One of the most exciting things about college is the opportunity to meet and work with people from so many different backgrounds and walks of life. Cultures and Communities operates around the premise that learning to work across differences of cultural background and experience is a process essential to intellectual growth and lifelong learning, and ultimately to building a better world. The Cultures and Communities (CC) undergraduate certificate program promotes such experiences through its unique array of interdisciplinary classes, collaborative projects, and community-based learning.

The Certificate provides students with a thorough understanding of the social construction of cultural identities and their relationship to history, society, politics, and economics. Students explore the multicultural construction of America and examine the community and culture of art, sexuality, gender, race, health, ethics, religion, and technology. The certificate is valuable and applicable in any career that involves working with people - which is almost everything.

As part of the requirements for the certificate, students complete a service learning component where they work in the community, tying their classroom learning to real world experiences. And, because so many of these classes also count as general education requirements, many students find it quite seamless to add the certificate into their education plan.

Eligibility

The Cultures and Communities Certificate is open to all degree-seeking undergraduates at UWM to complement the student's major. All students are required to complete an exit survey before the certificate is awarded.

Requirements

Students must complete at least 3 credits in each of the areas below, including one course with a service learning component. All students are required to complete an exit survey before the certificate is awarded.

The following list of courses approved for the CC certificate indicates which requirement of the certificate is fulfilled by each course and how each course counts toward the University General Education Requirements. L&S students who wish to have their CC courses count toward their Letters and Science breadth requirements must select L&S courses. A single course may satisfy only one area. For the most up-to-date list, contact the Cultures and Communities Program office.

Area I. Cultures and Communities Core
Select 3 credits 3
Area II. Cultures and Communities of the United States
Select 3 credits 3
Area III. Global Perspectives on Culture and Community
Select 3 credits 3
Area IV. Art, Culture, and Community
Select 3 credits 3
Area V. Science, Culture, and Society
Select 3 credits 3
Total Credits15

Area I. Cultures and Communities Core Course

ANTHRO 150Multicultural America (SS/CD)3
ART 150Multicultural America (A/CD)3
ENGLISH 150Multicultural America (HU/CD)3
FILM 150Multicultural America (A/CD)3
HIST 150Multicultural America (HU/CD)3
POL SCI 150Multicultural America: Minority Voting Rights and Representation (CD)3
URBPLAN 350Social Justice, Urban Planning and the New Multicultural America (CD)3
URB STD 150Multicultural America (SS/CD)3
WGS 150Multicultural America (HU/CD)3

