Ethnic Studies

OFFICE: Social Science Building, Rm. 201
http://www.ethnicstudies.ucsd.edu

Ethnic studies is the study of the social, cultural, and historical forces that have shaped the development of America’s diverse ethnic peoples over the last 500 years and which continue to shape our future. Focusing on immigration, slavery, and confinement, those three social processes that combined to create in the United States a nation of nations, ethnic studies intensively examines the histories, languages, and cultures of America’s racial and ethnic minority groups in and of themselves, in their relationships to each other, and, particularly, in structural contexts of power.

The curriculum of the Department of Ethnic Studies is designed to 1) study intensively the particular histories of different ethnic and racial groups in the United States, especially intragroup stratification; 2) to draw larger theoretical lessons from comparisons among these groups; 3) to articulate general principles that shape racial and ethnic relations both currently and historically; and 4) to explore how ethnic identity is constructed and reconstructed over time both internally and externally.

A degree in ethnic studies offers training of special interest to those considering admission to graduate or professional schools and careers in education, law, medicine, public health, social work, journalism, business, city planning, politics, psychology, international relations, or creative writing. A major in ethnic studies is designed to impart fundamental skills in critical thinking, comparative analysis, social theory and research analysis, and written expression. These skills will give students the opportunity to satisfy the increasingly rigorous expectations of graduate admissions committees and prospective employers for a broad liberal arts perspective.

The Major

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

A three-quarter course lower-division sequence (Ethnic Studies 1A-B-C). Ideally this sequence should be taken during the sophomore year as an intensive introduction to the history and theoretical dimensions of ethnic diversity in the United States. Ethnic Studies 1A-B-C, Introduction to Ethnic Studies, will consist of the following three courses: Population Histories of the United States, Immigration and Assimilation in American Life, Race and Ethnic Relations in the United States.
A minimum of twelve four-unit upper-division courses in the Department of Ethnic Studies must be completed from the following five categories:
1. One four-unit upper-division course that intensively explores the theory and comparative methods of ethnic studies (Ethnic Studies 100: Theories and Methods of Ethnic Studies). All ethnic studies majors should complete this course before proceeding with the other requirements listed below.
2. Four upper-division ethnic studies history and social science courses from those listed below:
  ETHN 103: Environmental Racism
  ETHN 104: Race, Space, and Segregation
  ETHN 105: Ethnic Diversity and the City
  ETHN 107: Field Work in Racial and Ethnic Communities
  ETHN 108: Race, Culture, and Social Change
  ETHN 109: Race and Social Movements
  ETHN 112A: History of Native Americans in the United States I
  ETHN 112B: History of Native Americans in the United States II
  ETHN 116: The United States-Mexico Border in Comparative Perspective
  ETHN 117: Organic Social Movements
  ETHN 118: Contemporary Immigration Issues
  ETHN 120: Comparative Asian-American History, 1850–1965 (Not offered in 2008-2009.)
  ETHN 121: Contemporary Asian-American History
  ETHN 123: Asian-American Politics
  ETHN 125: Asian-American History
  ETHN 126: Comparative Filipino and Vietnamese-American Identities and Communities
  ETHN 127: Sexuality and Nation
  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 134: Immigration and Ethnicity in Modern American Society
  ETHN 149: African American History in the Twentieth Century
  ETHN 150: Politics of Cultural Pluralism and National Integration (Not offered in 2007–2008.)
  ETHN 151: Ethnic Politics in America
  ETHN 152: Law and Civil Rights
  ETHN 159: Topics in African American History
  ETHN 160: Black Politics and Protest in the Early 20th Century (1885–1941)
  ETHN 161: Black Politics and Protest Since 1941
  ETHN 163: Leisure in Urban America
  ETHN 165: Sex and Gender in African American Communities
  ETHN 167: African-American History in War and Peace: 1917 to the Present
  ETHN 170A: Origins of the Atlantic World, c. 1450–1650
  ETHN 170B: Slavery and the Atlantic World
  ETHN 183: Gender, Race, Ethnicity, and Class
  ETHN 188: African Americans, Religion, and the City
  ETHN 197: Field Work in Racial and Ethnic Communities*
  ETHN 198: Directed Group Studies*
  ETHN 199: Supervised Independent Study and Research*
  *Only two will be counted in fulfillment of this requirement.
  
