Modern and Multicultural: Ethnic Studies Degree Programs

It's amazing to think about how interconnected and global the world is today. You can send an email to someone in Thailand, buy a book from Russia, and chat with a friend in Germany--all in the space of about ten seconds. Pursuing an online degree in ethnic studies can make those interactions more successful if you truly understand other cultures.

Typical Coursework for Ethnic Studies

Students enrolled in an ethnic studies degree program typically specialize in one particular culture such as the Chicano/Hispanic culture. But specialization does not mean isolation; an degree program in ethnic studies provides the opportunity to understand one culture by comparing and contrasting it to another. An online degree in ethnic studies is also interdisciplinary by nature. You can find yourself taking classes in a wide variety of fields, including:

• Anthropology
• Art
• Education
• History
• Law
• Literary criticism
• Political science

Each of these subjects can be examined through the lens of your cultural specialization.

After You Graduate

Many people who attend an ethnic studies degree program through online education eventually pursue jobs teaching other people about the culture that has so fascinated them. The median salary for ethnic studies teachers in 2007 was $59,150.
But teaching is by no means the only career available to ethnic studies degree program graduates. When you possess deep knowledge of a culture, you can work in various professions, such as:

• City planning
• Creative writing
• Education
• Public policy
• Administration

Choosing the correct minor to complement your ethnic studies degree can make you more marketable in the workplace. If you want to use your ethnic studies major to get into politics, for example, you might want to minor in political science.
Source:
University of California Berkeley, Department of Ethnic Studies

Andrew Freiburghouse is a writer and businessman. As a partner at Los Angeles tax preparation firm Pronto Income Tax of California, Inc., Andrew learned the fine art of growing a small business into a not-so-small business. Currently, Andrew lives in Brooklyn, NY.