Area II. Cultures and Communities of the United States

AFRIC 100Black Reality: Survey of African-American Society (HU/CD)3
AFRIC 102Survey of African-American Literature (HU/CD)3
AFRIC 111Introduction to African-American History to 1865 (HU/CD)3
AFRIC 112Introduction to African-American History, 1865 to the Present (HU/CD)3
AFRIC 125Economics of the Black Community (SS/CD)3
AFRIC 192First-Year Seminar: (African American Life Stories) (HU)3
AFRIC 193First-Year Seminar: (Race in Popular Culture) (SS)3
AFRIC 205The Poetry of African, African-American, and Caribbean Writers (HU/CD) (if not selected in Area III)3
AFRIC 210The African-American Novel (HU/CD)3
AFRIC 215Introduction to Black Social and Cultural Traditions (SS)3
AFRIC 228Introduction to Black Political Economy (SS)3
AFRIC 250Black Women and White Women in the Contemporary United States (SS)3
AFRIC 265Psychological Effects of Racism (SS/CD)3
AFRIC 314The School in African-American Life (HU/CD)3
AIS 101Introduction to American Indian Studies (SS/CD)3
AIS 105Anishinaabe Ethnobotany: Plants in Anishinaabe Culture (CD)3
AIS 106Anishinaabe Ethnobotany: Plants in Anishinaabe Philosophy (CD)3
AIS 192First-Year Seminar: (HU)3
AIS 193First-Year Seminar: (SS)3
AIS 203Western Great Lakes American Indian Community Life of the Past (SS/CD)3
AIS/HIST 262North American Indian History to 1887 (SS/CD)3
AIS/HIST 263North American Indian History Since 1887 (SS/CD)3
AIS 271Third-Semester Indigenous Languages of Wisconsin: (CD)3
AIS/ENGLISH 276Introduction to American Indian Literature: (HU/CD)3
AIS/SOCIOL 321Contemporary Issues of the American Indian (SS/CD)3
AIS/ENGLISH 372Survey of American Indian Literature (HU/CD)3
AIS/HIST 473History of Wisconsin Indians (CD)3
AIS/HIST 474Topics in North American Indian History: (CD)3
AIS/HIST 475American Indian History, Law, and Government (CD)3
AIS/ENGLISH 520Studies in American Indian Literature:3
ANTHRO 150Multicultural America (SS/CD) (if not selected above)3
ANTHRO 193First-Year Seminar: (SS) Approved topics include Museums: Gateways to Modern Life; Oral Traditions; or Museums for Educators)3
ANTHRO 213American Indian Peoples of Wisconsin (SS/CD)3
ARABIC 164Arabs and Islam in America (HU)3
ART ED 130Multicultural Art and Visual Learning in Elementary Education (A/CD)3
COMMUN 350Intercultural Communication (SS/CD)3
ECON 248Economics of Discrimination (SS/CD)3
ED POL 113The Milwaukee Community (SS)3
ED POL 212Educational Issues in Spanish Speaking Communities (HU/CD)3
ED POL 460The Chicano Experience (HU/CD)3
ED POL 560Education and Hispanics (SS/CD)3
ED POL 621History of Native Education and Policy Development (CD)3
ED POL 625Race Relations in Education (CD)3
ENGLISH 150Multicultural America (HU/CD) (if not selected above)3
ENGLISH 192First-Year Seminar: (HU)3
Topic: African American Folklore in Literature
Topic: Hmong American Life Stories (HU/CD)
Topic: Southeast Asian American Literature and Life
Topic: Images of American Indians (HU/CD)
Topic: Images of American Indians in Art, Film, and Literature
Topic: Asian American Life Stories
Topic: Asian American Literature (HU/CD)
Topic: Representations of the American Dream
Topic: Multicultural America (no credit for students with credit in English 150)
