Program Summary

SOCIAL JUSTICE: ETHNIC STUDIES - Associate in Arts for Transfer

2024 - 2025

A Social Justice: Ethnic Studies Associate in Arts Degree can provide students with a comparative and interdisciplinary examination of the histories, cultures, and experiences of African Americans, Native Americans and Indigenous peoples, Latina/o/x peoples, and Asian and Pacific Islander Americans in the United States. Graduates of Ethnic Studies will demonstrate effective leadership skills, critical awareness of race and ethnicity, media literacy, and an ability to work collaboratively with diverse populations. The program prepares students for both transfer and graduate studies, as well as work with marginalized communities in fields like public administration and law, human services, social work, counseling, entrepreneurship, marketing, communications, education, politics, fine and performing arts, multicultural leadership, and more.

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The Associate Degree for Transfer is a special degree offered at California Community Colleges. Students who earn an AA-T degree in Social Justice: Ethnic Studies will be prepared to transfer and are guaranteed admission to a campus within the California State University (CSU) system in Ethnic Studies or a similar major, although not necessarily to a specific campus. Students who complete an AA-T are given priority consideration when applying to a particular program that is similar to the student’s community college major and will be given a special GPA advantage when applying to CSU impacted campuses or majors. Students who are planning to pursue an AA-T are strongly advised to meet with a counselor for additional information about this transfer program.

The Cuesta College AA-T degree in Social Justice: Ethnic Studies requires:

(1) Completion of 60 semester units or 90 quarter units that are eligible for transfer to the California State University, including both of the following:

(A) The Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) or the California State University General Education – Breadth Requirements.

(B) A minimum of 18 semester units or 27 quarter units in a major or area of emphasis, as determined by the community college district.

(2) Obtainment of a minimum grade point average of 2.0.

(3) Earn a 'C' or better grade in all courses required for the major area of emphasis. A "P" (Pass) grade is an acceptable grade for courses in the major.

 

Career Opportunities
Civil rights lawyer Immigration lawyer Government support agency worker Teacher Rehabilitation specialist Probation officer Advertising agent Paralegal Grant writer Curator Administrative analyst Public policy worker City planner Mass communication and broadcast journalist Clinical psychologist Social worker Secondary education worker Higher education worker, including professorships and academic/student support services.
  Required Core (3 courses, 9 credits)
Units: 9.0
ETHN 230
INTRODUCTION TO SOCIAL JUSTICE AND ETHNIC STUDIES
3.0
 
3.0
ETHN 219
INTRODUCTION TO QUEER STUDIES
3.0
OR
SOC 208
INTRODUCTION TO GENDER STUDIES
3.0
 
3.0
HIST 233
HISTORY OF AFRICAN AMERICANS
3.0
OR
COMM 212
INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION
3.0
OR
HSCI 208
MULTICULTURAL HEALTH SCIENCE
3.0
OR
HIST 203B
HISTORY OF WORLD CIVILIZATIONS
3.0
OR
MUS 238
MUSIC APPRECIATION: JAZZ HISTORY
3.0
OR
POLS 204
WORLD POLITICS
3.0
OR
SOC 206
INTRODUCTION TO RACE AND ETHNICITY
3.0
List A: Select three courses from at least two of the following Areas. Choose courses that are the best fit for your desired CSU campus and major, and that have not already been completed as part of the Required Core.
Units: 9.0-10.0
Area 1: History or Government
Units: 12.0
HIST 203B
HISTORY OF WORLD CIVILIZATIONS
3.0
HIST 212
HISTORY OF MEXICAN AMERICANS
3.0
HIST 233
HISTORY OF AFRICAN AMERICANS
3.0
POLS 204
WORLD POLITICS
3.0
Area 2: Arts and Humanities
Units: 27.0
ART 207
LATIN AMERICAN ART HISTORY I: ANCIENT
3.0
ART 208
SURVEY OF MEXICAN ART HISTORY II: COLONIAL TO CONTEMPORARY
3.0
ART 209
ART OF AFRICA, OCEANIA, AND INDIGENOUS NORTH AMERICA
3.0
ART 210
SURVEY OF ASIAN ART HISTORY
3.0
ART 211
SURVEY OF AFRICAN ART HISTORY
3.0
ENGL 213
ETHNIC LITERATURE OF THE UNITED STATES
3.0
ETHN 213
ETHNIC LITERATURE OF THE UNITED STATES
3.0
MUS 236
MUSIC APPRECIATION: WORLD MUSIC
3.0
MUS 238
MUSIC APPRECIATION: JAZZ HISTORY
3.0
Area 3: Social Science
Units: 36.0
ANTH 220
CALIFORNIA INDIANS
3.0
ANTH 221
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS
3.0
EDUC 210
ETHNIC STUDIES FOR EDUCATORS
3.0
ETHN 210
ETHNIC STUDIES FOR EDUCATORS
3.0
ETHN 211
CRITICAL WHITENESS STUDIES
3.0
ETHN 231
DECOLONIZATION AND RACIAL JUSTICE MOVEMENTS
3.0
ETHN 234
WOMEN OF COLOR
3.0
ETHN 235
RACE, ETHNICITY, AND POP CULTURE
3.0
ETHN 240
INTRODUCTION TO NATIVE AMERICAN AND INDIGENOUS STUDIES
3.0
ETHN 250
INTRODUCTION TO BLACK STUDIES
3.0
ETHN 260
INTRODUCTION TO CHICANX AND LATINX STUDIES
3.0
ETHN 270
INTRODUCTION TO ASIAN AMERICAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER STUDIES
3.0
Area 4: Quantitative Reasoning and Research Methods  (choose one only)
Units: 7.0
MATH 247
INTRODUCTION TO STATISTICS
4.0
PSYC 200
RESEARCH METHODS FOR THE BEHAVIORAL AND SOCIAL SCIENCES
3.0
Total: 18.0-19.0
Program Outcomes
Document and recall the social, political, cultural, and economic legacies of communities of color, including African Americans, Native Americans and Indigenous peoples, Latina/o/x peoples, and Asian and Pacific Islander Americans in the United States.
Present and explain the struggles faced by communities of color in the United States, including African Americans, Native Americans and Indigenous peoples, Latina/o/x peoples, and Asian and Pacific Islander Americans, with an emphasis on social movements and collective action.
Identify and articulate the lived experiences of four historically racialized core groups in the United States: Native Americans and Indigenous Peoples, African Americans, Asian Americans, and Latina/o/x Peoples.
Critically analyze the intersection of race, ethnicity, Indigeneity, gender, sexuality, class, immigration status, disability, and age.
Interpret primary and secondary sources using theories and concepts from the interdisciplinary field of Ethnic Studies.
Recognize the interdisciplinary nature of Ethnic Studies through the lenses of Chicana and Chicano Studies, Latina and Latino Studies, African-American Studies, Black Studies, Asian-American Studies, Native-American Studies, Africana Studies, Mexican-American Studies, Indigenous Studies, Filipino Studies, La Raza Studies, and Central American Studies.
Practice skills for action through meaningful collaborative relationships with campus and community organizations working toward positive social change.