NGO Education Survey

Special Topics in Social and Environmental Justice

At least one special topics course is mounted every year. The subject area is chosen to reflect broad, general themes in the social justice/environmental justice area. These topics could include local food sustainability, climate justice, virtual communities and social movements and local democratic renewal.

Data Analysis in Social Justice Research

Students learn how to evaluate and interpret the qualitative and quantitative data typically used in community-based social and environmental justice research. Students will develop an in-depth understanding and an initial proposal for the methodological approach and methods they will use in their own research.

Engaged Scholarship and Community Capacity Development

This course is focused on developing the skills that facilitate community innovation, sustainability and democratic renewal. It explores such topics as anti-oppressive activism, civic engagement, grass-roots organizing, and action research within social movements. This course challenges students to think critically about the variety of channels through which community capacities can be developed.

Major Research Project

Students will undertake research that culminates in a final 50-60 page major paper, or alternative creative work or engaged scholarship project. The alternative final project will be accompanied by a 20-30 page written report. All MRPs must be within the scope of social and environmental justice issues and sufficiently rigorous for a Master’s program. The MRP topic will be chosen in consultation with the advisory committee and the Graduate Coordinator. Each student will have an MRP committee consisting of an Advisor and Second Reader. Student submission of the final MRP (including written work and any other appropriate documentation such as arts piece) will be followed by an oral defense to the MRP committee.

Social Justice Community Placement

The community placement is an opportunity for students to apply theoretical ideas about social and environmental justice and engaged scholarship in a community setting. The course is founded on the dual pillars of providing a community service learning opportunity for the students while ensuring that the community organization benefits from the placement. The 160 hour community placement is expected to either inform the major research project or be directly tied to the project.

Social Justice Directed Reading Course

The reading course is designed consultatively between the faculty member and student, with the course syllabus reviewed by the Graduate Coordinator. It is designed to meet the needs of students where no existing course increases the student’s depth in their chosen area of interest.

Social Justice Research and Professionalization Forum

This forum is focused on preparation for the community placement, the development of the major research project (MRP) and on student professionalization. Information literacy related to the development of the MRP literature review is highlighted in the course. During the course students prepare and present their MRP proposal. This course is held every other week over the fall and winter semesters. It is graded on a pass/fail basis.

Theories of Social Justice and Community Engagement

This course helps students understand and develop broad frameworks for explaining the structural factors and discourses that lead to social inequality and environmental injustice, as well as theories of progressive social change. The course promotes systematic, reflexive, theoretical thinking about specific issues such as gender discrimination, environmental injustice, poverty, political ecology, resilience, globalization, and democracy.

Social Movements, Social Justice and Vulnerable Populations