  Colloquia
  
  ETHN 180: Topics in Mexican-American History
  ETHN 181: Topics in the Comparative History of Modern Slavery
  ETHN 182: Segregation, Freedom Movements, and the Crisis of the Twentieth Century
  ETHN 184: Black Intellectuals in the Twentieth Century
  ETHN 187: Black Nationalism
  ETHN 189: Special Topics in Ethnic Studies
3. At least three upper-division courses that focus on language, ethnicity, and institutional discourses:
  ETHN 140: Language and American Ethnicity
  ETHN 141: Language, Culture, and Inequality
  ETHN 142: Medicine, Race, and the Global Politics of Inequality
  ETHN 144: Bilingual Communities in the U.S.A.
  ETHN 145: Spanish Language in the United States
  ETHN 164: African Americans and the Mass Media
  ETHN 166: The Black Press and Social Change (Not offered in 2008-2009.)
  ETHN 185: Discourse, Power, and Inequality
  ETHN 186: The Ethnic Press in the United States
  
  Students may petition to count one course on language, ethnicity, and institutional discourses offered by other departments. In addition, one course in foreign language at the upper-division level may be counted in partial fulfillment of this requirement, with the consent of the department. Students must seek faculty advice on which courses would best satisfy the requirement and yield the most rigorous training.
4. At least three upper-division ethnic studies courses on the literature and cultural expressions of American racial and ethnic minorities:
  ETHN 101: Ethnic Images in Film
  ETHN 110: Cultural World Views of Native Americans
  ETHN 111: Native American Literature
  ETHN 122: Asian-American Culture and Identity
  ETHN 123: Asian-American Politics
  ETHN 124: Asian-American Literature
  ETHN 126: Comparative Filipino- and Vietnamese-American Identities and Communities
  ETHN 128: Hip Hop: The Politics of Culture
  ETHN 132: Chicano Dramatic Literature
  ETHN 133: Hispanic-American Dramatic Literature
  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: Topics in Chicano/a-Latino/a Cultures
  ETHN 138: Chicano/a-Latino/a Poetry
  ETHN 139: Chicano Literature in English
  ETHN 146A: Theatrical Ensemble
  ETHN 148: Latino/a and Chicano/a Literature
  ETHN 168: Comparative Ethnic Literature
  ETHN 172: Afro-American Prose
  ETHN 173: Afro-American Poetry
  ETHN 174: Themes in Afro-American Literature
  ETHN 175: Literature of the Harlem Renaissance
  ETHN 176: Black Music/Black Texts: Communication and Cultural Expression
  ETHN 178: Blues: An Oral Tradition
  ETHN 179A: Jazz Roots and Early Development (1900–1943)
  ETHN 179B: Jazz Since 1946: Freedom and Form
5. One four-unit field methods course (Ethnic Studies 190: Research Methods: Studying Ethnic and Racial Communities).
Since the goal of the Department of Ethnic Studies is to intensively study both the particular histories of various ethnic and racial groups in the United States and to draw larger theoretical lessons from comparisons among and between groups, students may not fulfill requirements 2B and 2D by focusing all of the seven required courses on only one ethnic or racial group.
Ethnic studies majors, including students who are double majors, may petition up to four upper-division courses to fulfill major requirements as long as each of the following three conditions are met for each course: 1) the course is taken from another UCSD department, taken from a UCSD approved study abroad program, or taken at another UC campus; 2) the coursework is appropriate to the ethnic studies major; and 3) the student completes at least one course offered by the UCSD ethnic studies department in each of the five upper-division categories.
To satisfy the requirements for the major, lower- and upper-division courses must be completed with a P, C-, or better grade.
Except for independent study course electives (ETHN 197, 198, or 199) which are always taken with a Pass/No Pass grade option, students majoring in ethnic studies may take up to two courses, either lower- or upper-division, with a Pass/No Pass option.