Topic: Multicultural Milwaukee (HU/CD)
ENGLISH 243Introduction to Literature by Women: (HU) Approved topics include Fiction by Women of Color or Women, Race, and Class)3
ENGLISH 248Literature and Contemporary Life: (HU)3
Topic: Introduction to LGBT Studies
Topic: Growing up Gay
Topic: Katrina in Context
Topic: Queer Theory and the Novel
ENGLISH 263Introduction to the Novel: (HU) (Queer Modernism)3
ENGLISH/AIS 276Introduction to American Indian Literature: (HU/CD)3
ENGLISH 277Introduction to Ethnic Minority Literature: (HU/CD)3
ENGLISH/LATINX 279Introduction to U.S. Latino/a Literature: (HU/CD)3
ENGLISH 280Introduction to Asian-American Literature: (HU/CD)3
ENGLISH 281Introduction to African-American Literature: (HU/CD)3
ENGLISH/AIS 372Survey of American Indian Literature (HU/CD)3
ENGLISH 373Survey of Ethnic Minority Literature (HU/CD) (Topic: Z. N. Hurston, A. Walker, T. Morrison, G. Naylor)3
ENGLISH/LATINX 374Survey of U.S. Latino/a Literature (CD)3
ENGLISH 375Survey of Asian American Literature (CD)3
ENGLISH 376Survey of African-American Literature to 1930 (CD)3
ENGLISH 377Survey of African-American Literature, 1930 to the Present (CD)3
ENGLISH 463Writers in African-American Literature: (CD)3
ENGLISH 517Studies in African-American Literature: (CD)3
ENGLISH/AIS 520Studies in American Indian Literature: (CD)3
ENGLISH/LATINX 523Studies in U.S. Latino/a Literature: (CD)3
ENGLISH 524Studies in Asian-American Literature: (CD)3
ENGLISH 685Honors Seminar: (HU)3
Topic: Chinese American Women Writers (HU/CD)
Topic: Asian American Women Writers (HU/CD)
Topic: Spirituality and Identity in Modern America (HU)
Topic: African Fiction
ETHNIC 101The Multi-Racial Origins of American Cultures (HU/CD)3
ETHNIC 102Transnational Migrations: People on the Move (HU/CD)3
ETHNIC 200Racial Minorities in the United States (SS/CD)3
ETHNIC 250Selected Topics in Ethnic Studies: (SS) (Topic: Blacks, Jews, and Black Jews)3
ETHNIC/HMONG 265Hmong Americans: History, Culture, and Contemporary Life (SS/CD)3
ETHNIC/LGBT 275Queer Migrations (HU/CD)3
ETHNIC 325Gender, Race, and Ethnicity in Milwaukee: (HU/CD)3
EXCEDUC 330Deaf History (SS)3
EXCEDUC 352American Deaf Culture (SS)3
FILMSTD 212Intermediate Topics in Film and Television Studies: (HU)3
Topic: African American Cinema
Topic: LGBT-TV: Television and Sexuality
GEOG 114Geography of Race in the United States (SS/CD)3
HIST 150Multicultural America (HU/CD) (if not selected above)3
HIST 200Historical Roots of Contemporary Issues: (SS)3
Topic: The Civil Rights Movement in America (SS/CD)
Topic: The Civil Rights Movement in Milwaukee (SS/CD)
Topic: U.S.-Mexico Borderlands
HIST 229History of Race, Science, and Medicine in the United States (HU/CD) (if not selected in Area V)3
HIST 243History of Women in American Society (HU)3
HIST/AIS 262North American Indian History to 1887 (SS/CD)3
HIST/AIS 263North American Indian History Since 1887 (SS/CD)3
HIST/LATINX 267The History of Latinos in the United States (HU/CD)3
HIST 269Asian Americans in Historical Perspective (HU/CD)3
HIST 270Topics in American History: (Topic: Mixed Race Identity in American Culture (HU/CD)3
HIST 271The 1960s in the United States: A Cultural History (HU)3
