Social Justice Major

Print Degree Planner (opens a new window) |

Major Requirements

A student majoring in social justice must take twelve (12) courses using the guidelines below, and with the approval of the director of the program. An internship or work experience in the field is highly recommended. Students must take the two (2) required courses, meet the breadth requirement, and meet the concentration requirement to graduate with the social justice major.

Required Courses

Breadth Courses

Students must elect at least one (1) course from each of the following five areas. A minimum of two (2) of these courses must be at the 3000 level or above. Courses that fulfill this requirement are designated by departments in the relevant areas:

1. One course in politics or legal studies from the following:

2. One course in social, cultural, economic, or psychological analysis of social justice issues:

3. One course in history with a social justice focus:

(See advisor for approval of history topics courses.) Recent offerings include:

HIST 3960 - Topics in Comparative History
Topic: Disease & Society in International Perspective Topic: International Human Rights Law Topic: History of Slavery and Emancipation
SOCJ 1150 - Living on the Edge: The Asian American Experience

4. One course that offers a broad perspective on moral, ethical, or values concerns:

These concerns shape the quest for social justice from philosophy, religion, or selected literature courses. Other relevant courses may be taken with permission from the program director.

ENG 1270 - African-American Literatures
PHIL 1140 - Ethics
PHIL 3190 - Nineteenth-Century Philosophy
PHIL 3250 - Feminist Philosophy
PHIL 3360 - Philosophy of Nonviolence
REL 1400 - Christian Ethics
REL 1510 - Jewish Ethics
REL 3300 - Reformers and Revolutionaries in the Ancient and Medieval World
Other relevant courses may also be available with permission from the program director/advisor.

5. One practical skills course:

One course that provides students with practical skills to permit them to be effective in advancing social justice concerns, e.g., communication theory, legal research, advocacy, writing courses, from the following:

Concentration Options

Students must elect an area for concentrated study, consisting of at least five (5) courses. A minimum of four (4) of these courses must be at the 3000 level or above. This selected concentration area may be:

A concentration in an existing discipline or interdisciplinary program, such as philosophy, religion, political science, law, economics, women’s studies, etc.
A concentration focusing on a particular geographical area, such as Latin America, the United States, Asia, Africa, etc. In some cases, the global studies major will be a better alternative for students interested in area studies or human rights.
A concentration designed in cooperation with the faculty advisor that focuses on a student’s particular area of interest, which may include elements drawn from existing departments and programs, but may also include coursework that is not offered by those departments or programs. An internship, if done for academic credit, may also be included.