Undergraduate Certificate in Race & Social Justice

See the program description flyer (.pdf)

The Undergraduate Race & Social Justice is housed in the College of Arts & Sciences Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program.

We are grateful to Dr. Scarlett Higgins, Director and Farah Nousheen, Academic Advisor who provide administrative support.

To make the most of this certificate, we advise all interested students to meet with Dr. Nancy López, the faculty advisor.

Additionally, you are required to meet at least one time with Farah for administrative purposes. Please use LoboAchieve.unm.edu to schedule an appointment with Farah.

Advisement Sheet
Syllabi Rubric (.pdf)

The certificate requires 12 credits from the RSJ Approved Courses list below. Six credits must be 300-level or above. All courses must receive a grade of B or above. Students may be petition courses to count if not on the RSJ Courses List.

Are you an instructor teaching topics of race?

We can still include your course. Just email Dr. Nancy López (nlopez@unm.edu) with the course information including the syllabus.

Student Group

In partnership with the Diversity Council, the Institute for the Study of “Race” & Social Justice Advisory Board at the University of New Mexico developed a certificate that offers students across schools, colleges and departments the opportunity to have a transcripted specialization in "Race and Social Justice." Envisioned as an interdisciplinary experience, the certificate in race and social justice contributes to UNM's portfolio of innovative engaged scholarship, teaching and service.

Broad Learning Goals

Students will understand and identify the historical, political, social, psychological, cultural, and/or economic dimensions of race, racialization, difference and power, integrating these into an interdisciplinary perspective.
Students will be able to critically read/write about, discuss, and engage in scholarly inquiry related to race and social justice.
Students will acquire a basic level of knowledge about U.S. and/or local, global race and social justice movements.
Students will be aware of community-engaged research and teaching opportunities as well as career and post-graduate opportunities their certificate makes possible.

Student Learning Outcomes

Students will recognize, assess and apply the major theoretical frameworks for understanding racial inequality and equity across a variety of social outcomes, including health, housing, education, early childhood, employment and criminal justice, the arts and other arenas
Students will learn to recognize the macro (global, national, municipal/local), meso (institutional) and micro (experiential/individual) dimensions of the social construction of race and racialization processes in a given sociohistorical context.
Students will learn how to understand the national and international processes and issues to identify and describe at least two dimensions of race as a social construction (e.g., historical, political, social, cultural, economic) and identify solutions to contemporary racial inequalities.
Students will integrate knowledge and scholarly approaches across disciplines, apply an interdisciplinary approach, and account for the international context of race and social justice as they prepare for comprehensive exams, dissertations and masters theses in their respective disciplines.
Students will develop critical thinking about the social construction of race and its intersections with other social/structural inequalities, such as class, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, citizenship, disability, religion, etc.
Students will enhance their research, writing and public speaking skills as they will present and discuss their research on race and social justice in compelling, coherent, clear analytical arguments.
Students will complete their coursework with a minimum grade of B.
Students will develop the ability to engage in deep self-reflection and develop competency for dialogues on race and social justice and/or communication skills.
Students will find and evaluate career and post-graduate opportunities available to students who have a transcripted graduate certificates in race and social justice.

Undergraduate Race & Social Justice Courses at University of New Mexico, UNM

Last updated 11/4/2020

The undergraduate certificate in Race and Social Justice requires completion of 12 credit hours from a list of approved courses. These courses must be completed with grades of "B" or better. Up to 6 credit hours may be completed in one department, including a maximum of 3 credit hours of independent study. A minimum of 6 credit hours must be completed at the upper-division (300-level or above). No more than 6 credit hours may come from lower-division courses. Courses may double-count with program core or elective requirements from any department.

Students take a total of four courses, but they must be in three different departments. At least two must be 300 or 400 level. If you are interested in having your course listed, please review the learning outcomes listed above and email the syllabus to Dr. Nancy López nlopez@unm.edu.