HIST 398Honors Seminar: (American Mixed Race)3
HIST 436Immigrant America Since 1880 (HU/CD)3
HIST 445African Americans from Slavery to Freedom (CD)3
HIST 446African Americans Since the Civil War (CD)3
HIST/AIS 473History of Wisconsin Indians (HU/CD)3
HIST/AIS 474Topics in North American Indian History: (CD)3
HIST/AIS 475American Indian History, Law, and Government (CD)3
HMONG/ETHNIC 265Hmong Americans: History, Culture, and Contemporary Life (SS/CD)3
HONORS 200Honors Seminar: The Shaping of the Modern Mind:3
Topic: Americans in the Making: Immigrant Life in the Late 20th Century (HU/OWC-B)
Topic: Beyond the Border: Making Mexican America
HONORS 350Honors Seminar in the Humanities: (HU) (Civil Rights and the Freedom Struggle)3
ITALIAN 242Topics in Italian American Studies: (HU)3
JEWISH 101Jewish Culture in America: History, Literature, Film (HU)3
JAMS 111Gender and the Media (HU)3
LACUSL 200Special Topics in Latin American, Caribbean, and U.S. Latinx Studies: (Chican@/Latin@ Art and Culture: Politics and Resistance)3
LACUSL 201Latin American, Caribbean, and U.S. Latinx Arts and Culture: (HU) (Chican@/Latin@ Art and Culture: Politics and Resistance)3
LATINX 101Introduction to Latino Studies (SS/CD)3
LATINX/HIST 267The History of Latinos in the United States (HU/CD)3
LATINX/ENGLISH 279Introduction to U.S. Latino/a Literature: (HU/CD)3
LATINX/ENGLISH 374Survey of U.S. Latino/a Literature (CD)3
LATINX/ENGLISH 523Studies in U.S. Latino/a Literature: (CD)3
L&S NS 295Seminar in the Natural Sciences: (NS) (if not selected in Area V)1-3
Topic: Green Science and Urban Space
LGBT 200Introduction to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies (HU)3
LGBT/ETHNIC 275Queer Migrations (HU/CD)3
POL SCI 150Multicultural America: Minority Voting Rights and Representation (CD) (if not selected above)3
POL SCI 215Ethnicity, Religion and Race in American Politics (SS/CD)3
PSYCH 230Social Psychology: Psychological Perspectives (SS)3
PSYCH 319LGBTIQ Psychology (SS)3
PSYCH 320Psychology of Gender3
RELIGST 350Advanced Topics in Religious Studies: (Religion in Daily Life – Food, Drink, and Clothing)3
SOC WRK 300Aged to Perfection: Introduction to the Study of Aging (OWCB/SS)3
SOC WRK 665Cultural Diversity and Social Work (SS/CD)3
SOCIOL 224Race and Ethnicity in the United States (SS/CD)3
SOCIOL 233Social Inequality in the United States (SS)3
SOCIOL 250Sex and Gender (SS)3
SOCIOL/AIS 321Contemporary Issues of the American Indian (SS/CD)3
SOCIOL 323Perspectives on Latino Communities (SS/CD)3
SPANISH 371Introduction to Latino Literature in English (HU/CD)3
THERREC 202Disability: Society and the Person (SS)3
URBPLAN 140Issues in Contemporary Urban Planning (SS)3
URBPLAN 350Social Justice, Urban Planning and the New Multicultural America (CD)3
URB STD 150Multicultural America (SS/CD) (if not selected above)3
WGS 150Multicultural America (SS/CD) (if not selected above)3
WGS 192First-Year Seminar: (HU)3
Topic: Gender in American Consumer Culture
Topic: Drawing Women’s Lives: The Graphic Memoir
WGS 200Introduction to Women's and Gender Studies: A Social Science Perspective (SS)3
WGS 201Introduction to Women's and Gender Studies: A Humanities Perspective (HU)3

