Social Justice Studies: Ethnic Studies, Associate in Arts for Transfer
An Associate of Arts in Social Justice Studies for Transfer is a unique degree that aligns with various topic-specific degrees that are offered at many four-year institutions, providing interdisciplinary education and preparing students for a seamless transfer into Ethnic Studies, Gender Studies, Social Justice Studies, and related majors in the California State University system, where they can customize their upper-division courses to earn a baccalaureate degree.
Social Justice Studies is interdisciplinary and interrogates the multiple meanings of diversity. It engages students in a critical evaluation of historical, cultural, and social movements, and lived experiences and socio-economic issues of diverse communities. The goal of social justice studies is to prepare students to be critical thinkers and engaged members of society who can solve social concerns in their communities as well as successfully work and live in a variety of environments.
A degree in Social Justice Studies can be used in social work, education, law, community or social services, cultural arts, legislative advocacy, politics, human rights development, and in local, state, federal, and international governmental agencies. Students must complete the Associate Degree for Transfer requirements to earn the AA-T degree.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the program, students will be able to:
- Explain and analyze theories of Social Justice, the history of social activism, and social movements.
- Engage in critical reflection about social justice rooted in community-based experiences that develop cultural competency in local and global contexts.
- Define and use key concepts, terminology, and theoretical frameworks central to the interdisciplinary fields of Ethnic Studies or Gender and Women’s Studies.
- Articulate symbolic and aesthetic expressions based on ethnicity or gender.
Associate in Arts for Transfer Degree Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Required Core | ||
| Select three courses from the following: | 9 | |
| Introduction to Ethnic Studies | ||
| Introduction to Race and Ethnicity | ||
| Introduction to Gender and Women’s Studies | ||
| Introduction to Gender and Sexuality | ||
| List A | ||
| Select three courses from at least two of the following areas: | 9-10 | |
| Area 1: History or Government | ||
| African-Americans in American Politics | ||
| Latinos in American Politics | ||
| Chicano History 1848 to Present | ||
| African Americans in U.S. History to 1877 | ||
| African Americans in U.S. History 1865 to Present | ||
| Area 2: Arts and Humanities | ||
| Mexican-American and Chicano Art | ||
| African-American Arts and Music | ||
| Ethnic Images in Film | ||
| Area 3: Social Science | ||
| Sociology of Latinos and Latinas | ||
| Native Peoples of North America | ||
| Asian Pacific Americans in American Society | ||
| Area 4: Quantitative Reasoning and Research Methods (Only one course may be used to satisfy List A.) | ||
| Elementary Statistics | ||
or PSYC 19 | Introduction to Statistics for the Social Sciences | |
or SOCI 19 | Introduction to Statistics for the Social Sciences | |
| Area 5: Major Preparation | ||
| Introduction to Cultural Anthropology | ||
| Gender in Global Perspective | ||
| Introduction to Sociology | ||
| Contemporary Social Problems | ||
| TOTAL MAJOR UNITS | 18-19 | |
| Additional Requirements | 41-42 | |
| Complete CSU General Education or IGETC pattern and electives, if needed, for a total of 60 transferable units. | ||
| Total Units | 60 | |
Please refer to the graduation requirements section of the Catalog for information about degree and certificate requirements including Reading and Writing, Mathematics, Information Competency, and General Education requirements.
The model sequence of coursework below is one pathway for students to complete the program. The information below is not an official educational plan. An MPC Counselor can assist you with creating a personalized education plan based on your academic, career, and personal goals. Visit MPC’s Counseling website for more information about Counseling and up-to-date program requirements.
Suggested 2-Year Course Sequence
| Year 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Units | |
| ENGL 1A or ENGL 1AE | College Composition or College Composition: Enhanced | 3 |
| MATH 16 | Elementary Statistics or Introduction to Statistics for the Social Sciences or Introduction to Statistics for the Social Sciences | 4 |
| ETNC 10 | Introduction to Ethnic Studies | 3 |
| ETNC 13 | Introduction to Race and Ethnicity | 3 |
| GWOS 1 | Introduction to Gender and Women’s Studies | 3 |
| Units | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| ENGL 2 | Argumentative Writing and Critical Thinking | 3 |
| ETNC 4 or ETNC 5 | Mexican-American and Chicano Art or African-American Arts and Music | 3 |
| ETNC 16 or ETNC 18 | African-Americans in American Politics or Latinos in American Politics | 3 |
| IGETC Area 5A and 5C | 4 | |
| Electives (CSU/UC Transferable) | 3 | |
| Units | 16 | |
| Year 2 | ||
| Fall | ||
| SPCH 1 or SPCH 2 | Public Speaking (CSU Requirement) or Small Group Communication | 3 |
| IGETC Area 3B (ETNC 24 or ETNC 25 Recommended) | 3 | |
| IGETC 5B (ANTH 2 Recommended) | 3 | |
| Electives (CSU/UC Transferable) | 3 | |
| Electives (CSU/UC Transferable) | 3 | |
| Units | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| IGETC Area 3A or 3B | 3 | |
| IGETC Area 6 (UC Requirement) or Electives (CSU/UC Transferable) | 5 | |
| Electives (CSU/UC Transferable) | 3 | |
| Electives (CSU/UC Transferable) | 2 | |
| Units | 13 | |
| Total Units | 60 | |
MPC transfer programs are designed to enable students to complete lower-division requirements in preparation for transfer to a baccalaureate-granting institution.
The Student Transfer Achievement Reform Act (Senate Bill 1440, codified in California Education Code sections 66746-66749) guarantees admission to California State University (CSU) system for any community college student who earns an Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT), although not to a particular campus or major. Upon transferring to a CSU campus that accepts the Associate in Arts for Transfer (AA-T) or Associate in Science for Transfer (AS-T), students will be required to complete no more than 60 upper-division units to earn a bachelor’s degree in a same or similar major (unless designated as a “high-unit” major).
The following Associate Degree for Transfer requirements must be completed to earn the AA-T or AS-T degree:
- Minimum of 60 CSU-transferable semester units;
- Minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 in all CSU-transferable coursework (while a minimum of 2.0 is required for admission, some majors may require a higher GPA);
- Completion of a minimum of 18 semester units as detailed in the Major Requirements;
- Completion of all courses in the major with a grade of C or better (or a “P” if the course is taken on a “Pass/No Pass” basis);
- Certified completion of the California State University General Education-Breadth pattern (CSU GE-Breadth) pattern; OR the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) pattern.
All students should consult with a Counselor to discuss transfer pathways and specific university admission requirements. Visit MPC’s Counseling website for more information about Counseling services provided by MPC and to connect with a Counselor.