Race, Ethnic and Gender Studies
Expand Your Perspective. Empower Your Future.
Join our award-winning faculty as we seek to understand the forces shaping identity, culture and social change. You'll be equipped with critical skills needed across today’s diverse workplaces. Our students are prepared to lead with empathy, analyze complex cultural dynamics and contribute meaningfully to a more equitable world.
Explore Our Programs
We offer an interdisciplinary curriculum that teaches critical thinking through an examination of historical and contemporary problems, and expands student understanding of gender and cultural differences and social change.
Why Study Race, Ethnic and Gender Studies at UMKC?
Individual Attention and Support
Our small student-to-faculty ratio offers big opportunities, including one-on-one interaction with our award-winning faculty members in an enhanced learning environment.
Diversify Your Perspective
A background and literacy in issues of diversity is useful for graduate programs and careers in the social and natural sciences, professional schools like medicine and law, and in fields like journalism, the arts and public service.
Abundant Opportunities
Explore many opportunities to get involved through community projects working alongside faculty mentors, specialized projects related to your areas of interest, or through study abroad opportunities.
Tailored Advising
Benefit from academic and career advising tailored to your needs and goals, whether you plan to move on to graduate school or launch your career.
Popular Student Resources
Alumni Insights
Before adding women's, gender and sexuality studies (WGSS) as my minor, I felt like my activism and my education were disconnected. The minor let me further my activism in an educational setting. The classes offered an inclusive and challenging environment. It not only improved my collegiate experience, but also prepared me for my future. I am currently studying to be a mental health therapist in hopes to empower women and the LGBTQIA+ community.
Amelia Hess (B.A. '19)
By taking women's, gender and sexuality studies (WGSS) classes, I sharpened my critical thinking and writing skills. An archival research project that I completed in one of my classes even led to publication in an undergraduate research journal! The things I learned in my WGSS classes also helped me gain a better understanding of my own major and other two minors — international studies and German language and literature.
Helene Slinker (B.A. '20)