University General Course Catalog 2023-2024 
    
    Nov 24, 2024  
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Gender, Race, and Identity (Ethnic Studies Specialization), B.A.

Students in the Gender, Race, and Identity major with the specialization in Ethnic Studies study race, ethnicity, and Indigeneity in historical and contemporary contexts and global and local settings. The major is grounded in an intersectional perspective, attending to the interrelationship of race, ethnicity, and Indigeneity with other forms of identity, difference, and power that include gender, sexuality, class, citizenship, nationality, religion, ability status, and other categories.  Our course program critically analyzes the construction of racial, ethnic, and Indigenous identities and communities in global and local contexts; examines racism and antiracism; and addresses key theories in studies of race, ethnicity, and Indigeneity. The Gender, Race, and Identity major with a specialization in Ethnic Studies provides an expressly interdisciplinary environment for learning, drawing widely on academic traditions in the social sciences and the humanities. Students gain tools to critically analyze and engage our world and to enact change in their communities and professions.

Note: Within the BA in Gender, Race, and Identity, students may fulfill the major with a specialization in Ethnic Studies (described and detailed here), or alternately may complete either a general course of study in the major, or the major with a specialization in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. The general major and the specialization in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies are each described in their own pages in the UNR course catalog. All options in the major are advised by the Department of Gender, Race, and Identity. 

Student Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to:

  • define and describe issues of race, ethnicity, and Indigeneity, with attention to their intersections with other forms of identity, difference, and power including gender, sexuality, class, and other categories.
  • critically compare and distinguish among historical and theoretical understandings of race, ethnicity, and Indigeneity and among experiences of peoples of color, racisms, and antiracisms in relation to structural inequality, social movements, and state power.
  • integrate and demonstrate comprehension of course content through oral presentations and critical, creative, and expository writing appropriate to audience.
  • analyze multiple dimensions of race, ethnicity, and Indigeneity from an interdisciplinary perspective, using a range of appropriate methodological tools.
  • integrate academic studies in the field of Ethnic Studies into personal and professional goals and be able to formulate and implement theoretically informed political, cultural, and community action.

Contact Information

Department of Gender, Race, and Identity
Thompson Building 106
(775) 682-6480
https://www.unr.edu/gender-race-identity

College of Liberal Arts Student Center
Thompson Building 101
(775) 682-8745
https://www.unr.edu/cla-advising

Transfer to the University of Nevada, Reno

Use the transfer agreement  and the degree planner (available by clicking  at the top right of this page) to build your plan for graduation with your advisor. Course substitutions not identified on the transfer agreement require UNR advisor approval.

If a major-to-major transfer agreement is not available for your transfer institution, please check the General Core agreement  if available. If neither is available, access Transferology to assist in your planning.

Admission Requirements

A grade of “B-” or higher in GRI 103 is a prerequisite for continuing in the major.

Graduation Requirements

  • Total Units | 120
  • Cumulative GPA | 2.0
  • University GPA | 2.0
  • Major GPA | 2.0
  • Residency Requirement |  30 Upper-Division Units at UNR
  • Major Residency Requirement | 15 Upper-Division Units in the major at UNR
  • Upper-Division Requirement | 42 Upper-Division Units

I. Core General Education Requirements (24-27 units)

NOTE: Refer to the Core Curriculum chapter of this catalog for information regarding  the “Core English and Math Completion Policy  .”

Students in this major must meet all Core Objectives (CO1 through CO14). Courses satisfying Core Objectives are designated (e.g., CO9) in General Catalog curricula and course descriptions.

A. Composition & Communication; Critical Analysis & Use of Information (3-6 units) - CO1, CO3

B. Quantitative Reasoning (3 units minimum) - CO2

Refer to the Core Curriculum chapter for a list of approved CO2  courses.

C. Physical & Natural Phenomena (6 units minimum) - CO4, CO4L

Refer to the Core Curriculum chapter for a list of approved CO4/CO4L  courses.

D. Cultures, Societies, & Individuals (3 units) - CO6

E. Artistic Composition, Interpretation, & Expression (3 units) - CO7

Refer to the Core Curriculum chapter for a list of approved CO7  courses.

F. History & Culture; Constitution (6 units) - CO5, CO8

Refer to the Core Curriculum chapter for a list of approved CO5 , CO8  courses.

II. Additional Core Requirements (15 units maximum)

Students must take courses that satisfy the following Core Objectives. Some or all of these Core Objectives may be satisfied in the Major Requirements (Section IV). Refer to the Core Curriculum  chapter in this catalog.

A. Science, Technology & Society - CO9

Refer to the Core Curriculum chapter for a list of approved CO9  courses.

B. Diversity & Equity - CO10

Choose one course. The following recommended courses can also be used in the major requirement:

C. Global Context - CO11

Choose one course. The following recommended courses can also be used in the major requirement:

D. Ethics - CO12

The following recommended courses can also be used in the major requirement:

E. Capstone Integration & Synthesis - CO13

Choose one course. The following recommended courses can also be used in the major requirement:

F. Application - CO14

Choose one course. The following recommended courses can also be used in the major requirement:

III. Additional College Requirements (6-20 units)

Units may vary depending on initial course placement in foreign language coursework.