Area III. Global Perspectives on Culture and Community

AFRIC 205The Poetry of African, African-American, and Caribbean Writers (HU/CD) (if not selected in Area II)3
AFRIC 215Introduction to Black Social and Cultural Traditions3
AFRIC 232Survey of African Societies and Cultures (SS)3
AFRIC 235African Americans and South Africa (HU)3
AFRIC 334Survey of Black American and Black Brazilian Societies (SS)3
AMLLC 216Survey of Civilization: (HU) (Topic: Language, Culture, and Politeness)3
ANTHRO 102Introduction to Anthropology: Culture and Society (SS)3
ANTHRO 104Lifeways in Different Cultures: A Survey of World Societies (SS)3
ANTHRO 250Women's Roles in Cross-Cultural Perspective (SS)3
ANTHRO 355Globalization, Culture, and Environment (SS)3
ARABIC 111Cultures and Civilizations of the Muslim Middle East (HU)3
ARTHIST 104African, New World and Oceanic Art and Architecture (HU)3
ARTHIST 105Asian Art and Architecture (HU)3
CELTIC 133Celtic Crossings: Overview of the History and Cultures of the Celtic World (HU)3
COMPLIT 133Contemporary Imagination in Literature and the Arts (HU)3
COMPLIT 135Experiencing Literature in the 21st Century: (HU)3
Topic: Magical Realism and the Fantastic in Literature and Film
Topic: Youth Culture in the Middle East Through Literature, Art, and Film
COMPLIT 207Global Literature from Antiquity to the 1600s: (HU)3
COMPLIT 208Global Literature from the 17th Century to the Present: (HU)3
COMPLIT 230Literature and Society: (HU)3
Topic: Gender and Utopia
Topic: "New World" Literature
Topic: Women and Sexuality
Topic: Nazi Germany: Victims, Perpetrators, and Bystanders
Topic: The Holocaust
COMPLIT 231Literature and Religion: (HU)3
Topic: Holocaust and the Arts: Literature and Music
Topic: Holocaust: Children and War
Topic: Holocaust in Literature and Film
Topic: Holocaust in Poland
Topic: Nazis in Western Europe
Topic: The Quran as Literature
COMPLIT 232Literature and Politics: (HU)3
Topic: Contemporary Women Writers and the Ethics of Violence
Topic: Gender and the Historical Novel
Topic: The Representation of Revolution
Topic: Women and War in Latin America and the Caribbean
COMPLIT 233Literature and Film: (HU) (Topic: The Literature and Film of Globalization)3
COMPLIT 309Great Works of Modern Literature: (HU) (Topic: Cultural Identity and the Postcolonial Text)3
CRM JST 410Comparative Criminal Justice (SS)3
ECON 193First-Year Seminar: (SS) (Topic: Growth and Development of China, Japan, and Korea)3
ENGLISH 243Introduction to Literature by Women: (HU) (Topic: Literature About Women of East and Southeast Asia)3
ENGLISH 278Introduction to World Literatures Written in English: (HU) (Topic: Literature from the Middle East)3
ENGLISH 685Honors Seminar: (HU) (Topic: African Fiction)3
GEOG 110The World: Peoples and Regions (SS) (if not selected in Area V)3
GEOG 115Globalization and Economic Development (SS)3
GEOG 213Geography of Asia (SS) (if not selected in Area V)3
GEOG 333Muslim Geographies: Identities and Politics3
GLOBAL 101Introduction to Global Studies I: People and Politics (SS)3
GLOBAL 202Introduction to Global Studies III: Globalization and Technology (SS)3
HIST 175East Asian Civilization to 1600 (HU)3
HIST 176East Asian Civilization Since 1600 (HU)3
HIST 180Latin American Society and Culture (SS)3
HIST 192First-Year Seminar: (HU)3
Topic: Global Religions: Diversity and Dialogue
Topic: History and Globalization
HIST 193First-Year Seminar: (SS) (Topic: History and Globalization)3
HIST 200Historical Roots of Contemporary Issues: (SS)3
Topic: Latin America and Globalization
Topic: The African Diaspora
HIST 210The Twentieth Century: A Global History (SS)3
HIST 280Islamic Civilization: The Formative Period, ca. 500-1258 (HU)3
HIST 282The Modern Middle East in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries (HU)3
HIST 284Buddhism Across Asia (HU)3
HIST 287The Vietnam War (SS)3
HIST 379Introduction to Jewish History (HU)3
HIST 398Honors Seminar: (Topic: History, Memory, and Reconciliation in East Asia (HU)3
ITALIAN 357Topics in Italian Culture in Translation:3
JEWISH 247Topics in Jewish Literature, Art, and Culture: (HU) (Topic: Anti-Semitism from Biblical Times to the Present)3
JEWISH 261Representing the Holocaust in Words and Images (HU)3
JEWISH 368Jewish and Christian Responses to the Holocaust (HU)3
JEWISH 379Introduction to Jewish History (HU)3
LACS 101Introduction to Latin American and Caribbean Studies (HU)3
LACUSL/THEATRE 324Theatre in the Americas: Latin American, Caribbean, and Latinx Theatre3
PHILOS 204Introduction to Asian Religions (HU)3
POL SCI 102Introduction to International Relations (SS)3
POL SCI 106Politics of the World's Nations (SS)3
POL SCI 371Nationalism and Ethnic Conflict (SS)3
Topic: History of Brazil
Topic: Samba to Punk: Luso-Brazilian Music and Citizenship
PORTUGS 225Understanding Brazil: (HU)3
Topic: African Presence in Brazilian Culture and Literature
Topic: Race, Class, and Gender
PORTUGS 360Luso-Brazilian Culture: (HU)3
Topic: Brazilian Music
Topic: Brazilian Culture Through Film
Topic: Music of Brazil and Portuguese-Speaking Countries
RELIGST 101Introduction to World Religions (HU)3
RUSSIAN 192First-Year Seminar: (HU) (Topic: Russia Today)3
SOCIOL 103World Society (SS)3
SOCIOL 235Social Change in the Global Economy (SS)3
SPANISH 225Understanding the Hispanic World: (subtitle) (HU)3
SPANISH 391Social and Historical Issues in the Hispanic World: (subtitle) (HU)3
THEATRE/LACUSL 324Theatre in the Americas: Latin American, Caribbean, and Latinx Theatre3

