Race and Ethnic Studies

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Minimum number of credits to complete the minor: 20

Minimum cumulative GPA required to graduate: 2.0

School: School of Arts and Sciences

Department: Gender, Diversity, and Social Justice

Learn more about the program

The Race and Ethnic Studies minor offers students an opportunity to center issues of race and ethnicity as a field of study. Students explore how ideas about race and ethnicity function in society and have shaped history, politics, and economics. Courses focus on various discourses surrounding race, ethnicity, racism, and biases, and how they intersect with gender, sexuality, class, and nation.

Race and Ethnic Studies classes examine the role of ideas and biases about race and ethnicity in determining who holds power as well as in shaping communities, movements, and identities. The minor not only highlights the contributions of minoritized peoples to history and society, but it provides cutting-edge training in diversity - knowledge that is in high demand by 21st century employers - and is in keeping with the College’s mission to foster diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).

Minor Requirements

A minimum of five courses (20 credits) are required: one core course and four elective courses.

Core Course

Complete the following required course:

WGS 2010 - Introduction to Race and Ethnic Studies Credits: 4

Required Electives

Choose four courses (16 credits) from the following. Note that three of the four electives should be at the 3000 level.

CRM 3380 - Race, Class and Crime Credits: 4
ENG 3350 - Sex, Race, and Empire: 1660-1814 Credits: 4
ENG 3735 - Hollywood’s America: Gender, Race and Class in American Cinema Credits: 4
ENG 3870 - Literature of the Harlem Renaissance Credits: 4
HDE 2130 - Diversity, Social Justice, & Ethics Credits: 4
HIS 3365 - The History of Muslim Communities, 600-1600 Credits: 4
HIS 3439 - Slavery and Race in the Early Modern Atlantic World, 1400-1800 Credits: 4
PHL 2750 - Thinking through Race and Racism Credits: 4
PHL 3010 - Human Rights: Theory and Practice Credits: 4
POL 3161 - Politics of Immigration Credits: 4
POL 3162 - Race, Politics, and Law Credits: 4
RTS 2990 - Special Topics in Religious Studies Credits: 4
SOC 2000 - Social Inequality - Class, Gender, and Race Credits: 4
SOC 3330 - Sociology of Race and Ethnicity Credits:
SOC 3650 - Immigration (Study Abroad) Credits: 4
SPA 2520 - Lawrence City of Immigrants Credits: 4
SPA 2900 - Race, Literature and Culture Credits: 4
SPA 2950 - Gender, Literature, and Culture Credits: 4
SPA 3100 - Studies in Popular Culture in Latin America and Spain Credits: 4
SPA 3300 - Latinx Cultures in the U.S. Credits: 4
SPA 3400 - Literature(s)/Culture(s) of Resistance Credits: 4
WGS 2200 - Gender, Race, and Social Movements Credits: 4
WGS 2310 - Gender and Diversity in Leadership Credits: 4
WGS 2880 - Gender, Race, and War Credits: 4
WGS 3000 - Thinking Green: Gender, Race, and Environmental Justice Credits: 4
WGS 3110 - Global Gender Issues and Social Justice Credits: 4
WGS 3280 - Racism antiracism global perspectives Credits: 4
WGS 3360 - Fieldwork in the American Southwest: Classroom without Walls Credits: 4
WGS 3420 - Gender, Race, and the Media Credits: 4
WGS 3630 - “Changing Woman:” The Reality and Myths of Native American Women Credits: 4
WGS 3720 - Gender, Immigration, and the Law Credits: 4

Notes on the Minor

Students who also major or minor in Women’s and Gender Studies cannot double-count more than two courses toward the minor in Race and Ethnic Studies.
WGS 1010 Introduction to Gender, Race, and Sexuality Studies cannot count for both WGS majors/minors and the minor in Race and Ethnic Studies.