How to Apply

Students in the Department of Indigenous, Race, and Ethnic Studies examine the relationship of race and ethnicity to power and inequality, with an emphasis on intersections with gender, class, sexuality, migration, indigeneity, and colonialism. Students can pursue a major, a minor, a graduate certificate, or a PhD.


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Incoming Students

The UO offers a range of Indigenous, race, and ethnic studies courses across the humanities and social sciences, with particular strengths in cultural studies, history, politics, and geography. Within our program, you'll have the opportunity to study a broad spectrum of topics such as social movements, immigration, sports, sexualities, incarceration, and law. Our curriculum also investigates an array of media including film, literature, music, cyberspace, and emergent forms of popular culture. 


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Current UO Students

As an ethnic studies major, you'll develop heightened awareness of the racial, ethnic, and political dimensions of all spheres of society. Students of literature, social sciences, education, urban planning, art history, humanities, and global studies—to name only a few—find that related ethnic studies courses can enrich their academic studies. IRES courses offer ample opportunities to create meaningful social change.


Two students talking on campus

Graduate Programs

Dive deep into the social issues surrounding race and ethnicity while conducting intersectional, transdisciplinary research. Graduate students can earn either a graduate certificate or a PhD in Indigenous, race, and ethnic studies.


Scholarships and Funding

Need help funding your education? Apply for undergraduate scholarships from a variety of sources and learn more about funding options to support your graduate studies.