Ethnic and Racial Studies program

mUndergrad minor

Develop awareness and understanding of the multiracial and multicultural reality of American society.

UWL's Ethnic and Racial Studies minor exposes students to the interdisciplinary field of ethnic and racial studies. Through core classes, students develop the skills and knowledge necessary for interacting with people from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds.

Employers increasingly seek individuals with awareness of ethnic and racial diversity, and with the skills to interact with people who come from a wide variety of national and international backgrounds. The intercultural competence developed through the minor is increasingly important when graduates interact with employers, co-workers, clients, and patients, as well as special interest groups, political groups, community groups, and the general public.

What is Ethnic and Racial Studies?

The Ethnic and Racial Studies (ERS) minor is an interdisciplinary degree designed to provide students with a better understanding of the enormous diversity of American society and culture. It also provides students with a practical understanding of the changing racial and ethnic structure of the American economy and workplace.

Careers in Ethnic and Racial Studies

Students with a minor in Ethnic and Racial Studies can directly apply the knowledge and skills they acquire to a variety of careers. The Ethnic and Racial Studies minor aims to broaden the skill set a graduate can offer to a potential employer in any of these areas.

Positions

  • Business
  • Marketing
  • Physical therapy
  • Healthcare and medicine
  • Counseling
  • Education
  • Social work
  • Government work at all levels
  • Community development and organizing
  • Policy development and law.

What distinguishes UWL's Ethnic & Racial Studies minor?

Interdisciplinary program for students from any major

The Ethnic and Racial Studies minor is open to students in all schools and colleges within UWL. The program uses an interdisciplinary approach, integrating concepts from disciplines throughout the university, to provide a comprehensive perspective on the historic treatment and the contemporary experiences of racial and ethnic minority groups in the U.S.
Study the unique experience of specific groups

Courses offered in the program related to specific groups include African, Hispanic/Latino, American Indians and, Asian/Pacific Islanders. These courses provide a more detailed examination of the groups to help promote an understanding of their unique experiences in the U.S.
Hmong and Hmong-American Studies Certificate

Housed in the Department of Ethnic and Racial Studies, the Hmong and Hmong-American Studies Certificate offers an excellent opportunity for students to learn about this rich culture and history. Through a set of carefully-structured courses, students use a critical lens to explore topics related to Hmong studies.
18-credit minor

Those students seeking a minor in ethnic and racial studies must complete a minimum of eighteen credits; twelve required from the Department of Ethnic and Racial Studies, and six elective credits from participating departments.

Sample courses

ERS 207 Multicultural Literature of the United States This course examines cultural themes in American literature in an effort to enhance student awareness of the multi-ethnic nature of American culture. Students engage in close reading, discussion, analysis, and interpretation of texts written by individuals from a variety of American ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Content varies with instructors. Prerequisite: ENG 110 or ENG 112 or concurrent enrollment in ENG 112. (Cross-listed with ENG/ERS; may only earn credit in one department.) Offered Fall, Spring.

ERS 210 Literature of Black America Survey and exploration of Black American prose and poetry from their eighteenth century beginnings to the end of the Harlem Renaissance and the depression years. Prerequisite: ENG 110 or ENG 112 or concurrent enrollment in ENG 112. (Cross-listed with ENG/ERS; may only earn credit in one department.) Offered Fall, Spring.

ERS 220 Introduction to Ethnic and Racial Stereotypes in the Media This course will trace how popular entertainment mediums such as film, television, books, comics, "wild west shows," music and cartoons have impacted perceptions of ethnic and racial groups from the early seventeenth century to the present. Besides analyzing the persuasive power of these types of mediums, it will examine why such representations were created and why they still persist. The mythopoeic image that surrounds American Indians, African Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanics, and other minority groups will be juxtaposed against the historical reality that these groups have faced and the contemporary inequalities that we still must confront. Prerequisite: ERS 100. Offered Fall, Spring.

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