Bachelor of Arts in Race and Ethnic Studies
University of Redlands
Key Information
Campus location
Redlands, USA
Languages
English
Study format
On-Campus
Duration
4 years
Pace
Full time
Tuition fees
USD 52,716 *
Application deadline
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Earliest start date
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* Fall, Spring, and May terms
Scholarships
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Introduction
In the Race and Ethnic Studies (REST) department, we study the complex and often challenging issues of race, ethnicity, and racism from an interdisciplinary perspective. Faculty and students work closely to explore: How have race and racism shaped America from its foundation to today? How have social justice movements transformed the meaning of American democracy? How does race matter today in the age of Trump?
Race and Ethnic Studies prepares our students to thrive in an increasingly diverse and global American society.
We do more than study race and ethnicity in the classroom. Students and faculty engage in community activities and work for social justice in Southern California's diverse communities.
- REST students lead diversity workshops on campus and design internships that let them explore careers in higher education.
- Students teach and learn alongside young people in the San Bernardino Juvenile Justice system through the REACH Program and shared Inside Out Classes.
- Students learn about immigration law, criminal justice reform, tribal government, public health, educational justice through internships, and partnerships with community organizations and agencies.
Degree Programs
The Major
The major consists of 48 credits. Race and Ethnic Studies is an interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary field of study. Requirements for the major are met through Race and Ethnic Studies (REST) courses, cross-listed concentration, and negotiable courses in other departments and programs. The major includes a foundation of core courses, a flexible area of emphasis where students pursue depth and concentration of knowledge in an area of their choice, breadth courses, and a capstone experience to integrate their studies.
The Minor
The minor consists of 24 credits. Students are required to take REST 120 Introduction to Race and Ethnic Studies (4). To ensure an interdisciplinary focus, students must select courses from two or more departments.
Bachelor of Arts Requirements
Core Requirements
All students are required to take both courses.
- REST 120 Introduction to Race and Ethnic Studies (4) – An overview of the field, looking at the experiences of major race and ethnic groups in the United States through interdisciplinary lenses.
- REST 351 Race Theory (4) – Examines key theoretical perspectives in REST, with the goal of helping students develop the reading, analytic, and writing skills needed to understand the theory and how it can be applied to issues of race and ethnicity
Area of Emphasis- 5 courses minimum
Majors must construct, in consultation with faculty and the director, an area of emphasis designed to develop depth and concentration of knowledge. At least one course must be a REST methods course or other methods course appropriate to the area of emphasis. All areas of emphasis and their course lists must be approved by the director.
The breadth of Courses- 4 courses minimum
Majors, in consultation with faculty and the director, must take four courses selected to complement the area of emphasis.
Capstone Courses
REST 401 (2 credits), 402 (2-4 credits)
Students should enroll in REST 401 in the first semester of their senior year. This 2-credit course will bring together all graduating majors and will be an opportunity to develop both a common understanding of REST and individual senior projects tied to areas of emphasis. In the second semester, students will enroll in REST 402 and work independently under the supervision of seminar faculty and faculty advisors to complete their senior project.
Program Philosophy and Goals
What are the goals of the Race and Ethnic Studies (REST) program?
Race and Ethnic studies programs across the United States grew out of student activism for social justice and racial equality in the 1960s. Since then, race and ethnic studies have developed into an important scholarly field that seeks to understand the rich diversity of communities and cultures in America, the inequalities that result from racism, and our struggles to achieve racial and social justice.
The REST Program is grounded on three core philosophical commitments:
- We believe that the study of race and ethnicity is a vital part of every student's liberal education. As California is now a “majority-minority” state, we all need to understand the diverse histories and social forces that shape our past and future.
- We recognize that it is hard to talk about race and ethnicity. Students often want to be “color blind” or worry that they might offend someone or be criticized if they talk about race. So we strive to create an open, safe, and honest environment to talk about race and ethnic issues in the classroom and across the University.
- We engage students in exploring race and ethnicity in the world around them, and in their own lives so that students can understand their own role in creating social change and racial justice.
Students who major or minor in Race and Ethnic Studies will learn to:
- Demonstrate an understanding of how racism has been embedded in social structures and institutions and how these structures affect people’s everyday lives;
- Demonstrate an understanding of how race is socially constructed and transformed over time;
- Present an analysis of racism as a form of oppression that operates in a dynamic, intersecting relationship with other forms of power and oppression;
- Show how interdisciplinary concepts and methods contribute to their understanding of race and racism);
- Demonstrate an understanding of how individual and collective action has and can be used to create social change and racial justice; and,
- Demonstrate analytic and integrative skills through written and oral communications.
General Education Requirements
General Education is a broad description of the curriculum that embodies our commitment to a liberal arts education at the University of Redlands. Our general education conveys the range of fields of study, ways of thinking, and practices of scholarship and creativity that enable students to graduate as critical thinkers capable of innovatively and collaboratively adapting to challenges that come their way in the future.
Our general education is comprised of a Liberal Arts Inquiry (LAI) or Liberal Arts Foundation (LAF) curriculum.
- Entering first-year students and transfer students arriving with fewer than 32 credits in Fall 2018 will follow the LAI curriculum.
- All transfer and returning students with 32 credits or more (i.e., sophomores, juniors, and seniors) in Fall 2018 will follow the LAF curriculum.
Admissions
English Language Requirements
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