Social Justice and the Performing Arts, Certificate

This is the first version of the 2026–27 General Catalog. Please check back regularly for changes. The final edition and the historical PDF will be published during the fall semester.

Students who earn the Certificate in Social Justice and the Performing Arts learn methods and practices to expand the parameters of their academic and arts disciplines to include diverse ways of thinking, creative problem solving, and practical applications for community-engaged arts projects and scholarship transnationally. The certificate is designed to foster interdisciplinary practice between students from across the university, whether they are in the arts or not. Students build skills in empathy, compassion, and social responsibility as they gain a sense of belonging and agency in approaching their work and partnerships with others. They examine who the work will impact, determine who benefits, and consider how ethical choices might be made as they collaborate on community-based creative projects. Certificate students will be prepared for a wide range of career opportunities both in and beyond the performing arts field after graduation.

Learning Outcomes

Students who complete the Social Justice in the Performing Arts Certificate will develop:

  • knowledge of the history of social movements, how movements emerge, and the impact movements have on policy, populations, the environment, the arts, and culture;
  • skills needed to identify the conditions necessary for change on the local, regional, and national levels;
  • strategies for the ethical navigation of community-based engagement and arts leadership with awareness of the impact of the intersections of geography, culture, class, gender, sexuality, health, economics, and history; and
  • the ability to articulate a clear vision that guides artistic practice, project planning, and meaningful engagement with community. This includes conceptualizing personal and artistic goals, aligning them with the needs of community partners, and applying that vision to inform creative or scholarly work.