Equity, Education and Social Justice

The Master of Arts in Equity, Education and Social Justice program (formerly Social and Cultural Analysis of Education) changed its degree title name effective Fall 2023.

This program allows admission in the Fall. The next application cycle will be for Fall 2024: 

  • Application period began: October 1, 2023
  • CSULB Cal State Apply Application Deadline for Domestic Applicants: April 1, 2024

How to Apply
Statement of Purpose prompt, etc., and MyCED Program Application Deadline

Request to be added to the prospective student list for this program

Information Sessions Available Now

Students in the Master of Arts in Equity, Education & Social Justice (EESJ) program receive thorough theory to practice training for how to analyze and take action on issues of inequity and injustice in urban and global contexts. Emphasizing critical approaches to education, including critical theory and critical pedagogy, the degree's interdisciplinary nature provides the intellectual rigor necessary for analyzing the relationship between education and society and effecting social and educational justice. EESJ courses examine education in its historical, social, and political contexts, and may be applied to all levels of education—locally, nationally, and internationally. EESJ combines intensive theoretical training, with multiple opportunities for putting theory into practice and reflective action through semester-long projects. In the EESJ program, education is conceived broadly to encompass K-12 and higher education, community-based education, adult education and other spaces in which people engage in teaching and learning. 

Graduates will be prepared to work in nonprofit organizations, K-12 and higher education, youth programs, community organizations, and in positions in the public and private sectors. The program also serves as an ideal foundation for further academic study at the doctoral level.  

Strengths of the program include the faculty with interdisciplinary training, our excellent reputation, and a high demand for graduates.

The mission of the Equity, Education and Social Justice program is to provide students with an intellectually rigorous interdisciplinary experience that emphasizes critical approaches to social and educational analysis. The Equity, Education and Social Justice program aims to prepare our graduates to envision and effect transformative practices in a broad range of educational contexts, both domestically and internationally.

  1. Graduates understand how social forces impact, and are impacted by, educational policies, practices, and pedagogies. 

  2. Graduates have a critical understanding of the role of education in society—locally, nationally and globally. 

  3. Graduates have a critical understanding of historical and contemporary struggles for social and educational justice in the United States and around the world. 

  4. Graduates are committed to envisioning and effecting transformative practices in a variety of educational contexts. 

  5. Graduates value professional and intellectual growth and development as integral to exercising agency in their spheres of influence. 

  1. Students can synthesize concepts and ideas in the areas of equity, education, and social justice. 

  2. Students can identify implications of critical theories for educational practice in a variety of settings. 

  3. Students can formulate strategies for effecting social and educational justice. 

  4. Students can construct complex written arguments related to equity, education, and social justice. 

  5. Students can produce sophisticated academic writing related to equity, education, and social justice. 

  6. Students can engage in critical dialogue related to educational policies, practices, and pedagogies. 

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  • On our website, you'll also find FAQs, a program handbook, course planners, and more!