Students: If your course is not listed, set up an appointment with Farah Nousheen, Academic Advisor on Loboachieve.unm.edu or email nousheen@unm.edu.

AFST

104/1110. Intro to Africana Studies
AFST/CCS/V/WMST/SUS 109. Introduction to comparative global and ethnic societies
249. Race and the Black Male
250/2110. Survey of African American History
255/2140. Black Women and the Diaspora
297. Black Lives Matter
299. Black Leadership [Black Leaders in the U.S.]
303. Black Liberation and Religion [Introduction to Black Liberation and Religion]
307. Blacks in the Southwest [Blacks in the U.S. West]
309. Black Politics
315. Race and the Law
317. Civil Rights Movement
333. Black Political Theory
335. Sociology of Black Communities
340. Race and Globalization
345. Foundations in Critical Race Theory
388. Blacks in Latin America [Blacks in Latin America I]
395. Education and Colonial Africa [Education and Colonial West Africa]
396. Emancipation and Equality
398. Africana Philosophy and Methods
399. Race, Culture and Education [Culture and Education]
453. African American Art
497. Advanced Community Organizing

AMST

182/1110. Intro Envir & Social Justice
183/1120. Introduction to Gender Studies
185/1140. Intro Race Class Ethnicity
1996. Intro to Asian American Studies (Crosslisted with POLS1996/SOCI398)
252. The Native American Experience
309. Topics in Social Movements
311. Youth, Power and Social Movements
320. Topics in Environmental and Social Justice
330. Topics in Gender Studies
340. Topics in Popular Culture
348. Hip Hop and Ya Don't Stop
341 Feminist Cinema
350 / 550. Topics in Race, Class, Ethnicity
351. Blacks in the Southwest [Blacks in the U.S. West]
353. Race Relations in America
356 Indigenous History
363 Chicano Latino Film
468. Navajo Expressive Culture

ANTH

339. Human Rights in Anthropology
340. Health & Social Inequalities

CCST/CCS

109/1110. Intro to Comparative Global and Ethnic Studies (Crosslisted with AMST 201 NATV 201)
201/1125. Intro Chicana Chicano Studies (Crosslisted with AMST 201 NATV 201)

CCS

310. Immigration and Assimilation
320. Cine Chicano y Mundial
330. Transnational Latina Feminisms
332. Introduction to Chicana Studies
336. Chicana Feminisms
340. Mexican Civilization
342. Race, Culture, Gender, Class in New Mexico History
360. Chicano Latino Civil Rights
362. Chicana and Chicano Movement: El Movimiento Chicano
364. Raza Genders and Sexualities
370. Chicana and Chicano Cultural Studies
372. New Mexico Villages and Cultural Landscapes
374. New Mexico's Literary Landscapes and Beyond
384. Community-Based Learning in Chicana and Chicano Studies
393. Various Topics
460. Chicanos and Latinos in a Global Society
480. New Approaches in Chicana and Chicano Studies
490. Advanced Seminar in Chicana and Chicano Studies

115. Communication Across Cultures
313. EcoCultural Communication: Humans and "The Environment"
314. Intercultural Communication
317. International Cultural Conflict and Community Building
318. Language, Thought and Behavior
319. Language and Culture
326. Gender and Communication
393. Antiracist Education
413. Studies in Intercultural Communication
438. Communicating Community, Food, and Change: Lobo Gardens
469. Multiculturalism, Gender and Media

CRP

165. Social Issues in Urban and Regional Development [Community and Regional Planning, Introduction]
335/435. Community Economics for Planners
403. Community-Based Practice
473. Planning on Native American Lands
474. Cultural Aspects of Community Development Planning
486. Planning Issues in Chicano Communities

EDUC

330L. Teaching of Reading to Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students I
331L. Teaching of Reading to Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students II

