Social Justice: Ethnic Studies

The Associate in Arts for Transfer in Social Justice: Ethnic Studies degree is designed to prepare students who wish to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in the field of Ethnic Studies at the CSUs. Some related majors include: African American Studies, Africana Studies, American Indian Studies, Asian American Studies, Asian American and Pacific Islander Studies, Black Studies, Chicana/Chicano Studies, Ethnic Studies, Latina/Latino Studies, Latin American Studies, Mexican American Studies, and Native American Studies. Ethnic Studies is an interdisciplinary and unique scholarly field that centralizes and redefines the experiences of people of color in the United States, using an intersectional analysis. Born out of the people power movements of various communities of color in the 1960s and the efforts of the third world Liberation Front, Ethnic Studies emphasizes on the praxis of resistance and liberation in order to eliminate all forms of injustice and oppression, especially along race, ethnicity, class, gender, and sexuality. Courses provide a critical racial perspective with a focus on the theories, histories, cultures, social struggles, and resistance movements of Native American, African American, Asian American, and/or Latina/o communities. Recipients of the Associate in Arts for Transfer degree are guaranteed admission with junior standing at a campus of the California State University system by completing 60 semester units that are transferable to the California State University, to include: The California Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC), a minimum of 18 semester units in a major or area of emphasis, grade "C" or better in all courses required for the major and general education, and earn a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0. A “P” (Pass) grade is also an acceptable grade for courses in the major if the course is taken on a Pass/No Pass basis, where a Pass is defined as a “C” or better. Students are strongly encouraged to meet with a counselor to review their options for transfer and to develop an educational plan that best meets their goals.