A. World Language Requirement (0-14 units)

Students seeking this bachelor’s degree must demonstrate proficiency in a world language other than English equal to a fourth semester course level through one of the following options:

  1. complete a fourth semester college course in a world language other than English;
  2. demonstrate proficiency through a means determined by the Department of World Languages and Literatures including but not limited to minimum standardized test scores (CBAPE, SAT II, or IB), attaining a minimum aptitude on an accredited world language assessment test, or providing transcript evidence of a high school or equivalent diploma in which English was not the language of instruction; or,
  3. participate in a study abroad language program pre-approved by the Department of World Languages and Literatures to meet the world language requirement. 

Note: Four years of high school world language instruction does not automatically satisfy this requirement.

B. College Breadth Requirement (6 units)

Students seeking a Bachelor of Arts degree in the college shall be required to take, within the College of Liberal Arts, 6 units that are outside the departments in which they major or minor, and that exclude courses taken to fulfill the Core General Education requirements (Core Objectives 1 through 8).

IV. Major Requirements (33 units)

Students may choose either a thesis or non-thesis option for the major.

A grade of “B-” or higher in GRI 103 is a prerequisite for continuing in the major.

Courses taken through USAC and other approved study abroad programs may be used to complete the GRI major (with advisor approval).

A. Ethnic Studies Specialization Core Requirements (15 units)

Major Core 1 (3 units)

Majors must earn a “B-” or better in the following course:

Major Core 2 (6 units)

Complete any two of the following courses.

Senior Experience (6 units)

Majors will select either the thesis option or the non-thesis option.

Thesis Option

Complete the following.

Non-Thesis Option

Complete two courses that fulfill CO13 and/or CO14. Majors are strongly encouraged to complete both CO13 and CO14 with courses offered under a GRI prefix (ETS, GRI, HGPS, WMST), as provided in the list below. However, courses listed under electives that are offered outside the GRI department may be used to fulfill CO13 or CO14 with advisor approval.

B. Major Electives (18 units)

At least 9 units must be from Group 1 and at least 6 units must be from Group 2, as listed below. Major electives must include 12 units at the 300-400 level.

Where elective courses are cross-listed, the preference is that students in the GRI major enroll in the section of the course listed under a GRI prefix (e.g. ETS, GRI, HGPS, WMST). However, students may fulfill elective credit through cross-listed sections if needed.

Group 1: Communities and Contexts (9-12 units)

Courses that address racial, ethnic, and indigenous communities in historical and contemporary contexts. Note that in addition to those listed, GRI 498 and GRI 499 may apply to Group 1 with advisor approval and when designed to focus on particular racial, ethnic, and/or indigenous communities in historical or contemporary contexts.

To assist students in finding courses of interest, courses are grouped by their particular fields of study (Asian American and Pacific Islander Studies, Black Studies, Indigenous Studies, and Latinx Studies). Students may choose from any combination of these fields of study to fulfill requirements for Electives Group 1.

Asian American and Pacific Islander Studies offered by GRI
Asian American and Pacific Islanders offered outside of GRI
Black Studies offered by GRI
Black Studies offered outside of GRI
Indigenous Studies offered by GRI
Indigenous Studies offered outside of GRI
Latinx Studies offered by GRI
Latinx Studies offered outside of GRI

Group 2: Comparative, Relational, and Global (6-9 units)

Courses that address race, ethnicity, and indigeneity in comparative, relational, and global contexts or that offer conceptual approaches.

Group 2 offered by GRI
Group 2 offered outside GRI

V. Minor Requirements (18-21 units)

The major in Gender, Race, and Identity (Ethnic Studies specialization) accepts any minor approved by the College of Liberal Arts.

VI. Electives (4-24 units)

VII. Recommended Schedule

A. First Year

Fall Semester (16 units)

Spring Semester (16 units)

  • Major Core 2 (3 units)
  • (3 units) CO1, CO3 *
  • Physical & Natural Phenomena (3 units) CO4L
  • Foreign Language 112 (4 units)
  • Artistic Composition, Interpretation, & Expression (3 units) CO7

  • NOTE: * English and Math course placement is based on test scores. Please consult the Core Curriculum  chapter in this catalog.

B. Second Year

Fall Semester (15 units)

Spring Semester (15 units)

C. Third Year

Fall Semester (15 units)

  • GRI Electives fulfilling CO11 and CO12 (6 units)
  • College Breadth Requirement (3 units)
  • Minor (3 units)
  • General Elective (3 units)

Spring Semester (15 units)

  • GRI Electives (6 units)
  • 300-400 Level Minor (3 units)
  • Minor (3 units)
  • General Elective (3 units)

D. Fourth Year

Fall Semester (15 units)

  • GRI Elective (3 units)
  • 300-400 Level Minor (3 units)
  • General Elective (3 units)

Thesis Option:

  • GRI 451 – Senior Thesis I (3 units) **
  • Capstone Integration & Synthesis (3 units) CO13

Non-Thesis Option:

  • GRI Senior Experience fulfilling CO13 (3 units)
  • General Elective (3 units)

Spring Semester (13 units)

  • 300-400 Level Minor (3 units)
  • General Electives (7 units)

Thesis Option:

  • GRI 452 – Senior Thesis II (3 units) CO14 **

Non-Thesis Option:

  • GRI Senior Experience fulfilling CO14 (3 units)

** These courses are required for students pursuing the thesis option.

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