Comparative Race and Ethnic Studies, concentration
Transform communities through understanding
Discover how race and ethnicity shape our world—and learn to reshape it for the better. Through comparative race and ethnic studies, you’ll develop the critical thinking skills to analyze how identity intersects with power, policy, and possibility across cultures and continents. This concentration empowers you to understand complex social dynamics, challenge systemic inequalities, and become an informed advocate for justice in whatever career path you choose.
Why Choose Comparative Race and Ethnic Studies?
As a student in the comparative race and ethnic studies concentration, you’ll examine the construction of race and ethnicity, and how they intersect with other structures of identity formation such as class, gender, sexuality, nationality, and legal status. The concentration also allows you to compare U.S. experiences with those of other racially and ethnically diverse countries around the world, both past and present.
Comparative race and ethnic studies is one of seven undergraduate programs affiliated with Clark’s Center for Gender, Race and Area Studies, a community of faculty and students who study diverse, disadvantaged, or marginalized societies and populations, with an emphasis on promoting social justice.
While you can combine this concentration with any major, it’s an especially good complement to majors in Asian studies; community, youth, and education studies; English; geography; history; international development and social change; management; political science; sociology; and women’s and gender studies.
Requirements
Students fulfilling the Comparative Race and Ethnic Studies concentration are required to take a minimum of six courses that carry the CRES attribute, including at least two courses in the humanities and two courses in the social sciences. At least one course must focus on race and ethnicity within the United States, and at least one must have a non-U.S. focus.
The undergraduate concentration requirements are distributed over three components as follows:
One comparative course that offers a comparative perspective on race and/or ethnicity.
Four elective courses selected from both the humanities and the social sciences. At least two electives must be at the 200-level.
One advanced seminar course approved by the student’s adviser.
Minimum number of courses to complete this concentration: 6
Hands-On Learning
As a complement to this concentration, you can engage in a variety of related experiential learning opportunities, including internships, study abroad, and research.
