Graduate Catalog 2004-2005

The Department of Ethnic Studies offers a program of study that examines race and ethnicity both in national and global contexts and in relation to gender, class, and sexuality. Courses consider U.S. racial and ethnic minority populations in relation to one another, the dominant order, diasporic populations, and the formation of the U.S. as a global power in an era of globalization. Focusing on processes such as immigration, colonization, transnational migration, and slavery, courses are comparative, interdisciplinary, and emphasize critical thinking.

A Graduate Certificate in Ethnic Studies is offered by the Department of Ethnic Studies in the College of Arts and Sciences. Within an interdisciplinary/multidisciplinary framework, the certificate curriculum contributes to societal needs as it addresses issues of racial and ethnic diversity in the workplace, community, nation, and world during a period of profound demographic change. It is designed to provide professional study in an area of increasing importance to practitioners in social, health, and immigration service agencies; law; and K-12 and community college education, among other occupations. The certificate also offers a graduate credential to students pursuing advanced degrees and seeking to broaden their teaching and research competencies in order to enhance their career options and employment prospects.

Students may enroll either in the certificate program or they may complete the certificate in conjunction with a graduate degree at the University. Satisfactory completion of the requirements for the certificate will be noted on the student’s transcript as “Graduate Certificate in Ethnic Studies.”

Prerequisites to Graduate Work

Individuals currently enrolled in graduate degree programs or having non-degree status at the University are eligible to apply to the certificate program.

Admission Procedure

Applicants seeking admission to the certificate program should follow the instructions outlined in the “Graduate Admission” section of this Catalog.

In addition to the application required by the Graduate College, applicants to the certificate program must submit: 1) three letters of recommendation, and 2) a personal statement of career goals and reasons for applying to the program.

Certificate Requirements

Students must complete 16 credit hours of approved core and elective courses to obtain the certificate. The core curriculum is comprised of ten credit hours or four courses to ensure foundational knowledge and breadth: ETHN 620, Theories of Race Relations, Ethnicity, and Multiculturalism; ETHN 520, Comparative Perspectives on Race and Ethnicity; ETHN 650, Sexuality, Race, and Nation; and ETHN 686/687, Independent Study in Ethnic Studies.
The remaining six credit hours or two courses consist of departmental electives (ETHN 605, 625, 640, 660, 673, 680, 682). With the approval of the Ethnic Studies graduate advisor, three elective credit hours may be substituted with a cognate course offered by another program or department at the University. No internship is required for the certificate.

Graduate Courses

Please access graduate courses online at http://webapps.bgsu.edu/courses/search.php. Graduate courses offered by the Department of Ethnic Studies use the prefix: ETHN.