American Ethnic and Minority Studies
NOTICE: School of Humanities and Social Sciences are currently in the process revising all its degrees. Please contact your advisor for more information.
The purpose of the Certificate in American Ethnic and Minority Studies is to offer you a focused program on diversity and culture issues related to American ethnic and minority literatures. The certificate is intended for students in the humanities, teaching, or social sciences who wish to pursue expertise in ethnic and minority studies. The certificate is designed to provide study in both cultural and literary expertise in ethnic and minority literatures.
The Certificate in American Ethnic and Minority Studies is open to both degree-seeking and non-degree-seeking students. Certain courses have prerequisites and you will first need to fulfill those prerequisites. If completing a Certificate in American Ethnic and Minority Studies, you will take courses in cultural diversity and will be exposed to a range of literature. You will complete ethnic and minority literature courses and select from electives in disciplines outside literature on diversity and culture.
Finally, a Certificate in American Ethnic and Minority Studies will provide you with knowledge in a focused area of study.
Certificate Requirements
- You must complete 18 credit hours selected from the courses listed below.
- At least 9 hours of the certificate must be completed on the IU East campus.
- You are required to obtain a grade of C or better for all courses used in the certificate. Your overall GPA must not be below 2.5 (C).
- You may include one independent study in your course plan. Independent studies must be approved by the certificate advisor.
- You must complete the appropriate prerequisite courses before beginning the certificate program.
- Courses for the certificate: 18 credit hours
Course Requirements
Contexts for Culture and Diversity Courses (6 cr)
Choose two from the following:- ANTH-A 104 Culture and Society (3)
- EDUC-M 300 Teaching in a Pluralistic Society (3)
- POLS-Y 206 Politics of American Ethnic Minorities (3)
- POLS- Y 480/PSYC-P 390 The Politics and Psychology of Hate (3)
- SOC-S 217 Sociology of Inequality (3)
- SPCH-S 427 Cross Cultural Communication (3) SWK-S 100 Understanding Diversity in a Pluralistic Society (3)
Credits from American Ethnic and Minority Literature (6 cr)
Choose two from the following:
- ENG-L 364 Native American Literature (3)
- ENG-L 370 Black American Writing (3)
- ENG-L 374 Ethnic American Literature (3)
- ENG-L 379 American Ethnic and Minority Literature (3)
Credits from American Ethnic and Minority Cultures (6 cr)
Choose two from the following:
- ANTH-E 320 Indians of North American (3)
- ANTH-P 360 Prehistory of North America (3)
- ANTH-A 400 Undergraduate Seminar: Folklore (3)
- POLS-Y 325 Women and Politics (3)
- POLS-Y 326 Black Politics (3)
- SOC-S 335 Race and Ethnic Relations (3)
- SPAN-S 290 Topics in Hispanic Culture (3) (taught in English)
- SPAN-S 284 Women in Hispanic Culture (3) (taught in English)
Note: Other courses may apply toward the certificate as approved by the certificate advisors.
Assessment/Evaluation
Progress toward the completion of the certificate will be monitored in a number of ways:
- You must have obtained a C or better in all courses applied to the certificate.
- You will demonstrate knowledge of American Ethnic and Minority culture and literature in your course work.
- You will compile a portfolio of three essays, completed for courses, and write a reflective essay of introduction. The portfolio will be reviewed by three faculty from HSS. Your advisor will coordinate the portfolio review process.
The campus learning objective to be focused on for the certificate: depth of knowledge. Criteria to be measured: understanding of ethnic and minority social and cultural issues, MLA and APA documentation style, application of text- based research, and awareness of social and cultural issues of importance to Latino cultures.
