Mexican America
ETHN 155. US Militarism
ETHN 155GS. Critical Perspectives on the Vietnam War
ETHN 157. Madness and Urbanization
ETHN 158. Native American Intellectuals in the 20th Century
ETHN 159. Topics in African American History
ETHN 160. Global Indigenous Studies
ETHN 161. Black Politics and Protest Since 1941
ETHN 162. Practicum in California Tribal Law and Journalism
ETHN 163E. Decolonial Theory
ETHN 163F. Playing Indian: Native American and First Nations Cinema
ETHN 163FR. Remote Playing Indian: Native American and First Nations Cinema
ETHN 163G. Indigenous Theatre and Performance
ETHN 163I. Asian American Histography
ETHN 163J. Asian American Social Movements
ETHN 164. African Americans and the Mass Media
ETHN 165. Sex and Gender in African American Communities
ETHN 166. Arab/Muslim American Identity and Culture
ETHN 167. Muslim Identity in America
ETHN 167A. Decolonial Muslim Feminisms
ETHN 168. Comparative Ethnic Literature
ETHN 169. Origins of the Atlantic World, c. 1450–1650
ETHN 170. Slavery and the Atlantic World
ETHN 172. Afro-American Prose
ETHN 173GS. Gender, Sexuality and War
ETHN 174. Themes in Afro-American Literature
ETHN 175. Literature of the Harlem Renaissance
ETHN 177. Listening to the World
ETHN 178. Blues: An Oral Tradition
ETHN 178R. Remote Blues: An Oral Tradition
ETHN 179. Discover Jazz
ETHN 179A. Jazz Roots and Early Development (1900–1943)
ETHN 179B. Jazz Since 1946: Freedom and Form
ETHN 180. Topics in Mexican American History
ETHN 182. Race, Gender, and Sexuality in Fantasy and Science Fiction
ETHN 183. Gender, Race, Ethnicity, and Class
ETHN 184. Black Intellectuals in the Twentieth Century
ETHN 185. Discourse, Power, and Inequality
ETHN 186. Queer of Color Performance
ETHN 187. Latinx Sexualities
ETHN 188. African Americans, Religion, and the City
ETHN 189. Special Topics in Ethnic Studies
ETHN 190.Research Methods: Studying Racial and Ethnic Communities

Special Studies*

ETHN 197. Field Work in Racial and Ethnic Communities
ETHN 198. Directed Group Studies
ETHN 199. Supervised Independent Study and Research
ETHN 100H. Honors Research Design **
ETHN 196H. Honors Thesis **

*Only a total of two special studies courses will be counted in fulfillment of the elective requirement.

** Honors sequence: students must apply during Fall to participate in Winter and Spring

Pass/No Pass (P/NP) Grade Option for Spring 2020 Courses ONLY

Typically, except for independent study course electives (ETHN 197, 198, or 199) which are always taken with a Pass/Not Pass grade option, undergraduate students majoring in Ethnic Studies may take up to two courses, and students minoring in Ethnic Studies may take up to one course with a Pass/Not Pass option.

For Spring Quarter 2020 Ethnic Studies is waiving this limit and any courses taken P/NP during this period will not count toward the above limits for majors or minors. In addition, UC San Diego has deemed that any course taken P/NP in Spring 2020 will not count towards the 25% cap on P/NP courses for the Bachelor’s degree. Students must still select the P/NP option via WebReg and may change their selection of P/NP or Letter Grade through the end of Week 10 (6/5/2020).

To view the official deadline dates visit this UC San Diego webpage

Student Petition Form for non-ETHN Courses

Courses from other departments or colleges can be petitioned, please submit a Student Petition Form and the course syllabus via email to EthnicStudies@ucsd.edu for review. Review may take 4 to 6 weeks.

Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U) Grade Option for Spring 2020 Courses ONLY

For Spring Quarter 2020 graduate students in the Ethnic Studies Ph.D. program may select to take their courses with the S/U grading option instead of the standard Letter Grade.

Overlapping courses:

UC San Diego permits students to overlap (a.k.a. or share) up to two courses (8 units) between two majors or a major and minor of departments or programs with compatible topics. Ethnic Studies allows two courses to be overlapped or shared but some departments only permit one overlap. Overlaps are listed in the Double Major Petition form and the course(s) may need to be reviewed via the Student Petition Process for inclusion into the major or minor.

For more information:

For more information and degree planning, please contact: ethnicstudies@ucsd.edu. If you would like to declare an Ethnic Studies major or minor, please follow the steps on Tritonlink: under "Advising & Grades" click on "Major and Minor". Feel free to contact Ethnic Studies for help and support.