Social Justice Studies
Associate of Arts-Transfer Ethnic and Social Justice Studies · El Camino College · 2026-2027 Catalog
Behavioral and Social Sciences Division www.elcamino.edu/academics/behavioralsocial
The Associate Degree for Transfer in Social Justice illuminates the larger contexts of how concepts of justice arise and evolve through historical processes and cultural, political, and religious institutionalization. In addition, this degree also explores critical social issues related to human rights, labor, gender, race, class, religion, education, ethnicity and sexual orientation at a national and global level. It further details those being deprived of the formal mandates of social justice and how this marginalization needs to be addressed. This degree is interdisciplinary as a variety of social sciences courses and courses from other divisions make up its content. Competencies for this degree will be assessed through the evaluation of student term papers, projects, essays, and regularly scheduled examinations.
The Associate in Arts for Transfer (AA-T) is intended for students who plan to complete a bachelor's degree in a similar major at a CSU campus. Students completing the AA-T are given priority consideration for admission to the CSU system, but not to a particular campus or major. In order to earn an AA-T degree, students must complete:
- Completion of 60 semester units that are eligible for transfer to the California State University.
- The California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC) Requirements.
- A minimum of 18 semester units in a major or area of emphasis, as determined by the community college district.
- Obtainment of a minimum grade point average of 2.0.
- A grade of "C" or better in all courses required for the major or area of emphasis.
Students who have completed the AA-T will have a strong academic foundation in the field and will be prepared for upper division baccalaureate study at the university. The coursework will satisfy most of the lower-division requirements at many institutions within the California State University system. Students transferring to a UC, private, or out-of-state university should consult with an El Camino College counselor when planning to complete the degree since transfer requirements may be slightly different than those required for the AA-T.
Required Core: 9 units
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| SSCI 103 | Introduction to Social Justice Studies | 3 |
| orSOCI 108 | Global Perspectives on Race and Ethnicity | 3 |
| WSTU 1 | Introduction of Women's Studies | 3 |
| orSOCI 113 | Gender and Society | 3 |
One course from the following:
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| AHIS 207 | Art History of Mexico and Central and South America | 3 |
| AHIS 209 | History of African Art | 3 |
| ENGL 42 | Chicane and Latine Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 43 | African American Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 44 | The Literature of American Ethnic Groups | 3 |
| ESTU 1 | Introduction to Ethnic Studies | 3 |
| ESTU 3 | The Chicano in Contemporary United States Society | 3 |
| ESTU 5 | Chicano Culture | 3 |
| HIST 108 | United States History: The American Indian Experience | 3 |
| HIST 110 | The African American in the United States to 1877 | 3 |
| HIST 111 | The African American in the United States from 1877 to the Present | 3 |
| HIST 112 | History of the Chicano in the United States | 3 |
| HIST 114 | History of the Asian American in the United States | 3 |
| HIST 122 | United States Social History: Cultural Pluralism in America | 3 |
| orHIST 122H | Honors United States Social History: Cultural Pluralism in America | 3 |
| HIST 140 | History of Early Civilizations | 3 |
| HIST 141 | History of Modern Civilizations | 3 |
| ITAL 1 | Elementary Italian I | 5 |
| ITAL 2 | Elementary Italian II | 5 |
| JAPA 1 | Elementary Japanese I | 5 |
| JAPA 2 | Elementary Japanese II | 5 |
| PHIL 103 | Ethics and Society | 3 |
| PSYC 109A | Introduction to Statistics and Data Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences | 4 |
| orSOCI 109A | Introduction to Statistics and Data Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences | 4 |
| SOCI 101 | Introduction to Sociology | 3 |
| orSOCI 101H | Honors Introduction to Sociology | 3 |
| SPAN 1 | Elementary Spanish I | 5 |
| orSPAN 1H | Honors Elementary Spanish I | 5 |
| SPAN 2 | Elementary Spanish II | 5 |
| SPAN 3 | Intermediate Spanish I | 5 |
| SPAN 4 | Intermediate Spanish II | 5 |
| SPAN 52A | Spanish for Native Speakers I | 5 |
| SPAN 52B | Spanish for Native Speakers II | 5 |
| WSTU 1 | Introduction of Women's Studies | 3 |
