Ethnic Studies

High School Dual Enrollment

Now accepting Registration for the Fall 2023 semester! Click here to attend one of our Information Sessions on Zoom and learn how to register for an Ethnic Studies class offered at your school district.

If you wish to drop or withdraw from the course, you must talk with your professor and counselor first, and then fill out this ESI Course Drop Form. The deadline to drop without a W on your transcript is September 27. The deadline to withdraw from the course is November 6.

Since 2015, the College of Liberal Arts and College of Professional and Continuing Education (CPaCE) at California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) has offered select Ethnic Studies courses to high school students.

These dual-enrollment courses give high school students valuable credits for both high school and college—for free—to all students who are interested. The credit earned in CSULB Ethnic Studies courses is not only worth its equivalent university-level cost, but is also transferable to most institutions a student chooses to attend, subject to each institution's transfer policies.

Ethnic Studies courses are currently offered to promising high school students, as approved by their campus counselor, for Long Beach Unified School District (LBUSD), Paramount Unified School District (PUSD), and Port of Los Angeles High School (POLAHS).

Long Beach Unified School District

Fall 2023 Courses:

  • Introduction to Racial and Ethnic Studies

Paramount Unified School District

Fall 2023 Courses:

  • Introduction to Racial and Ethnic Studies

Port of Los Angeles High School

Fall 2023 Courses:

  • Introduction to Racial and Ethnic Studies

Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School District

Fall 2023 Courses:

  • Introduction to Racial and Ethnic Studies

High school students who are:

  • 11th & 12th grade students.
  • 10th grade students will need to get approval from their high school campus counselors.
  • Attending school in Long Beach Unified School District, Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School District, Paramount Unified School District, and Port of Los Angeles High School.
  • Free college credit that is transferable to most accredited universities
  • May provide high school elective credit and the option to take one less high school class during the semester (meet with your high school counselor for their criteria as it relates to campus policy)
  • Knowledge of different cultures and fascinating history lessons
  • Valuable addition to college applications
  • College course experience with CSULB faculty member
  • Options to take classes at the high school closest to you

See individual course descriptions below for American Indian Studies (AIS), Chicano and Latino Studies (CHLS), Africana Studies (AFRS) and Asian and Asian American Studies (ASAM).

Note: Students must take an intro “119 level” course before taking our advanced “121 and 101 level” courses.

  • 119 - Introduction to Racial and Ethnic Studies: This course is a survey of race and ethnic relations in the U.S. with focus on four racialized groups: American Indians, African Americans, Asian Americans, and Chicanas/os/xs and Latinas/os/xs. Special attention is given to the formation and transformation of each racialized ethnic group and their particular and collective roles in the shaping and development of the United States.
  • CHLS 101 - Introduction to Chicano/a and Latino/a Life: This course consists of an examination of four themes: 1) the cultural formation and transformation of Chicano/Latino communities; 2) the role of women in shaping Chicano/Latino culture; 3) Chicano/Latino music and visual art; 4) Mexican and Latino immigrants in American culture.
  • CHLS 105 - Latina/o Cultural Identity: This course explores, comparatively, the development of Chicano-Latino identities through a survey of social scientific, historical, and literary sources from Mexican American and Latino regional cultures, tracing the development of societal divisions based on gender, race, ethnicity, and class categories.
  • AFRS 121 - African American History Since 1865-Present: This course studies the impact of social, economic, and political change on African Americans after the Reconstruction period. Issues of migration, education, cultural development, and business enterprises will be examined.
  • ASAM 121 - Contemporary Issues in Asian America: This course consists of an examination of contemporary issues, including immigration, labor, family, public policy, popular culture, the media, and political activism in Asian America. Focuses on the U.S. in the context of the global economy and Asian diasporas.
  • AIS 101 - Introduction to the Study of Native American People: This course examines history, culture, religion, art, and societies of American Indians. An introduction to historical aspects of the Native American experience includes discussion of these aspects of Native life as applied to contemporary American Indian issues.
  • Must attend the first class of the program to enroll
  • Must not miss more than 3 classes
  • Must have achieved a grade of “D” or better to obtain credit

CSULB faculty will work with each student and their individual needs, with the goal of student success.

  • Over 90% of Ethnic Studies students pass the course upon completion
  • 4 out of 5 students receive an A or B in the course