The Honors Program

Consistent with other research opportunities offered to undergraduates on the UCSD campus, the department offers the Honors Program to ethnic studies majors in their senior or junior year the opportunity to conduct original research using interdisciplinary methodologies in the comparative study of race and ethnicity. To enroll in the Honors Program, an undergraduate must have a minimum grade-point average of 3.5 in ethnic studies classes counted towards the major. Students with a GPA lower than 3.5 in the major may be admitted by exception if they show promise of success in research.

The Honors Program will be an extension of current departmental offerings using existing faculty resources. Ethnic studies and affiliated faculty will choose to advise students who successfully complete ETHN 191A and continue in the Honors Program based on related research interests. The student will enroll in ETHN 191B and ETHN 191C and work with the appropriate faculty advisor. Students will present their research projects at the annual Ethnic Studies Honors Symposium in June. Students who complete the sequence ETHN 191A, ETHN 191B, and ETHN 191C will receive one credit towards the “B” (Social Studies/Humanities) requirements for the ethnic studies major. Students who complete their research project with a grade of “B” or better and maintain a minimum 3.25 GPA in the ethnic studies major will receive “Distinction” in the major upon graduation from UCSD. Ethnic Studies 191A, 191B, and 191C must be taken for letter grade only.

191A. Undergraduate Research in Ethnic Studies (4) This course is designed to help students conduct their own research rather than merely read the research of others. The course will introduce students to research paradigms in ethnic studies, familiarize them with finding aids and other library resources, and involve them in the design of research plans.

191B. Honors Research in Ethnic Studies (4) This course is a continuation of Ethnic Studies 191A- Undergraduate Research in Ethnic Studies. Students who have completed ETHN 191A and selected a faculty research advisor may enroll in this course. During the quarter the research for the honors project will be completed under the faculty advisor’s supervision. Faculty advisors will meet weekly with their honors students to oversee the progress made in carrying out the plan of research. Formerly ETHN 192. Prerequisites: upper-division standing, consent of instructor, and completion of 191A.

191C. Honors Research in Ethnic Studies (4) This course is a continuation of Ethnic Studies 191B Honors Research in Ethnic Studies. Students who have completed ETHN 191B and are continuing to work with a faculty research advisor may enroll in this course. During the quarter the written drafts and final honors paper will be completed under the faculty advisor’s supervision. The student will meet weekly with the faculty advisor in order to prepare drafts and the final version of the honors paper. Formerly ETHN 193. Prerequisites: ETHN 191A and ETHN 191B.

Education Abroad Program

Students are able to participate in the UC Education Abroad Program (EAP) or UCSD’s Opportunities Abroad Program (OAP) while still making progress toward completing their major. Students considering this option should discuss their plans with the undergraduate advisor prior to going abroad, and courses taken abroad must be approved by the department. Interested students should contact the Programs Abroad Office in the International Center.

The Minor

Students may minor in ethnic studies. Con- sistent with the provision for a minor curriculum for students entering after January 1, 1998, students wishing to minor in ethnic studies must satisfy the following requirements:

Students must take two four-unit courses in the history and theoretical dimensions of ethnic diversity in the United States from the lower division sequence (Ethnic Studies 1A-B-C); or students must take two four-unit upper-division courses in analytic and comparative study of ethnicity: Theories and Methods of Ethnic Studies (ETHN 100), and Research Methods: Studying Ethnic and Racial Communities (ETHN 190).
Students must take five four-unit upper-division ethnic studies elective courses; at least two, but no more than three of the five elective courses must be selected from either the ethnic studies history and social studies courses (listed above in section 2B) or the ethnic studies literature and cultural expressions courses (listed above in section 2D). While language and ethnicity courses offered by the department (listed above in section 2C) may also be used to satisfy this requirement, foreign language and area studies courses from other departments may not. No more than two independent study courses (ETHN 197, 198, or 199) may be used to satisfy this requirement.
To satisfy the requirements for the minor, lower- and upper-division courses must be completed with a P, C-, or better grade.
Except for independent study course electives (ETHN 197, 198, or 199) which are always taken with a Pass/No Pass grade option, students minoring in ethnic studies may take one course, either lower- or upper-division, with a Pass/No Pass grade option.