List A: 9 units - Select three courses from at least two of the following areas (courses must be related to social justice, gender/women, or ethnicity/race
Area 1: History or Government
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| ESTU 1 | Introduction to Ethnic Studies | 3 |
| ESTU 3 | The Chicano in Contemporary United States Society | 3 |
| ESTU 5 | Chicano Culture | 3 |
| HIST C1001 | United States History to 1877 | 3 |
| orHIST C1001H | United States History to 1877 - Honors | 3 |
| HIST C1002 | United States History since 1865 | 3 |
| orHIST C1002H | United States History since 1865 - Honors | 3 |
| HIST 105 | Women and American History from the Colonial Era to 1877 | 3 |
| HIST 106 | Women and American History from 1877 to the Present | 3 |
| HIST 108 | United States History: The American Indian Experience | 3 |
| HIST 111 | The African American in the United States from 1877 to the Present | 3 |
| HIST 112 | History of the Chicano in the United States | 3 |
| HIST 114 | History of the Asian American in the United States | 3 |
| HIST 122 | United States Social History: Cultural Pluralism in America | 3 |
| orHIST 122H | Honors United States Social History: Cultural Pluralism in America | 3 |
| HIST 128 | History of California | 3 |
| HIST 129 | History of Los Angeles | 3 |
| HIST 140 | History of Early Civilizations | 3 |
| HIST 141 | History of Modern Civilizations | 3 |
| HIST 152 | History of Latin America through Independence | 3 |
| HIST 154 | A History of Mexico | 3 |
| PHIL 117 | Political Philosophy | 3 |
| orPOLI 7 | Political Philosophy | 3 |
| POLS C1000 | American Government and Politics | 3 |
| orPOLS C1000H | American Government and Politics - Honors | 3 |
| POLI 5 | Ethnicity in the American Political Process | 3 |
| POLI 6 | Civil Rights and Liberties in the United States | 3 |
Area 2: Arts and Humanities
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| AHIS 205A | History of Asian Art - India and Southeast Asia | 3 |
| AHIS 205B | History of Asian Art - China, Korea, and Japan | 3 |
| AHIS 207 | Art History of Mexico and Central and South America | 3 |
| AHIS 208 | History of American Art | 3 |
| orAHIS 208H | Honors History of American Art | 3 |
| AHIS 209 | History of African Art | 3 |
| ENGL 28 | Images of Women in Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 31 | Mythology and Folklore | 3 |
| ENGL 35 | World Literature: 3500 BCE to 1650 CE | 3 |
| ENGL 36 | World Literature: 1650 CE to Present | 3 |
| ENGL 43 | African American Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 44 | The Literature of American Ethnic Groups | 3 |
| ENGL 48 | Modern Literature of Latin America | 3 |
| HIST C1001 | United States History to 1877 | 3 |
| orHIST C1001H | United States History to 1877 - Honors | 3 |
| HIST C1002 | United States History since 1865 | 3 |
| orHIST C1002H | United States History since 1865 - Honors | 3 |
| HIST 105 | Women and American History from the Colonial Era to 1877 | 3 |
| HIST 106 | Women and American History from 1877 to the Present | 3 |
| HIST 108 | United States History: The American Indian Experience | 3 |
| HIST 110 | The African American in the United States to 1877 | 3 |
| HIST 111 | The African American in the United States from 1877 to the Present | 3 |
| HIST 112 | History of the Chicano in the United States | 3 |
| HIST 114 | History of the Asian American in the United States | 3 |
| HIST 122 | United States Social History: Cultural Pluralism in America | 3 |
| orHIST 122H | Honors United States Social History: Cultural Pluralism in America | 3 |
| HIST 128 | History of California | 3 |
| HIST 129 | History of Los Angeles | 3 |
| HIST 140 | History of Early Civilizations | 3 |
| HIST 141 | History of Modern Civilizations | 3 |
| HIST 152 | History of Latin America through Independence | 3 |
| HIST 154 | A History of Mexico | 3 |
| MUSI 112 | Music Cultures of the World | 3 |
| MUSI 113 | Survey of Jazz | 3 |
| PHIL 103 | Ethics and Society | 3 |
| PHIL 117 | Political Philosophy | 3 |
| orPOLI 7 | Political Philosophy | 3 |
Area 3: Social Sciences
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| ANTH 2 | Introduction to Cultural Anthropology | 3 |
| orANTH 2H | Honors Introduction to Cultural Anthropology | 3 |
| ANTH 6 | Native Peoples of North America | 3 |
| ANTH 7 | Native Peoples of South America | 3 |
| ANTH 8 | Ancient Civilizations of Mesoamerica | 3 |
| ANTH 9 | Women, Culture, and Society | 3 |
| COMS 265 | Mass Communication | 3 |
| COMS 275 | Gender Communication | 3 |
| ESTU 1 | Introduction to Ethnic Studies | 3 |
| ESTU 3 | The Chicano in Contemporary United States Society | 3 |
| ESTU 5 | Chicano Culture | 3 |
| GEOG 2 | Cultural Geography | 3 |
