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Studies & Degrees in Ethnic Studies

Ethnic studies is the interdisciplinary and comparative study of racial and ethnic groups: their history, social position, politics, culture and economic life. The field took shape in the United States, and the US Department of Education's classification of study programmes still defines it around North American groups, including African Americans, American Indians and Native Americans, Hispanic Americans and Asian Americans. Many departments now work on a wider scale. The Ethnic Studies Department of the University of California San Diego, for example, describes its subject as the interdisciplinary study of race, ethnicity, indigeneity, gender, sexuality, class and dis/ability.

Students read history, sociology, literature, political science and anthropology side by side. They learn to analyse sources, compare the experience of different communities, write and argue clearly, and often carry out research or placements with local organisations. The University of Washington describes its Department of American Ethnic Studies as a multidisciplinary department that gives students a foundation in race and ethnic studies and opportunities to work with local communities.

Qualifications and levels

Ethnic studies is taught almost entirely at universities, in three forms.

  • Bachelor's degree with a major in ethnic studies. In the US system students take the major alongside general courses over a four-year degree. At the University of Washington the major in American Ethnic Studies requires a minimum of 60 credits (12 courses), and students choose one of four concentrations: African American Studies, Asian American/Pacific Islander Studies, Chicano/a Studies or Comparative AES.
  • Minor or certificate. A shorter set of courses added to another major. The University of Colorado Boulder offers a major and a minor in Ethnic Studies, with courses on the foundations of the field and on Chicanx, Indigenous, Africana and Asian American Studies.
  • Graduate degrees. Master's and PhD programmes prepare students for research and university teaching. The University of Colorado Boulder states that it is one of the few programmes in the country to offer a PhD in Critical Ethnic Studies. The University of California San Diego also has a PhD programme.

Some universities do not use the name "ethnic studies" and organise the field by community instead. The official US classification lists African-American/Black Studies, American Indian/Native American Studies, Hispanic-American, Puerto Rican and Mexican-American/Chicano Studies, and Asian-American Studies as separate programmes next to Ethnic Studies. At The University of Texas at Austin, the Department of Social and Cultural Analysis offers undergraduate and graduate programmes in African and African Diaspora Studies, American Studies, and Mexican American and Latina/o Studies.

Where to study it

SpainExchange lists 18 active schools for ethnic studies. Seventeen are in the United States and one is in the Netherlands, Utrecht University. The US schools include large public universities such as the University of Washington, the University of California San Diego, The University of California at Berkeley, the University of Colorado at Boulder and The University of Texas at Austin. Private universities and colleges on the list include Duke University, Vanderbilt University, The University of Chicago, Colorado College and Hope College. Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado, and Montgomery College, a community college in Maryland, are also listed.

The language of instruction at the US schools is English. International applicants need to meet each university's general admission and English-language requirements; there is no separate entrance exam for the subject. Many of these departments have a long history. The department at the University of Washington was established in 1985 by reorganising ethnic studies programmes that had emerged there in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Careers

Ethnic studies is not a professional qualification for one occupation. Graduates use the degree as a base for work with diverse communities or for further study. The University of Washington reports that many of its alumni work as public servants, educators, attorneys or scholars, and lists professions such as academic adviser, civil rights director, community affairs specialist, educator and human resources. Law, teaching and social work usually require an additional professional degree or licence.

University teaching in the field is a small occupation. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) counts 14,300 postsecondary teachers of area, ethnic and cultural studies in 2025 and projects 14,700 in 2035, an increase of 3 percent. It notes that postsecondary teachers typically must have a PhD or other doctoral degree in their field.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between ethnic studies and area studies?

Area studies focus on a region of the world, such as Latin America or East Asia. Ethnic studies focus on racial and ethnic groups within a society and on how they relate to each other. The official US classification places both in the same family of programmes.

Can I study ethnic studies outside the United States?

Options are limited. Of the 18 schools listed on SpainExchange, 17 are in the United States and one is in the Netherlands. In other countries the same questions are usually studied within sociology, anthropology, history or cultural studies.

How long does a degree in ethnic studies take?

A US bachelor's degree normally takes four years, with the major as one part of it. At the University of Washington the major itself is a minimum of 60 credits, or 12 courses.

What can I do with a degree in ethnic studies?

Graduates work in education, public service, community organisations, human resources and advocacy, or continue to law school or graduate study. A university teaching career typically requires a PhD.