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A Proposal For An M.A. Degree In Ethnic Studies Or A Ph.D. Degree In Comparative Racial And Ethnic Studies In The Department Of Ethnic Studies At The University Of Colorado At Boulder
Prepared by William M King
December, 1994
University of Colorado
First revision: January, 1996
Second Revision, February, 1996
Third Revision, April, 1996
Fourth Revision, May, 1996
Fifth Revision, October 1996
at Boulder
[Bold items in the text below reflect either additions or corrections to
earlier drafts.]
Persons who are accepted (possession of a Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university is required) into and successfully complete this program will develop expertise in the life and history of one of the four groups that make up the constituency of the Department. Likewise, individuals will develop a minor in the life and history of at least one other of the constituent groups in a comparative context. Although the theory and literature subtending an examination of the black community is more well known, there are comparable theories and literatures for each of the other groups included in DES, and these must be brought together to increase the number of and improve the quality of the comparative studies of the four groups that have been done to effect a suitable data base from which implications about the various hues of knowledge production in the respective communities might be pursued.
Each student admitted into the joint M.A./ Ph.D. program of the Department of Ethnic Studies at the University of Colorado at Boulder, will prepare, during the first year of study, in concert with a graduate advisor, a personalized learning plan (PLP) that outlines the desired areas of work, the major and minor questions to be explored, and the materials and methods required to complete the intended course of study. The PLP will then become a guide for the twenty-four (24) for the Masters or sixty (60) semester hours worth of courses, seminars, guided readings and directed researches beyond the Bachelor of Arts Degree required to complete the classwork portion of the degree program and write either a thesis -- six (6) semester hours-- for the M.A. or dissertation--twelve (12) semester hours for the Ph.D.,--under the supervision of one or more departmental faculty members. It should also be noted here that a student might want to pursue a cognate traditional discipline to enhance one's employability. Where this is the case, early and frequent consultation with the affected department, and the selection of one or more members of that department to be part of the student's faculty advisory committee is encouraged.
Before students can take their comprehensive examinations, of which there will be two for the Masters (one written and one oral) and three for the doctorate ( two written: one in the major field, one in the minor field, and one oral, which will be comparative in character), they must submit a thesis/ dissertation proposal (not more than five [5] pages in length) which outlines the intended project, a statement of the personal and scholarly significance of the project, the materials and methods required for its completion, potential funding sources, anticipated difficulties, and a projected date of completion. Further, these examinations must be successfully completed before any student will be allowed to register for the master's thesis/ doctoral dissertation seminar, ETHN 6950/ ETHN 8900. Listed below are representative course titles and descriptions that might be taken to satisfy the partial requirements of either degree
[NOTE: THESE ARE ILLUSTRATIVE TITLES ONLY AND DO NOT MEAN, NOR SHOULD THEY BE TAKEN TO MEAN THAT THESE ARE ALL OR THE ONLY COURSES THAT WILL BE OFFERED IN THE GRADUATE CURRICULUM OF THE DEPARTMENT].
- ETHN 5000-006. Introductory colloquium. Content comprised of
important major
works selected by program faculty, and a series of questions that will be
used to
guide the writing of the personalized learning plan. Students must read the
selected works, supplement them with the compilation of a bibliography of
current
literature, and address the questions presented. This is a one-year course
that
will also cover the history and evolution of ethnic studies, major
controversies
in the field, and chart out some of its developmental possibilities.
- ETHN 5500-003. Theories of Ethnic Studies. This course is
intended to
familiarize the students who take it with the literatures of theory
construction
and application thereof for contextualizing investigative work in the several
communities of color in the United States, and to ascertain how knowledge and
scholarship production relate to these traditionally excluded communities.
This
course will focus on questions of how, where, and by whom knowledge ( a social
Product) is created, and how integrated, interdisciplinary and cross-cultural
approaches to understanding diversity in the world at large can foster a better
understanding of the human experience itself.
- ETHN 5600-003. Research Methods in Ethnic Studies. Emphasis
here is on
epistemological and methodological issues germane to doing research in ethnic
studies. This course will also focus on the history and politics of
research in
ethnic communities, the construction of research agendas, the materials and
methods required to address particular questions and problems, how they are
accessed and retrieved, and the ethics and politics of research generally.
Supplemental topics will include investigatory design development,
budgeting, and
manageable execution.