Students interested in the African-American experience should consider the following courses:

ETHN 149: African American History in the Twentieth Century
ETHN 159: Topics in African American History
ETHN 160: Black Politics and Protest in the Early 20th Century (1885–1941)
ETHN 161: Black Politics and Protest Since 1941
ETHN 164: African Americans and the Mass Media
ETHN 165: Sex and Gender in African American Communities
ETHN 167: African-American History in War and Peace: 1917 to the Present
ETHN 170A: Origins of the Atlantic World, c. 1450–1650
ETHN 170B: Slavery and the Atlantic World
ETHN 172: Afro-American Prose
ETHN 173: Afro-American Poetry
ETHN 174: Themes in Afro-American Literature
ETHN 175: Literature of the Harlem Renaissance
ETHN 176: Black Music/Black Texts: Communication and Cultural Expression
ETHN 178: Blues: An Oral Tradition
ETHN 179A: Jazz Roots and Early Development (1900–1943)
ETHN 179B: Jazz Since 1946: Freedom and Form
ETHN 181: Topics in the Comparative History of Modern Slavery
ETHN 182: Segregation, Freedom Movements, and the Crisis of the Twentieth Century
ETHN 184: Black Intellectuals in the Twentieth Century
ETHN 187: Black Nationalism
ETHN 188: African Americans, Religion, and the City

Students interested in the Chicano experience should consider the following courses:

ETHN 116: The United States-Mexico Border in Comparative Perspective
ETHN 130: Social and Economic History of the Southwest I
ETHN 131: Social and Economic History of the Southwest II
ETHN 132: Chicano Dramatic Literature
ETHN 133: Hispanic-American Dramatic Literature
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: Topics in Chicano/a-Latino/a Cultures
ETHN 138: Chicano/a-Latino/a Poetry
ETHN 139: Chicano Literature in English
ETHN 145: Spanish Language in the United States
ETHN 148: Latino/a and Chicano/a Literature
ETHN 180: Topics in Mexican American History

Students interested in the Asian-American experience should consider the following courses:

ETHN 20: Introduction to Asian American History
ETHN 121: 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 126: Comparative Filipino and Vietnamese-American Identities and Communities

Students interested in the Native American experience should consider the following courses:

ETHN 110: Cultural World Views of Native Americans
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

The Graduate Program

The UCSD Department of Ethnic Studies emphasizes comparative, analytic, and relational study of ethnicity and race in the United States. Our fields of emphasis include intercultural communication and conflict, population histories of the Americas, ethnicity and identity, immigration and assimilation, ethnic politics and social movements, race and racism, urban ethnicity, gender and ethnicity, sexuality, intellectual and cultural histories of ethnic groups, cultural pluralism, national integration, language and ethnic life, and mass media representations of ethnic identity.

Admission

New students are admitted in the fall quarter of each academic year. Prospective applicants should submit the official application for admission and awards (same form), one set of official transcripts from each institution attended after high school, official scores from the Graduate Record Examination, application fee, at least three letters of recommendation, and one or more samples of the applicant’s own writing, such as term papers. Additionally, foreign applicants must submit official scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Applicants are encouraged to visit the department to talk with faculty and graduate students. The application deadline is January 15.

Program of Study

Students are required to enroll as full-time graduate students, to carry a minimum enrollment of twelve units of graduate-level courses each quarter, and to maintain a grade-point average of 3.2 or better. To obtain an M.A. degree students must take fifty-four units of course work and write a master’s thesis.

