As of this Winter Quarter, there is a new minor offered for DU undergraduates. Critical Race and Ethnic Studies, according to their website, is a cross-disciplinary minor that requires the exposure to a minimum of three disciplines. It will aim to provide students with, “an opportunity to examine race and ethnicity as categories of social, political, historical and cultural analysis, in the United States and globally, through varied courses offering multiple perspectives.” The minor is supported by DU Impact 2025 and the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (CAHSS) Keystone Strategic Plan.
Associate Professor and Critical Race and Ethnic Studies Program Director, Elizabeth Escobedo said the minor, “emerged out of sustained conversation among students, faculty and staff about the notable absence of a race and ethnic studies program at DU. A majority of DU’s peer institutions offer such curricula, and protests by DU students from underrepresented populations over the years have continually pushed for such a program.”
To complete the minor, 20 credits are required with eight of those credits needing to be a 2000-level course or higher. The website mentions that, “if desired, students can create a targeted plan of study that focuses on specific academic interests and/or a specific community/population.” Some of the key program objectives include using various academic disciplines to engage in a critical examination of race and ethnicity, understanding the contributions and lived experiences of racialized populations in the U.S. and around the world and understanding how the subject intersects with other identities.
“The new Critical Race and Ethnic Studies minor is an important step in providing DU undergraduates an avenue to engage in a robust curriculum centered on race and ethnicity, and our hope is that the minor will contribute to efforts in creating a more inclusive and equitable campus community,” said Escobedo.
Classes applicable for the minor can be found online when students search “Critical Race and Ethnic Studies” in the attribute field when they register for classes. Anthropology, the school of Art & Art History, Communication Studies, Emergent Digital Practices, English and Literary Arts, History, Languages and Literatures, Media, Film and Journalism Studies, Lamont School of Music, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, Religious Studies, Sociology and Criminology are among the many fields students will be able to explore with the minor. Further details can be found on its website.