- ETHN 5750-003. Discipline specific methods in the social sciences and humanities. As indicated, this course, which may be taken more than once (but not more than three times), or in one of the more traditional social science/humanities disciplines, covers unique methods (survey research, ethnographic field work, oral history techniques, historiographic techniques, et al) in specific subject areas that may be of particular utility to the candidate.
- ETHN 6010-003. Guided readings in ethnic studies. As the name
suggests, this is
a readings course designed to expand student knowledge in a particular area of
concentration. These areas of concentration include work in Afroamerican,
American Indian, Asian American, and Chicano/a studies. May be taken
more than
once, but not more than four times. A publishable quality paper, presented in
colloquium is a desired outcome of this endeavor.
- ETHN 6020-003. Directed research in ethnic studies. Like the guided
readings
courses above, this endeavor is designed to assist students to gain experience
with the requisite research skills necessary for scholarly investigations. May
be taken more than once, but not more than four times. A publishable quality
paper, presented in colloquium is a desired outcome of this endeavor.
- ETHN 6950-006. Masters thesis. This document is intended for
those who wish to
pause in their preparation toward the doctorate; or those, e.g., secondary
school
teachers, who desire to secure additional training beyond the bachelor's degree
to enhance their employability or career mobility.
- ETHN 7XXX-003. Seminars in Ethnic Studies. This level of
instruction is
reserved for topic specific seminars flowing from the research interests of
students and faculty in the Department of Ethnic Studies. These seminars,
perhaps one or two a year, would be offered as appropriate resources for their
conduct are made available. Students would probably take no more than four of
these although there might be some exceptions. Some suggested possibilities
include: Afroamerican philosophy; Caribbean religion; Race and gender studies;
Diaspora studies; Ethnic stereotypes; etc.
- ETHN 8900-012. Doctoral dissertation. This is it. This document must be based upon original research in the sense of idiosyncratic treatment of an issue, new information source, methodological technique, or application of new insights to existing data, problems etc. that results in a significant contribution to the scholarly literature of ethnic studies. The dissertation must fulfill the intent of the program in completing a project in comparative racial and ethnic studies, and serve as an integrative vehicle for all of the student's work in the Department.
First Semester
- ETHN 5000-006 First half.
- ETHN 5500-003. ETHN 6010-003. (A specific course at the 5XXX level might also be substituted for this guided readings endeavor. As above, these courses, perhaps topical so they might change as faculty interests and resources change, would be in Afroamerican, American Indian, Asian American, and Chicano/a studies).
- ETHN 5000-006 Second half.
- ETHN 5600-003.
- ETHN 5750-003. (Here again there might be a substitution, or the student may choose at this time to begin work in a cognate discipline to enhance employability).
- ETHN 5XXX-003.
- ETHN 6010-003.
- ETHN 6020-003.
The focus of a student's efforts here are both intensive and comparative. What I mean is that one of the listed course in this semester will concern the student's major field of interest, a second will concern that student's minor field of interest, while the third may be either of a comparative character, or once again, chosen from the cognate department--perhaps even given over to advanced language study where that tool is necessary for execution of the PLP.
- ETHN 5XXX.
- ETHN 6010-003.
- ETHN 6020-003.
The pattern of this semester essentially repeats that of the third semester. An alternate possibility, contingent on where the student is, is to register for ETHN 6950-006, Master's Thesis. However, for most students, it is recommended that they delay this to a fifth semester so as to more effectively focus their efforts.
- ETHN 7XXX-003.
It is suggested that this third year in the program primarily focus on doctorate level work. While there might be some coursework at this level, it is my belief, that for the time being anyway, much of the effort here be placed on directed research
As described, this part of the program can total up to twenty-four (24) hours of course work for the M.A. or Sixty (60) hours of course work for the Ph.D. These figures flow from the assumption that each of the above titled items is taken the maximum number of times. I am amenable to the substitution of some of the independent work with course work in race and policy studies as a general area. Too, some of these hours will probably be taken as elective hours in a traditional academic department, that might be used to effect a specific disciplinary concentration, selected in concert with the student's major advisor to enhance employability. Here again is another opportunity for the student to fulfill our conditional language/culture study requirement.
In the event that a student already possessing a Master's degree in the social sciences or humanities were admitted to the Department, that student's work would be evaluated for its applicability to the Ph.D. degree, and, where possible, credit would be given toward partial fulfillment of the degree requirements in keeping with the standards of the Department.
Please let me have your comments on this latest draft of our proposal. Thanks.
