The K-12 Ethnic Studies Teaching certificate program at SDSU is an interdisciplinary program integrating coursework from across campus to prepare educators who aspire to teach Ethnic Studies at the K-12 level. Through coursework that attends to (a) the nature of Ethnic Studies as a discipline, (b) content knowledge within Ethnic Studies history and/or literature, and (c) humanizing approaches to pedagogy, students completing the certificate can expect to be well prepared to teach Ethnic Studies courses at the K-12 level, and equipped with a unique skillset that will make them professionally competitive, and enhance their teaching effectiveness in all contexts.

This 12 unit certificate complements majors and graduate programs that serve pre-service and in-service teachers, including but not limited to majors in Chicana/Chicano Studies, Africana Studies, American Indian Studies, Social Science, and Liberal Studies, Teacher Credential programs, and graduate degrees in Critical Literacy and Social Justice, Teacher Leadership, Reading Education, Women’s Studies, and MALAS.

At the undergraduate level, this certificate offers pre-service and prospective teachers an exciting opportunity to add a unique specialty to their skillset, that will position them to meet the needs of schools and students as K-12 Ethnic Studies courses expand into more and more districts, contexts, and states, as well as ample flexibility in the program of study to meet the needs of the many pre-service teaching majors.

At the graduate level, this certificate offers a compelling professional development opportunity for educators interested in the teaching of Ethnic Studies at the K-12 level. Graduate students should expect a more rigorous experience in certificate courses, as well as more flexibility in the program of study to meet their individual professional development needs. Moreover, they should also anticipate additional meetings and interactions with certificate faculty to evaluate and develop their program of study in relation to their particular work context, professional growth, and community needs. 

Visit the certificate website for more information.