Social Justice, BA

This is the first version of the 2023–24 General Catalog. Please check back regularly for changes. The final edition and the historical PDF will be published during the fall semester.

Students who major in social justice expand their knowledge by integrating theory and engagement with real world field experiences. They approach social justice through the arts, history, literature, comparative religious studies, political science, philosophy, health education, and gender, women’s, and sexuality studies.

Social justice students:

  • explore how the intersections of geography, race, class, gender, sexuality, health, economics, and history create networks of privilege and oppression across the globe through coursework and reflect on situations they encounter in the field;
  • read, write, listen, and act through coursework and fieldwork in order to understand how conditions are created for change on the local, regional, and national level historically, ethically, politically, and personally;
  • learn about selected history of social movements, how those movements emerged, and the impacts those movements had on policy, populations, the environment, and culture through engagement in a core course;
  • develop a deeper understanding of issues, practice, research, and theory related to social justice in one or more areas of study within the traditional disciplines of the liberal arts through 9 s.h. of coursework in an area of specialization; and
  • prepare for employment and/or for graduate study in various fields through high quality internships and educational experiences, including anthropology, political science, law, criminology, health, the cultural sector, social services, business, nonprofit management, or public history projects.

Learning Outcomes

Students graduating with a degree in social justice will:

  • explore how an intersectional lens can magnify the tensions within constructed identities based on race, ethnicity, gender and gender expression, geography, language, citizenship, sexuality, class, age, ability, and religion to practices of oppression and discrimination;
  • learn about historical moments when oppression and discrimination have influenced policy, culture, law, and corporeal practices and find recurring patterns in current events, culture, and policy; and
  • express ways their personal experiences and scholarly ideas connect to larger political, environmental, social, and geographical contexts, issues, and problems.