Frequently Asked Questions about the Ph.D. Minor

The Ph.D Minor in Comparative Studies in Race & Ethnicity provides Stanford graduate students in any field the opportunity to develop interdisciplinary understandings of and approaches to race studies. The Ph.D. Minor in accreditation demonstrates depth, rigor, and seriousness of engagement in the field and prepares Ph.D. students to teach in race studies during their time at Stanford and beyond. The program also brings together graduate students and faculty from across Stanford's departments, programs, and schools to think and rethink race and ethnicity in their research, teaching, and impact-focused work. 

Whatever your institutional location, the Ph.D. Minor will connect you with a community that can sustain, deepen, and disseminate your research. 

The Ph.D. Minor carries no additional cost for students or departments. While the program does not offer an additional stipend for Ph.D. students, the CCSRE community offers a number of funding opportunities for which Ph.D. Minors are eligible, including the Graduate Fellowships and small grants. 

The transcript will include a notation that reads "Ph.D. Minor in Comparative Studies in Race & Ethnicity." 

Your doctoral degree (including your diploma) will indicate that you completed the "Ph.D. Minor in Comparative Studies in Race & Ethnicity." 

The Ph.D. Minor in Comparative Studies in Race & Ethnicity is sponsored by the Program in Modern Thought and Literature. The minor is administered by the Program in Comparative Studies in Race & Ethnicity. 

To be added to our list of active and potential CSRE Ph.D. Minors, please email Raquel Navarro Calara at raquelnc [at] stanford.edu (raquelnc[at]stanford[dot]edu). To stay up to date with all things CCSRE, sign up for our weekly newsletter through this form.

Our website and mailing lists are the best ways to stay up to date. We also have social media: 

Facebook: Stanford Center for Comparative Studies in Race & Ethnicity

Instagram: @ccsre.stanford

Twitter: @stanfordccsre

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We're so glad you're here, and we will be happy to set up a time to talk about where you are, what you need, and how CCSRE can help. For general questions about the shape of the Minor and whether it might be a good fit for you, reach out to Executive Director of CCSRE, Annie Atura Bushnell, at atura [at] stanford.edu (atura[at]stanford[dot]edu). For logistical questions concerning course registration or the declaration process, contact Student Services Officer Winni Ni at winnini [at] stanford.edu (winnini[at]stanford[dot]edu)

All courses taken toward the Minor, with the exception of the Ph.D. Minor Workshop (CSRE 301), must be taken for a Letter grade unless the course is only offered for Credit/No Credit. Exceptions must be approved by the Academic Programs team. 

While CSRE 301 is typically offered for 1-3 units, only 1 unit from each workshop may be counted towards the 20 units needed to complete the minor. That is, only three workshop units total may be counted towards the 20-unit minimum. 

Yes, you may elect to take the workshop series (301A, B, C) for a letter or for credit. Note that all other classes toward the Minor must be taken for a letter grade. 

Students pursuing a Ph.D. Minor in Comparative Studies in Race & Ethnicity are not required to name an official faculty advisor in CSRE. However, if no one on the student's committee is a faculty affiliate of CSRE, we strongly encourage the student to make a mentorship connection with a faculty member in the program. Reach out to Annie if you are a Ph.D. Minor who is interested in finding a faculty mentor in CCSRE.  

All coursework toward the Ph.D. Minor must be completed before the student reaches TGR status. If you believe your situation merits special consideration, please reach out to the Academic Programs team.

Yes: 

• All courses taken toward the Ph.D minor must be graduate-level courses numbered 200 or above.
• Coursework must be completed before the student reaches TGR status. 
• Courses must be taken for a letter grade unless special permission has been granted by the Academic Programs team.
• Only one of the elective courses may be housed in the Minor's home department. 
• If a course is not listed under a CSRE cross-listing, approval for counting the course toward the minor should be sought in advance from the Academic Programs team. Only courses in which 75% or more of course content pertains explicitly to race and ethnicity will be considered appropriate to count towards the Minor. 

Courses not cross-listed with CSRE or listed as an approved CSRE Ph.D. Minor course require the approval of the Academic Programs Team. Please reach out with the course syllabus as early as possible to seek special approval to count a course outside of CSRE toward the Minor.

Units taken toward the Minor may also be counted as part of the overall Ph.D. requirement with the consent of the home department. They may not be used to meet the requirements for a Master's degree, nor may they be used to meet the requirements for a second Ph.D. Minor. 

No, you may not double-count unit between two Minors. This is a University-wide regulation.

No, all units for the Minor must be taken at Stanford University. Per policy (GAP 4.5.1 Doctoral Degrees, Requirements), all of the coursework for a Ph.D. minor must be completed at Stanford. 

Yes, but units applied to the Ph.D. Minor may not also be applied to a Master's degree. Therefore, students earning a Minor and a Master's degree must map out of their courses carefully to determine whether they can meet both sets of requirements without delaying time to TGR and incurring additional tuition charges. 

The University does allow students to complete two minors, but the pertinent units must not overlap. This increase in course load may delay time to TGR and therefore may not be approved by a student's home department. 

We strongly recommend declaring as soon as you decide you would like to complete the Ph.D. Minor. Declaring early will help with course planning and connect you with the CSRE community. 

Yes, you can withdraw at any time with no penalty. There is no cost to declaring the Ph.D. Minor on Axess and then withdrawing from the minor. 

We understand that plans change. If you would like to swap in a course that is not cross-listed with CSRE, or if unit count or time to degree may be impacted, please submit an updated course plan to Byron for approval. 

In your final quarter of course requirements, or shortly thereafter, please email Winni with an updated final course list. Winni will confirm that all CCSRE Ph.D. Minor requirements have been met. You do not need to apply to graduate separately for the Minor; when you graduate, the registrar will automatically check that you completed course requirements for the Minor. 

No, directed reading and directed research do not count toward the PhD minor.