Prospective Careers

Students successfully completing this major could enter graduate or professional school in law and public policy—fields in which there is a profound need for experts who understand how law and policy are shaped by race, citizenship and immigration status. Others can find immediate work as researchers in the public sector or as advocates in non-profit and private sector organizations that address social, economic and cultural issues. Others still can begin careers in the media industry as content producers who cover complex social problems. Finally, this major is ideally suited for students who wish to track the degree with teaching certification in secondary schools. Some of the largest public school districts in the United States, including those in Texas, are now offering Racial and Ethnic Studies courses in their secondary schools, and some states (e.g. California) are making such courses mandatory. There is a dearth of teachers who are trained to teach such courses, and this major is designed to address this labor shortage.