What is race and ethnic studies?

In the race and ethnic studies minor, you’ll explore basic questions about race and ethnic categories while examining the diverse experiences of people in various cultures and historical eras. You’ll study the intersection of race relations with topics that range from literature and language to privilege and policy. This interdisciplinary minor draws on areas including anthropology, history,and women’s and gender studies. Combine a minor in race and ethnic studies with a major such as anthropology, health management and policy, political science, psychology or social work to enhance your future career opportunities or prepare for graduate studies.

Why study race and ethnic studies at UNH?

In this interdisciplinary minor in the College of Liberal Arts, you’ll benefit from a structured yet flexible undergraduate program that bridges theory and applied studies. Your course of study will be tailored to your interests. The College of Liberal Arts boasts an award-winning, internationally recognized faculty across its departments. You’ll receive excellent instruction as well as advising and mentoring to help you with career or graduate school preparation.

Potential career areas

Business
Communications
Community advocacy
Education
Healthcare
Immigration case management
Law
Journalism
Nonprofit administration
Social work

Curriculum & Requirements

Program Description

The race and ethnic studies (RES) minor examines how racial and ethnic categories are created and maintained — politically, socially and culturally. RES uses critical, interdisciplinary and comparative approaches to study race relations as they intersect with factors including gender and sexuality, class, religion and immigration status. The minor prepares students for life and work in a world increasingly characterized by difference derived from racial and ethnic identities.

Learning Outcomes

Facilitate understanding of how the social constructions of race affect the social fabric of our historical and contemporary world; enhance students' abilities to appreciate differences and to actively and critically engage in civic responsibilities, especially with respect to social justice; prepare students to negotiate an increasingly interconnected world and apply their education in a wide range of occupations; gain exposure to the theories and methods of ethnic studies; and compare representations of borderlands, hybridity, migration and diaspora from different cultures to comprehend how national boundaries, as well as local, national, and transnational cultures and politics, affect the constitution of racial and ethnic categories.

Requirements for the Program

Academic policies related to Minors.

The race and ethnic studies minor consists of five courses (20 credits). To complete a minor, students are required to:

Enroll in an introductory-level course. (These are listed on the minor website each semester.)
Enroll in at least one course at the 600/700-level.
Earn a C- or better in each course and maintain a 2.0 grade-point average in courses taken for the minor.
Understand that no more than 8 credits used to satisfy the requirements for a major may be used for a minor.
Courses taken pass/fail may not be used toward a minor.

A relevant internship may be substituted for one of the electives.

Course List
Code	Title	Credits
Approved Courses
ANTH 500	Peoples and Cultures of the World (when focus is Latin America, SubSaharan Africa or Middle East/North Africa)	4
ANTH 610	Medical Anthropology: Illness and Healing	4
ANTH 625	Sexuality in Cross-Cultural Perspective	4
ANTH 697/ENGL 693	Special Topics (American Roots Music)	4
ANTH 750		4
CMN 567	Gender, Race, and Class in the Media	4
ENGL 550	Introduction to the Literature and Culture of Race	4
ENGL 581	Reading the Postcolonial Experience	4
ENGL 585	Introduction to Women in Literature	4
ENGL 595	Literary Topics (Intro/Caribbean Lit in English ONLINE)	4
ENGL 606	Languages of the World	4
ENGL 714	Critical Skills (topic: On Race)	4
ENGL 778/WGS 798W	Race and Gender in Film and Popular Culture	4
HIST 505	African American History	4
HIST 532	Modern Latin America	4
HIST 588	History of Modern Africa: 1870 to the Present	4
HIST 632	Latin American History: Topics	4
POLT 546	Wealth and Politics in Asia	4
PSYC 571	Pioneers of Psychology	4
SPAN 526	Introduction to Latin American Cultures	4
SPAN 798	Topics in Hispanic Linguistics and Cultural Studies (Language & Id in Spanish)	4
SW 697	Special Topics in Social Welfare (Exploring Social Justice)	4
WGS 401W	Introduction to Women's Studies	4
WGS 405	Gender, Power and Privilege	4
WGS 444A	Race Matters	4
WGS 505	Survey in Women's Studies (Only topics: Leadership for Social Change, Queer Cinema, Queer Sustainability, Gobal Sex Industry, Race, Gender and Enviromental Jutsice, Feminist Perspectives on Media)	4
WGS 632W	Feminist Thought	4
WGS 798W	Colloquium	4