Master of Arts - Ethnic Studies

Program Description

The Master of Arts in Ethnic Studies is designed to increase students’ knowledge and understanding of the experiences of people of color. The program provides training in techniques for the analysis of historical and contemporary social issues related to these experiences and the curriculum develops students’ capacity to structurally assess, plan, and evaluate social policies aimed at the resolution of these issues. Although the focus remains primarily on the condition of Asian Americans, African Americans, Latinas/os/x, and American Indians, the program is increasingly concerned with mixed-race studies, sexuality studies, diaspora studies, postcolonial criticism, theories of racial formation, the experiences of multiple communities of color, theories/practices of resistance, and social movements.

The Master of Arts in Ethnic Studies is designed to prepare individuals for advanced graduate work leading to the doctorate or professional roles in teaching, research, and administration within both the public and private sectors. The theoretical and conceptual tools of several disciplines are critically utilized and analyzed. The program applies cutting-edge analyses, such as cultural studies, postcolonial, feminist and queer perspectives, to instruction, research, and community involvement. Both scholarly and activist engagements with the surrounding San Francisco Bay Area communities of color are encouraged and expected.

The Master of Arts Program in Ethnic Studies is an opportunity to engage in interdisciplinary graduate research that empowers students to continue their commitment to social justice through both scholarship and community engagement.