Social Justice, B.A.

Major Requirements

This bachelor’s degree program requires a minimum of 124 credits. As part of the overall 124 credit minimum, the requirements for the major in Social Justice include a minimum of 34 credits in the major and nine (9) courses, as specified below, and an internship.

Students are also required to engage and actively participate in events organized by the program, such as field trips, Social Justice events (Social Justice Week/Month), documentaries, and lectures.

Elective Requirements

Students must select seven (7) courses from the courses approved for the SJ major, with at least one course (1) from each of the following four areas:

Global Justice
Ethics and Theory
Legal, Political or Economic Perspectives
Historical or Cultural Perspectives

A minimum of two (2) of these seven courses must be at the 3000 level or above. A maximum of four (4) of these seven courses or 16 credits (whichever is greater) may be taken in one department.

Students should declare a Social Justice major concentration. See “Concentrations in the Social Justice Major” (below).

For Social Justice majors, no more than four (4) Social Justice electives can be double counted towards another major.

For Social Justice minors, no more than two (2) Social Justice electives can be double-counted towards another major or minor.

The courses approved for each of the four areas are:

Concentrations in the Major in Social Justice

Students are encouraged to design, together with the director of the program or with selected advisors, a concentration area of their own that best represents their interests and selected field of work/study. Ideally, students declare this concentration before the end of Sophomore year so an adequate internship or Study Abroad experience can be selected and a course of studies may be laid out. The Social Justice Program also has four pre-approved concentration areas: Advocacy and Social Change, Global Justice and Human Rights, Law and Justice, and Social Justice and Religion. To declare a concentration area (self-designed or pre-approved), all students must complete the “Social Justice Concentration Declaration” form, which is available from the Program Director.

Student advising in the Social Justice Program will require close coordination and oversight, especially given the interdisciplinary curriculum. All advising will be coordinated and/or conducted by the Program Director.

Major GPA. Students must achieve a final graduation point average of 2.50 or better within the major.