Program Overview

Race and Ethnic Studies

Program Overview

Race and Ethnic Studies is an interdisciplinary certificate in which students explore U.S. race and ethnic relations through the varied lenses of literature, history, anthropology, and sociology. Completing a sequence of Race and Ethnic Studies courses will challenge students to think critically about the roles that race and ethnicity have played in their own lives and in the development of the United States. As such, students will broaden their appreciation and knowledge of the diversity of peoples, identities, aesthetics, and cultural traditions that make up the mosaic of the United States. Students will develop an understanding of the cultural, social, and political experiences of people of color in the U.S., explore structural inequalities and forms of resistance, and study how race and ethnicity are connected to issues that at first may seem unrelated.

Program Details

• Program Number: CERT
• Degree: Certificate
• Area of Study: Education and Social Sciences
• Delivery Method: 100% In Person, 100% Online, Some Online/Some In Person
• Estimated Time to Complete: 12 Credits | Finish in 1 semester
• Estimated Program Cost: $2,537.84

Curriculum and Experience

• Required Course:
  • Race and Ethnicity in the U.S. (3 credits)
• Additional Requirement:
  • Complete nine credits from the listed courses:
    • World Indigenous Literatures (3 credits)
    • Ethnic Literature (3 credits)
    • Indigenous American History (3 credits)
    • African American Literature (3 credits)
    • U.S. Latino Literature (3 credits)
    • Native American History (3 credits)
    • US Latino History (3 credits)
    • African American History (3 credits)
    • Asian American History (3 credits)
    • Blues to Hip-Hop: Black American Music (3 credits)
    • Introduction to Diversity Studies (3 credits)
    • Education in a Pluralistic Society (3 credits)
    • Introduction to Hmong American Studies (3 credits)
    • Cultural Anthropology & Human Diversity (3 credits)
    • Honors-Ethnic Studies (3cr) (3 credits)

Admission

• Admission Requirements: There are no admission requirements for this certificate.
• Application Dates:
  • Fall 2025: Application open, Application completion deadline is October 15, 2025
  • Spring 2026: Application available on September 15, 2025, Application completion deadline is March 15, 2026
• Additional Notes:
  • Certificate programs are not eligible for financial aid
  • Class capacity is limited and is available on a first come, first served basis
  • Students who have already completed the certificate coursework at the time of application will receive the certificate diploma at the end of the term of application

Career Outcomes

• Critical Job Skills: By understanding diverse life experiences, students not only gain perspectives relevant to their personal lives but also develop critical and employer-sought skills they can utilize in the 21st century workforce.
• Transfer Pathways: Many courses offer a direct one-to-one transfer to University of Wisconsin schools. Direct transferability varies according to major and college of choice. Check with your advisor and transfer school for verification of qualified courses. This certificate also serves as a gateway to many related majors, such as Social Work, History, English, and Sociology.
• Academic and Professional Development: Interested students may choose to pursue opportunities for service learning, internships, conference presentations and undergraduate publishing. Consult your instructor or certificate coordinators for more information.
• Honors Program Participation: Interested students may choose to participate in the Honors Program, working one-on-one on an Honors Project in Ethnic Studies with a supervising faculty member who teaches one of the certificate courses.
• Earn Credits toward an Associate Degree: Most Race and Ethnic Studies Certificate courses count towards the University Transfer Ethnic Studies requirement. In addition, credits may be used as electives for the University Transfer associate degree. The certificate includes courses across several disciplines, including english, history, anthropology, and sociology.
• Address six of the eight Madison College Core Abilities: Core abilities are identified by Madison College as the critical skills graduates gain during the course of their studies and use as lifelong learners on the job, at home and in the community. The Race and Ethnic Studies Certificate curriculum contributes to the following core abilities: communication, critical thinking, ethics, global and cultural perspectives, self-management, and social interaction.

Related Programs

• Gender and Women's Studies
• Interdisciplinary Global Studies
• University Transfer - Arts and Humanities