| GEOG 5 | World Regional Geography | 3 |
| orGEOG 5H | Honors World Regional Geography | 3 |
| HIST C1001 | United States History to 1877 | 3 |
| orHIST C1001H | United States History to 1877 - Honors | 3 |
| HIST C1002 | United States History since 1865 | 3 |
| orHIST C1002H | United States History since 1865 - Honors | 3 |
| HIST 105 | Women and American History from the Colonial Era to 1877 | 3 |
| HIST 106 | Women and American History from 1877 to the Present | 3 |
| HIST 108 | United States History: The American Indian Experience | 3 |
| HIST 110 | The African American in the United States to 1877 | 3 |
| HIST 111 | The African American in the United States from 1877 to the Present | 3 |
| HIST 112 | History of the Chicano in the United States | 3 |
| HIST 114 | History of the Asian American in the United States | 3 |
| HIST 122 | United States Social History: Cultural Pluralism in America | 3 |
| orHIST 122H | Honors United States Social History: Cultural Pluralism in America | 3 |
| HIST 128 | History of California | 3 |
| HIST 129 | History of Los Angeles | 3 |
| HIST 140 | History of Early Civilizations | 3 |
| HIST 141 | History of Modern Civilizations | 3 |
| HIST 152 | History of Latin America through Independence | 3 |
| HIST 154 | A History of Mexico | 3 |
| PHIL 117 | Political Philosophy | 3 |
| orPOLI 7 | Political Philosophy | 3 |
| POLS C1000 | American Government and Politics | 3 |
| orPOLS C1000H | American Government and Politics - Honors | 3 |
| POLI 5 | Ethnicity in the American Political Process | 3 |
| POLI 6 | Civil Rights and Liberties in the United States | 3 |
| PSYC C1000 | Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
| orPSYC C1000H | Introduction to Psychology - Honors | 3 |
| PSYC 102 | Psychology for Effective Living | 3 |
| PSYC 108 | Social Psychology | 3 |
| PSYC 110 | African American Psychology | 3 |
| PSYC 112 | Human Sexuality | 3 |
| PSYC 115 | Abnormal Psychology | 3 |
| PSYC 116 | Lifespan Development | 3 |
| PSYC 117 | Cultural Psychology | 3 |
| PSYC 119 | LGBTQ+ Psychology | 3 |
| PSYC 125 | The Psychology of Gender | 3 |
| SOCI 101 | Introduction to Sociology | 3 |
| orSOCI 101H | Honors Introduction to Sociology | 3 |
| SOCI 102 | Families and Intimate Relationships | 3 |
| SOCI 104 | Social Problems | 3 |
| SOCI 107 | Issues of Race and Ethnicity in the United States | 3 |
| SOCI 112 | Introduction to Criminology | 3 |
| SOCI 113 | Gender and Society | 3 |
Area 4: Quantitative Reasoning and Research Methods
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| STAT C1000 | Introduction to Statistics | 4 |
| orSTAT C1000H | Introduction to Statistics - Honors | 4 |
| PSYC 109A | Introduction to Statistics and Data Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences | 4 |
| orSOCI 109A | Introduction to Statistics and Data Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences | 4 |
Major Preparation:
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| AHIS 209 | History of African Art | 3 |
| ENGL 42 | Chicane and Latine Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 43 | African American Literature | 3 |
| ESTU 1 | Introduction to Ethnic Studies | 3 |
| ESTU 3 | The Chicano in Contemporary United States Society | 3 |
| ESTU 5 | Chicano Culture | 3 |
| HIST 108 | United States History: The American Indian Experience | 3 |
| HIST 110 | The African American in the United States to 1877 | 3 |
| HIST 111 | The African American in the United States from 1877 to the Present | 3 |
| HIST 112 | History of the Chicano in the United States | 3 |
| HIST 140 | History of Early Civilizations | 3 |
| HIST 141 | History of Modern Civilizations | 3 |
| JAPA 1 | Elementary Japanese I | 5 |
| JAPA 2 | Elementary Japanese II | 5 |
| PHIL 103 | Ethics and Society | 3 |
| PSYC 109A | Introduction to Statistics and Data Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences | 4 |
| orSOCI 109A | Introduction to Statistics and Data Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences | 4 |
| SOCI 101 | Introduction to Sociology | 3 |
| orSOCI 101H | Honors Introduction to Sociology | 3 |
| SPAN 1 | Elementary Spanish I | 5 |
| orSPAN 1H | Honors Elementary Spanish I | 5 |
| SPAN 2 | Elementary Spanish II | 5 |
| SPAN 3 | Intermediate Spanish I | 5 |
| SPAN 4 | Intermediate Spanish II | 5 |
| SPAN 52A | Spanish for Native Speakers I | 5 |
| SPAN 52B | Spanish for Native Speakers II | 5 |
| WSTU 1 | Introduction of Women's Studies | 3 |
Total Major Units: 18-20
GE Pattern
Complete the following:
Cal-GETC: 34 units
Required for transfer degrees (AA-T and AS-T).
Electives
As needed to reach a minimum of 60 degree-applicable units.
Minimum Degree Total: 60 units