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), Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School District (NLMUSD), Paramount Unified School District (PUSD), and Port of Los Angeles High School (POLAHS).
Long Beach Unified School District
Fall 2022 Courses:
Introduction to Racial and Ethnic Studies
Latina/o Cultural Identity
Norwalk La Mirada Unified School District
Fall 2022 Courses:
Introduction to Racial and Ethnic Studies
Paramount Unified School District
Fall 2022 Courses:
Introduction to Racial and Ethnic Studies
Port of Los Angeles High School
Fall 2022 Courses:
Introduction to Racial and Ethnic Studies
High school students who are:
11th & 12th grade students.
9th & 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
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
Program Outline
Long Beach Unified School District
Courses Offered (In Person):
Introduction to Racial and Ethnic Studies: Survey of race and ethnic relations in the U.S. with a 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.
Latina/o Cultural Identity: 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.
Norwalk La Mirada Unified School District
Courses Offered (In Person):
Introduction to Racial and Ethnic Studies: Survey of race and ethnic relations in the U.S. with a 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.
Paramount Unified School District
Courses Offered (In Person):
Introduction to Racial and Ethnic Studies: Survey of race and ethnic relations in the U.S. with a 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.
Port of Los Angeles High School
Courses offered (In Person):
Introduction to Racial and Ethnic Studies: Survey of race and ethnic relations in the U.S. with a 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.
Key Dates
Contact your campus counselor to find out the dates to register and receive the link to the Ethnic Studies Fall 2022 Registration Form.
Frequently Asked Questions
Dual-enrollment means that you get high school and college credit at the same time. This program may allow students to take one less class in high school while enrolled. Check with your school counselor for specific details.
Students often will be able to leave their high school early or come in later. The program also gives students three college credits. If the student completes both the intro and secondary course, they will get 6 credits—almost half a semester’s worth of college credit!
Yes. These are college credits that will transfer to any accredited institution, even outside of the CSU system.
You will have access to the Campus Library if you need it. You will not have access to the Wellness Center or campus Bus Transportation.
Dropping:
Universities give students a period of time to test out a course. This is called the “add/drop” period of a class. Students can add or drop the course with no penalty or mark on their transcript, as if they never signed up for the course in the first place. That is why it’s important to make this decision early in the class.
Steps to drop:
Speak with your professor. They are there to ensure your success and growth within the class. Often times, they will ease any concerns you have about completing the course.
If, after talking with your professor, you still want to drop the class, please go to your high school counselor. They will have you fill out a form that drops you from the class.
Once the form is filled out, you will be dropped.
*If you miss the first three classes, you will be automatically dropped from the course.
Withdrawing:
Students must withdraw from the course if they decide they want to quit the course AFTER the add/drop deadline has passed. Unfortunately, this will be on your transcript, so make sure you consult your professor and high school counselor before making that decision.
Steps to withdraw:
Speak with your professor. They are there to ensure you success and growth within the class. Often times, they will ease any concerns you have about completing the course.
If, after talking with your professor, you still want to drop the class, please go to your high school counselor. They will have you fill out a form that withdraws you from the class.
Once the form is filled out, you will be withdrawn.
The MyCSULB Student Center provides a "home base" for accessing your student information. Once you have logged into your Single Sign-On portal using your CSULB email address and password, select the Student Center (MyCSULB) tile. Your MyCSULB Student Center is organized into sections based on the type of information. The center displays summary information such as your class schedule, outstanding balance, and contact information. It has many options to select in order to access all of the information and transactions available. This website gives you screenshots and directions on how to navigate through your MyCSULB Student Center to get the information you need from your Student Record.
Establish your CSULB campus computing password. Go to the password manager; enter your campus email address which is sent to your e-mail after you are officially registered; and then, follow the instructions to set your password. If you already have a valid CSULB campus computing password, you can proceed to step 2. If you already have an active campus computing account, there is no need to reactivate. If you are unsure of your CSULB e-mail, submit a request for assistance to cpace-dualenrollment@csulb.edu.
Access the campus computing resources you're authorized to use. Visit CSULB Single Sign On (SSO), enter your campus email address and password, and then, follow the prompts. Most of the campus computing resources you'll use can be accessed through the CSULB SSO system, including university-provided email and the campus online parking portal.
If you have questions about how to activate or log in, please call the CSULB Technology Help Desk at 562-985-4959.
Transcripts
Transcripts are the official means of verifying completion of courses and conferral of degrees. Transcripts contain details such as course titles, units attempted, and final grades for each term of attendance at CSULB. There is a fee for each official transcript, but you can access and print your unofficial transcript for free through your MyCSULB Student Center. Official transcripts bear the official seal of the University.
Transferring Credit to High Schools: Print and Submit Unofficial Transcripts to Your Counselor
You can view your posted transfer credit, course credit by term, academic standing by term, term statistics, and cumulative statistics in your Student Center by selecting “Transcript: Unofficial” in the Other Academic drop-down menu. Then follow the steps below:
Step 1: Select “Transcript: Unofficial” from the drop-down menu. Click the advance arrow.
Step 2: In the Unofficial Transcript page, verify "CSU Long Beach" is in the Academic Institution field.
Step 3: Select "Unofficial Transcript" for the Report Type field.
Step 4: Click the "View Report" button. This action will open your Unofficial Transcript as a PDF document.
For assistance with navigating MyCSULB, contact the Technology Help Desk at (562) 985-4959.
Transcripts Transcripts are the official means of verifying completion of courses and conferral of degrees. Transcripts contain details such as course titles, units attempted, and final grades for each term of attendance at CSULB. There is a fee for each official transcript, but you can access and print your unofficial transcript for free through your MyCSULB Student Center. Official transcripts bear the official seal of the University.
Transferring Credit to Colleges – Order Official Transcripts
You can request an Official Transcript from the Academics section in your Student Center (see screenshot):
Then follow the steps below:
Step 1: There are two ways to Request an Official Transcript in the Student Center:
Click on the “My Academics” link on your Student Center, which will take you to the “My Academics” tab. Then, click on the “Request official transcript” link.
Select “Transcript: Official” from the drop down menu and click on the Go (>>) button next to the field.
Either one of the above options will take you to the Request Official Transcript page. After reading the instructions, click the "Next" button to proceed (see screenshot below).
Step 2: A new tab will appear for Credential Solutions.
California State University, Long Beach has appointed Credentials Solutions as the designated agent for processing and sending official transcripts through an encrypted and secure service. This system can accept an order for up to 5 transcripts going to up to 5 different recipients. If you need to send more than 5 transcripts or have more than 5 recipients, you will need to enter multiple orders.
Click on the "Begin Order" button (see screenshot below).
Title IX is a comprehensive federal law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in any federally funded education program or activity.
This year’s Sexual Misconduct Prevention & Awareness Online Training Program, called “Not Anymore,” is not a requirement for the completion of your course work in this program. If you have any questions, you may contact the Title IX Office, located within Equity & Diversity, at OED@csulb.edu. Thank you!
Unfortunately, students no longer receive ID cards. If you would still like one, you may go to the University Bookstore and pay $5.00 for one. Call ahead for an appointment at 562-985-5093.
Student Testimonials
In my other classes, I’ve never really felt like I was taught anything about my culture that I could relate to. In this class, I was actually able to learn more about me as a person and where my ancestors came from, and how intersectional all minority groups are.
Jackie Piña
Lakewood High School
Going into this class, I was kind of shy. I wasn’t open to other people’s cultures, I was really trying to learn about mine a little bit more. But [the class] opened my mind, it broadened my perspective of other people’s cultures.