Core Curriculum Sequence Requirements

Ethnic Studies 200A-B-C, Core Seminar
All graduate students will be required to take the introductory three-quarter core seminar (four units each, twelve units total) during their first year in the program. This course covers ethnic studies theory , the history of ethnic studies, and controversies in ethnic studies.
Ethnic Studies 210, Research Seminar
During the first year of graduate study, all students will be required to take (1) one-quarter of the research seminar (4 units). This course introduces students to the practice of original discovery research in the field of racial and ethnic studies, including articulating a research problem, placing it within theoretical discussions, selecting appropriate methods, and analyzing data.
Ethnic Studies 230, Department Colloquium
During the first two years of graduate study, all students will be required to enroll in six one-quarter colloquia required by the department. In Ethnic Studies 230, department faculty and visiting lecturers will make presentations about research in progress in our field. This colloquium is a one-unit course and must be taken for a total of six quarters.
Ethnic Studies 240, Multidisciplinary Research Methods in Ethnic Studies
During the first two years of graduate study, students must enroll in two (2) four-unit disciplinary methods courses. The first course must be Ethnic Studies 240; Multidisciplinary Research Methods in Ethnic Studies. Depending upon the student’s research interests, the second course will be selected (in consultation with the student’s graduate advisor) from those graduate methods courses offered by UCSD Humanities and Social Science Departments.
Ethnic Studies 290A-B, Master’s Thesis Preparation
Students are required to write a master’s thesis as part of the requirements for the master of arts in ethnic studies. Students should enroll in thesis preparation courses in the fall and spring quarters of the second year of graduate studies.

Foreign Language Requirement

Competence in one or more foreign languages is encouraged but not required at the M.A. level. All doctoral candidates must satisfy the department’s graduate committee that they have adequate linguistic competence in one foreign language relevant to their area of research by translating three pages of scholarly text written in the designated foreign language. The graduate committee may waive the language requirement and test the candidate on other specialized skills in instances where knowledge of a foreign language is not relevant to the candidate’s areas of research.

Instruction in Quantification

The department encourages graduate students to employ quantitative methods where appropriate. Instruction in quantitative methods can fulfill elective requirements; recommended courses include Sociology 205 and 206—Survey and Demographic Methods, Political Science 270—Quantitative Methods in Political Science. In cases where a reading knowledge of evidence assembled through quantitative methods would be useful, students who obtain the permission of the director of Graduate Studies may fulfill elective requirements by taking no more than two selected undergraduate courses including Sociology 103—Computer Applications to Data Management in Sociology, Sociology 107—Demographic Methods, Sociology 108—Quantitative Analysis of Survey Data, Sociology 109—Quantitative Analysis of Sociological Data, Political Science 170—Quantitative Political Science, among others.

The Master’s Degree

Students entering the ethnic studies doctoral program must first complete a master’s degree before continuing toward the doctorate. University regulations prohibit entering students who already have a master’s degree in ethnic studies from receiving a second master’s degree. Nonetheless, students who are admitted to the ethnic studies doctoral program with a master’s degree must complete all the requirements for the ethnic studies master of arts degree. The M.A. will also be a terminal degree for those students denied admission to candidacy.

To obtain the M.A. degree, students must complete the department’s course requirements satisfactorily. At the end of the second year in the graduate program, students must submit a written thesis to their Master’s Thesis Committee (MTC). The committee will assess the quality of the work and determine whether it demonstrates the likelihood of success in conducting doctoral research.

The final decision regarding the M.A. degree is based on grades, the master’s thesis, and yearly faculty evaluations. The Graduate Program Committee awards three possible grades: Pass, M.A. Only, and No Pass. All passing students (with the exception of those who already have a master’s degree in ethnic studies from another institution) receive the master of arts degree and proceed in their course of studies for the doctorate. Students who receive M.A. Only evaluations gain the master’s degree but may not continue in the department’s Ph.D. program. Students who receive a No Pass evaluation must withdraw from the program without a graduate degree. The master’s degree is earned as one of the requirements for the Ph.D. and is based on the quality of the student’s work during the first two years in the graduate program. At the end of the second year, students are evaluated by the Graduate Program Committee for the master’s degree. At that time, the committee (GPC) ascertains the student’s suitability for doctoral work and recommends either advancement to Ph.D. work or termination.

