Bachelor of Arts in Race, Ethnicity, and Health

The Bachelor of Arts in Race, Ethnicity, and Health provides students with the knowledge and skills required to understand and address racial and ethnic health inequities in the U.S. The program critically examines the root causes of health inequities and ways to alleviate these inequities to promote social and health justice among communities of color.

It provides a curriculum that is rooted in the strong history of the Ethnic Studies discipline “to prepare students for the increasingly multiethnic, multicultural society and an analysis of the challenges that Ethnic Studies faces within the system (CSU Task Force Report on the Advancement of Ethnic Studies, 2016).” The core curriculum of this program approaches public health with an Ethnic Studies lens to provide students with a critical understanding of various systems of oppression and racism preventing various racial and ethnic communities from achieving good health. Students majoring in Race, Ethnicity, and Health program prepare students for a career in public health by giving them experience working with racially and ethnically diverse populations. The core competencies of the program center on health inequity of communities of color and support of the agency of peoples of color.   

Learning Outcomes

  • Critically analyze the history and contemporary lived experiences of people of color in the U.S.
  • Examine social, cultural, and structural determinants of health, including racism and other forms of oppression, and how they impact the health of communities of color.
  • Evaluate theoretical framework and critique research within the field and practice of public health and establish their positions.
  • Apply the skills and knowledge acquired through course concepts and critical theories and methodologies toward the creation of evidence-based solutions to address the underlying root causes of racial and ethnic health inequities.
  • Apply principles of community-engaged scholarship and community service learning to promote and protect the health and well-being of communities of color.
  • Demonstrate through oral and written skills, an understanding of racial disparities and health inequities.