Social Justice Certificate
Explore theoretical and practical questions of economic, political, and social rights through a variety of lenses. Through this liberal arts graduate certificate, you'll learn about core themes of social justice, including philosophy, economics, the environment, religion, politics, ethics, sociology, and law.
Key learning outcomes
- Build knowledge of classical and contemporary theories of justice and explore interrelated topics, such as human rights, affirmative action, income distribution, and the role of markets.
- Develop an understanding of the economic systems, such as capitalism, socialism/egalitarianism, and the welfare state, and societal structures conducive toward cultivating a just community.
- Gain insight into policy and social justice issues that drive human actions and responses to global challenges, such as the environment, poverty, and development.
- Understand principles of social justice as they relate to topics such as education, government, health, media, and religion.
Getting started
No application is required. You simply register for courses during our fall, spring, or summer registration periods.
Earning the Certificate
To meet the requirements for the certificate, you must:
- Complete 16 certificate credits at the graduate level.
- This can be accomplished by completing three 4-credit certificate courses and two 2-credit certificate courses or four 4-credit certificate courses for graduate credit.
- Earn at least a B grade in each course.
- Complete the courses within three years.
Learn more about pursuing a certificate and the process of requesting your certificate.
Certificate Courses
The liberal arts graduate certificate in social justice requires four courses or 16 credits:
- Social justice foundational course (choose one course from select group)
- Electives (choose any three courses from select group)
Courses taken before the 2016–17 academic year do not apply toward this certificate.