Area IV. Art, Culture, and Community

ART 100American Art and Culture (A/CD) (LEC with CC content only)3
ART 105Art & Design Lecture Series (A)3
ART 106Art Survey: Creative Practice, Culture and Context (A)3
ART 150Multicultural America (A/CD) (if not selected above)3
ART ED 130Multicultural Art and Visual Learning in Elementary Education (A/CD)3
DANCE 122African Dance & Diaspora Technique I (A/CD)2-3
DANCE 313History of Dance in the African Diaspora (A/CD)3
DANCE 320Rituals and Culture (A)2-3
DANCE 360Movement and Learning (A)3
DANCE 370World Movement Traditions: (A)2-3
Topic: Dances of the World
Topic: Hip Hop 1/2/3
Topic: Salsa/Merengue, Tai-Chi, Capoeira: Afro Brazilian Dance
Topic: Capoeira: Afro Brazilian Dance
FILM 150Multicultural America (A/CD) (if not selected above)3
MUSIC 102American Popular Music (A)3
MUSIC 280Special Studies in Music: (Topic: Music in American Culture (A/CD)1-3
MUSIC 309American Folk and Popular Music (A)2
MUSIC 310Introduction to World Musics (A)3
THEATRE 204Theatre and Social Change (A)3
THEATRE 260Storytelling: (A)3
Topic: Elder Tales
Topic: Milwaukee - Stories from Our Own Backyard
Topic: Stories and the Cultural Voice
Topic: Toby to Tupac - Stories and Songs in Popular Culture
Topic: Discovering Your Personal Story

Area V. Science, Culture, and Society

AIS 105Anishinaabe Ethnobotany: Plants in Anishinaabe Culture (CD; if not selected in Area II)3
AIS 106Anishinaabe Ethnobotany: Plants in Anishinaabe Philosophy (CD; if not selected in Area II)3
BIO SCI 103Topics in Modern Biology: (NS)3
Topic: Biology Through Art (NS)
Topic: Discovering DNA: Our Society and Health (NS)
BIO SCI 194First-Year Seminar: (NS) (Topic: Forbidden Knowledge: Science and Censorship)3
BIO SCI 206Biology of Women (NS)3
CES 210Introduction to Conservation and Environmental Science3
CHEM 381Honors Seminar: (NS) (Topic: Sustainable Earth: Environmental and Societal Development)3
CHPS 245Client Diversity in Health Sciences: An Interdisciplinary Perspective3
GEOG 110The World: Peoples and Regions (SS) (if not selected in Area III)3
GEOG 125Introduction to Environmental Geography (NS)3
GEOG 140Our Urban Environment: Introduction to Urban Geography (SS)3
GEOG 213Geography of Asia (SS) (if not selected in Area III)3
GEOG 350Conservation of Natural Resources (SS)3
HIST 229History of Race, Science, and Medicine in the United States (HU/CD) (if not selected in Area II)3
L&S NS 295Seminar in the Natural Sciences: (NS) (if not selected in Area II)1-3
Topic: Seminar on Green Science and Urban Spaces
NURS 101Cultural Diversity in Health Care (SS/CD)3
NURS 380Honors Seminar: (SS) (Topic: Negotiating Differences: Race and Culture in Contemporary Healthcare)3
PHILOS 244Ethical Issues in Health Care: (subtitle) (HU)3
PHYSICS 194First-Year Seminar: (NS) (Topic: Physics, Science, and Technology in Our Society: Friend or Foe?)3