Department of Anthropology, Geography, and Ethnic Studies

This department has three independent academic programs.  The main contact person is listed below for each academic program.

Interdisciplinary Minors

In addition to the major programs in Anthropology, Geography, and Ethnic Studies listed below, the Anthropology program administers the following interdisciplinary minors, open to students in any major:

• Minor in Latin American Studies
     

Geography program administers the following interdisciplinary minors, open to students in any major:

• Minor in Environmental and Resource Studies
    
• Minor in Permaculture
    

Anthropology

Richard Wallace, Ph.D., Director

Professor: Arounsack, Bell, Wallace, Miller-Antonio
Associate Professors: Frost
Assistant Professors: Logan

Office: Bizzini Hall 215
Phone: (209) 667-3127

Programs

• Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology  with concentrations in Cultural Anthropology, Archaeology, or Biological Anthropology Interdisciplinary Concentration
• Minor in Anthropology  
• Liberal Studies concentration in Anthropology  
• Social Sciences concentration in Anthropology  
• Teaching Credentials: Anthropology majors interested in a Social Sciences - Single Subject Matter Preparation  for a single subject credential should review the subject matter preparation program requirements.

Geography

Peggy Hauselt Ph.D., Director and Department Chair 

Professor: Hauselt, Helzer
Associate Professors: Avwunudiogba, Díaz-Garayúa, McNally

Office: Bizzini Hall 215
Phone: (209) 667-3127

Geography is one of the few disciplines that comfortably bridge the social sciences, biophysical sciences, and humanities.  The Bachelor of Arts program offers an international and integrative perspective on the relations among social, political, economic, and biophysical processes that affect interconnections between people, environments, and places.  Students have the option to select one or more areas of concentration to complete the major:  Cultural/Social Geography, Physical Geography & Environmental Studies, Geospatial Technology, Global Studies and Development, and California Studies.  Geography prepares students for a variety of careers and/or advanced study by educating them about Earth patterns and processes and their social and economic context.  It also provides students with an array of technical skills and sustainable methods that have practical application for examining key issues facing society and the environment.  Geographers work in a variety of fields including urban and regional planning, transportation, sustainable development, natural resource management, public health, marketing, tourism, international business, government agencies, and non-governmental organizations.

The Department strongly supports field and international educational experiences and encourages students to investigate opportunities for fieldwork and overseas study. Certain study abroad courses, offered through the CSU International Programs, are equivalent to courses in the Department of Anthropology, Geography, and Ethnic Studies and may be used to fulfill requirements for degree options. Discuss the possibilities with a departmental adviser.

Programs

• Bachelor of Arts in Geography  
• Minor in Geography  
• Liberal Studies degree concentration in Geography  
• Social Sciences degree concentration in Geography  
• Interdisciplinary Studies M.S.: Geospatial Analysis of Human-Environmental Change Concentration  
• Geography administers the programs for the following interdisciplinary minors, open to students in any major:
  • Environmental and Resource Studies  
  • Permaculture  
• Teaching Credentials: Geography majors interested in a Social Sciences - Single Subject Matter Preparation  for a single subject credential should review the subject matter preparation program requirements.

Ethnic Studies

Xamuel Bañales, Ph.D., Director

Associate Professor: Bañales
Assistant Professors: Caporale, Moreno Sandoval, Roaf, Xiong

Office: Bizzini Hall 123
Phone: (209) 667-3127

Ethnic Studies at CSU Stanislaus is a transdisciplinary program that provides critical, intersectional, and decolonial approaches to the study of racism and racialization. The program centers histories, contemporary experiences, and cultural expressions of Native American/Indigenous people, Black/African Americans, Chicano/a/xs-Latino/a/xs, Asian Americans, and Pacific Islanders within a regional, national, and/or global context. The Ethnic Studies curriculum, which incorporates scholarship, art, and community engagement, provides students with critical inquiry that advances their analysis of racial privilege and oppression in relation to other axes of power, such as class, gender, sexuality, and legal status. In particular, the major provides students with a critical understanding of structural inequities and social movements in the United States and beyond in order to actively engage personal and collective transformation. A degree in Ethnic Studies is relevant to a variety of fields, including: education, business, law, health, social services, community organizations, and/or the arts. Ethnic Studies faculty are dedicated to teaching and mentoring diverse students, producing critical/creative scholarship, and working toward social change.

Programs

• Bachelor of Arts in Ethnic Studies  
• Minor in Ethnic Studies  
• Liberal Studies degree concentration in Ethnic Studies  
• Social Sciences degree concentration in Ethnic Studies   

Program Learning Outcomes

Anthropology Program Learning Outcomes

Anthropology majors will be able to:

1. Recognize the value of diversity in contemporary and past societies and cultures around the world.
2. Explain the holistic relationship between human culture and biology that is central to the 4-field discipline of anthropology.
3. Apply anthropological perspectives to real world problems. 
4. Demonstrate strong analytical reasoning, critical thinking, public speaking, and professional writing skills in anthropological coursework and co-curricular activities.
5. Demonstrate a sophisticated understanding of the theoretical orientations and development of anthropological thought.
6. Demonstrate advanced skills in research methods appropriate to one or more of the subfields of anthropology.

Geography Program Learning Outcomes

Geography majors will:

1. Demonstrate skills in geospatial analysis and understand the interpretive capacity of geospatial technologies and their place in society.
2. Demonstrate understanding of the earth’s physical and environmental processes.
3. Analyze the natural and human processes that affect society and the environment in specific regions and locales.
4. Apply qualitative and quantitative methodologies to help our communities, monitor natural areas, plan sensible urban developments, and observe human trends.
5. Examine the diversity of peoples, places, and environments within a specific region or around the world.
6. Evaluate the theories and philosophies underlying geographical and environmental inquiry.

Ethnic Studies Program Learning Outcomes

Ethnic Studies majors will:

1. Examine the field of Ethnic Studies, including awareness of principles, concepts, theories, pedagogies, and/or methods.
2. Describe the histories and experiences of marginalized racial and ethnic groups in the United States from a regional, national, and/or global perspective.
3. Demonstrate community engagement by participating in activities that center knowledge, culture, and/or contributions of marginalized populations. 
4. Develop original projects that promote awareness of equity through intellectual, creative, and/or collective ways.