What is Social Justice?

As societal challenges grow in impact and urgency, this UC multidisciplinary program is tailored for students who want to have an impact on the world. The College of Arts and Sciences has introduced a Bachelor of Arts in Social Justice major, a collaborative initiative amongst the arts and sciences. 

The program allows students to ‘create their own major,’ tailor-made for their professional and educational interests. In response to student demand, the major was created to expose students to a wide range of perspectives; critically examine diverse and transnational systems of oppression such as child labor or police brutality; and explore how humans relate and intersect with one another.

The major’s required coursework is not limited to only the offerings of the College of Arts and Sciences but across the other colleges of UC. Students will enroll in courses related to justice, oppression, and social change. The coursework includes the foundational core areas that cover an introduction to a student’s selected specialty. In line with the major’s breadth of exposure, students will also study in the cluster areas of activism, social change, and power and identity.

Morales says she found multiple courses noteworthy, like Black Women Writers, taught by assistant professor Simone Savannah, and African American Social and Political Thought, taught by assistant professor Felicia Denaud. “Dr. Savannah was the first teacher/professor that I had ever had who was a Black woman, which was impactful within itself. Additionally, this class made me feel seen and understood in a way I had never felt before,” said Morales.

“I absolutely loved [Denaud’s] class. It was so empowering to see the history of Black-activist thought, much of which I had adopted myself. This is also the class where I met my research mentor, Felicia Denaud, who brought me on to research the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee’s impact during the Civil Rights Movement.”

To fulfill their missions, including those of social responsibility, many employers, both governmental and non-governmental, currently seek graduates who have expertise and are enthusiastic about social justice. Graduates of this major can pursue many different careers. A few examples include:

• Advocate

• Certified 

• Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) 

• Community Health Worker 

• Community Specialist 

• Government Program Specialist 

• Lawyer 

• Mental Health Counselor 

• Political Analyst 

• Politician 

• Public Administrator 

• Social Services Director

However, the program will prepare students for multiple graduate degrees. Given the interdisciplinary nature of the program, students are well equipped for work in multiple industries, such as business, medicine, advocacy and law. Students develop high-level critical thinking, communication, reading, writing and analytical skills.

Featured image at top of  multiple ethnicites. Photo/Saud Ansari/iStock