Introduction
The Department of Social Justice Education offers a multi and interdisciplinary graduate program developed from the past programs of History and Philosophy of Education as well as Sociology in Education. This department provides students with critical understandings of the social, historical, cultural, political, economic, and ethical contexts of education, broadly conceived. Based on the diverse intellectual traditions of the humanities and social sciences, the department is committed to multi and interdisciplinary studies in education, with a focus on equity and social justice from a variety of perspectives including history, philosophy, sociology and political science.
Students may pursue studies including anti-racism, critical race theory, and Indigenous and anti-colonial studies; aesthetics, media, and communication; feminist and gender studies; class and poverty studies; francophone studies; post-colonial, diaspora, and transnational studies; queer and disability studies; cultural and philosophical contexts in education; and democracy, ethics, and social class and/or may follow traditional disciplinary inquiry.
Our Mission
The Department of Social Justice Education (SJE) is a multi-interdisciplinary graduate program whose mission is to provide students with critical understandings of the social, historical, philosophical, cultural, political, economic, and ethical contexts of education, broadly conceived.
Based on the diverse intellectual traditions of the humanities and social sciences, the department is committed to multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary studies in education, with a focus that recognizes such disciplines, among others, as history, philosophy, sociology, political science and anthropology in the context of social justice education.
Our mission affirms a supportive community of learners and educators in one of the world’s most diverse cities. SJE is well positioned to reaffirm its leadership position in social justice education by leveraging its location and strengths through: strategic recruitment of students; diversified curriculum, courses and programs that cater to differentiated models of Masters and Doctoral studies; well thought-out and expertly presented multiple modes of delivery; a supportive environment for our students, faculty and staff; and, goals that provide clarity of our envisioned outcomes.
The department is attentive to challenging barriers of systemic discrimination in education. As the SJE Constitution states: “We are committed to shared governance, mutual care and respect, and transparency and accountability. The department is also mindful of inequitable power relations and dynamics within and across the different constituencies that may inform, influence, and impact deliberations and decisions. To the best of our individual and collective capacities, the department works to challenge inequities, to recognize diverse competencies, and to create inclusive space.”
