Ethnic Studies

About Us

Department History

The Ethnic Studies Department was established in 1995 as the result of the hard work of a group of staff and faculty members from numerous disciplines who believed the time had come for such a department at OSU. The department began its full operation in 1996 and is now one of thirteen departments in the College of Liberal Arts. While there are several Ethnic Studies programs Oregon universities and colleges, ours is the only one with full departmental status.

Department Mission

The Department of Ethnic Studies aspires to provide an academic opportunity of excellence for critical, multidisciplinary investigation of the intersections race, gender, ethnicity, and sexuality, and of the articulated concerns of the four major racialized minority groups in the United States: Native Americans, African Americans, Asian Americans, and Chicanos/Latinos. The Department is currently expanding its offerings to include coverage of race and ethnicity in a global context.

The Role of Ethnic Studies at OSU

The Department of Ethnic Studies contributes to the mission and values of Oregon State University by:

• Offering a comprehensive major leading to a BA or BS degree in Ethnic Studies
• Offering a comprehensive minor that complements numerous fields of study
• Offering graduate work in conjunction with the Master of Interdisciplinary Studies Degree
• Expanding the knowledge base of the University and its ability to provide a compelling multicultural education to all students
• Expanding the knowledge base of the University as it relates to a global vision of social justice
• Contributing to the university's ability to prepare students for effective participation in an ethnically complex and increasingly diverse society
• Developing our students' skills in critical thinking and communication and their ability to apply these skills to situations requiring sensitivity to diversity
• Encouraging the expansion of ethnic minority faculty and students on campus
• Creating a bridge between the state's ethnic minority communities and OSU