Ethnic Studies

University of California, Berkeley

This is an archived copy of the 2021-22 guide. To access the most recent version of the guide, please visit http://guide.berkeley.edu.

About the Program

Bachelor of Arts (BA)

The major in Ethnic Studies provides a core curriculum designed to develop a comparative and multidisciplinary understanding of the experiences and communities of African Americans, Asian Americans, Chicano/Latinos, and Native Americans.

Students majoring in Ethnic Studies study the history, culture, politics, and sociology of Third World communities in the United States within the general context of American society and institutions. Thus, they pursue knowledge vital for a critical understanding of contemporary society and for social changes to improve the lives and communities of racial minorities. Ethnic Studies majors also prepare themselves for advanced graduate study in either academic or professional fields.

Honors Program

The Department of Ethnic Studies provides a program leading to the A.B. degree with honors. Students will be recommended for honors if they have completed at least 30 units and two semesters with an average GPA of at least 3.5 overall and for all work undertaken in the Department of Ethnic Studies. Students must also have been approved specifically for honors by the department chair upon recommendation by the faculty advisor for the group major. Honors students will be required to complete ETH STD H196A and ETH STD H196B, Senior Honors Seminar for Ethnic Studies Majors.  In order to graduate with an A.B. degree with honors, students must obtain at least a 3.5 GPA for all course work undertaken at the University.

Minor Program

The department offers a minor in Ethnic Studies. For further information regarding declaring the minor, please see the department's website.

Other Majors and Minors Offered by the Department of Ethnic Studies

Asian American and Asian Diaspora Studies (Major and Minor)
Chicano/a and Latino/a Studies (Major and Minor)
Native American Studies (Major and Minor)

Visit Department Website