Requirements for the Qualifying Examinations

When students complete all the core curriculum requirements and have taken five four-unit elective courses in appropriate areas or disciplines, they are eligible to take the qualifying examination for the Ph.D. Degree Students will be encouraged to take the exam by the end of their third year in the program, but this examination must be completed by the end of the student’s fourth year in the program. The qualifying exam is both written and oral; it consists of two parts. Part one tests the student’s basic competence and knowledge of ethnic studies scholarship as spelled out in the Department of Ethnic Studies required graduate reading list. The reading list will be distributed to every student entering the graduate program. Over the next three years, students are required to read all of these books and articles, and to have their mastery of these readings tested during the qualifying examination. Part two of the examination requires the submission of a dissertation prospectus. The dissertation prospectus is a written document that 1) specifies the dissertation research topic; 2) places the dissertation research in the context of the relevant literature in the field; 3) identifies the significance of the project as original discovery scholarship; 4) explains and justifies the research methods to be employed; 5) establishes the feasibility of the research and identifies the primary sources or data bases to be used;6) indicates the anticipated steps leading to completion of the project; and 7) provides a timetable for the research and writing phases of the project.

The Doctoral Committee consists of five persons proposed by the student and accepted by the department chair and the office of Graduate Studies and Research according to graduate council regulations. A sixth member of the committee may be added with the approval of the department chair. Students are expected to select the chair of their examination committee by the winter quarter of the third year of study. The chair of the Ph.D. Examination Committee serves as the student’s advisor for the remainder of the student’s graduate program. Three of the Examination Committee members must be Department of Ethnic Studies faculty; the other two must be from other departments.

Fourteen days before the scheduled qualifying examination, the student must submit the written dissertation prospectus to the examination committee. On this same day, the student will receive from the chair of the examination committee a three-question written exam testing knowledge of the required graduate reading list. Seven days before the scheduled qualifying examination, the student must submit written answers to the questions that have been posed, distributing copies of these essays to all examination committee members. A two-hour oral examination will occur on the appointed date. At the two-hour oral exam, the student will answer questions posed by the committee about the student’s dissertation prospectus, mastery of the required graduate reading list, answers to the written part of the exam, and comprehensive knowledge of ethnic studies scholarship. Based on written papers and on oral performance, three possible grades will be selected by the examination committee: No Pass, Pass, and High Pass. Students who receive a No Pass must retake the qualifying examination within one year and obtain a Pass grade to remain in the doctoral program.

The Doctoral Dissertation

Once students pass the qualifying exam, they may begin dissertation research. Students are expected to consult with their committee members on a regular basis during the research process.

All doctoral students will be evaluated annually by the doctoral committee and given a written report signed by the thesis advisor according to campus policy.

When the dissertation has been substantially completed and once committee members have had the opportunity to review drafts of the written work, the committee meets (with or without the student present at the discretion of the committee chair) to consider the progress made and to identify concerns, changes to be made, or further research to be done. Once the committee members are substantially satisfied with the written work, the student, in consultation with the committee, schedules the oral defense of the dissertation. By university regulation, the defense is open to the public.

The final version of the dissertation must be approved by each member of the doctoral committee. Having successfully defended the dissertation in oral examination, the student is eligible to receive the Ph.D. Degree The final version of the dissertation is then filed with the university librarian via the office of Graduate Studies and Research. Acceptance of the dissertation by the university librarian is the final step in completing all requirements for the Ph.D.

Departmental Ph.D. Time Limits Policy

Pre-candidacy status, that is, the registered time before a student passes the qualifying examination and thereby advances to Ph.D. candidacy, may not exceed four years. Normative time for a Ph.D. in ethnic studies is six years. Normative time is defined as that period of time in which students under normal circumstances are expected to complete their doctoral program. To provide an incentive for students to complete the Ph.D. within normative time, students will only be eligible for departmental financial support for six years (eighteen quarters). By university policies, the doctoral dissertation must be submitted and defended within eight years. To meet this normative time limit, and to meet departmental requirements, students must complete the Qualifying Examination by the end of the fourth year.

In the spring quarter each year, the Graduate Program Committee will assess the progress of each pre-candidacy student on the basis of evaluations submitted by three faculty members chosen by the student. The committee will establish that the student is in good standing, recommend additional course work, or recommend dismissal. The committee may wish to meet with some students in person to discuss the student’s evaluation and progress toward the degree.