ENGL

264/2560. Introduction to Native American Literature [Survey of Native Literatures and Rhetorics]
265/2540. Introduction to Chicana/o Literature
266/281/2610. African-American Literature I
308. The Jewish Experience in American Literature and Culture
330. Reading and Diversity
364. Topics in Native American Literature and Culture
365. Chicana/o Cultural Studies
366/381. African-American Literature II
464. Advanced Studies in Native American and Indigenous Literature [Advanced Studies in Native Literatures and Rhetorics]
465. Chicana/o Literature
466. African-American Literature
479. Postcolonial Literatures

484. Ethnic Minority Families

HED/HLED

247/2530. Fundamental Human Sexuality
482. Social Determinants of Multicultural Health

HIST

346. Native America to 1850
347. Native America, 1850-1940
348. Native America Since 1940
434 History of American Capitalism
442. Queer History
444. Native Americans & Celts
463. Hispanic Frontiers in North America
464. U.S.-Mexico Borderlands
465. History of Mexican Immigration
472. Women in Modern Latin America
473. Indigenous Peoples of Latin America
474. Slavery and Race Relations in the Americas
482. Raj: India During British Rule

LLSS

175/1110. Foundations of American Indian Education (offered fall, spring)
315. Educating Linguistically and Culturally Diverse Students
321. School and Society (offered fall, spring and summer sessions)
393. Anti-racist Education
449. Teaching the Native Language to the Native Speaker
460. Language and Education in Southwest Native American Communities
479. The Teaching of Reading in the Bilingual Classroom (La Ensenanza de la Lectura)
493. Navajo Language & Education

NATV

150/1150. Intro to Native American Studies
252. The Native American Experience
255. Topics in Native American Studies
300. Research Methods in Native American Contexts
305. Indigenous Self-Determination in Education
315. Language Recovery, Revitalization and Community Renewal
322. Principles of Federal Indian Law
325. Tribal Government
326. Tribal Gaming
348. Native American Activism
351. Individual Study
352. Internship
385. Indigenous Worldviews
402. Education, Power and Indigenous Communities
423. Self-Determination and Indigenous Human Rights
424. Principles of Leadership in Indigenous Contexts
436. Environmental Ethics and Justice in Native America
445. Politics of Identity
450. Topics in Native American Studies
461. Community-Based Learning in Indigenous Contexts
462. Native American Narrative
474. Seminar: Applying Traditions of Native American Philosophy
480. Building Native Nations: Community Revitalization, Culture, Decolonization, and Indigenous Thought
486. Contemporary and Traditional Views on Indigenous Leadership

PCST

102/1110. Introduction to Peace Studies
306. Peace and Conflict
307. Nonviolent Alternatives
340. Topics in Peace Studies

POLS

254/354/360. Introduction to Latin American Society I: Social Sciences
308. Hispanics in U.S. Politics
309. Black Politics

RELG

303. Black Liberation and Religion [Introduction to Black Liberation and Religion]. (Also under AFST)

SOCI/ SOC

216/2315. Dynamics of Difference, Power and Discrimination
221/2340. Documenting Globalization and Human Rights
300. Social Welfare: Policies and Programs
308 Sociology of Gender
328. Sociology of Native Americans
331. Social Movements
346. Health and Social Inequalities I
347. Health and Social Inequalities II
351. The Urban Community
398. Islamic Fundamentalism
412. Sociology of Police & Social Control
420. Race & Inequality
424. Race, Class, & Crime
428. Sociology of Mexican Americans
430. Intersectionality: Race, Gender, Class for Social Policy
452. Community Organizing and the Struggle for Justice in America

GNDR/WMST

109. Comparative Global Societies
200/2110. Intro to Gender Studies
250. Black Women
255. Black Women and the Diaspora
304. Feminist Theories: Identity, Knowledge, and Power
313. Women and the Law
325. Race, Class and Feminism
331. Transnational Feminisms
332. Introduction to Chicana Studies
335. Lesbian Culture and Politics
336. Queer Theories
339. Women and Cultural Violence
353. Women and Creativity
355. Black Womanist and Feminist Theories
415. The History of Reproduction
498. Feminism in Action