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 and Equity Studies in Education. It is an intellectual community committed to producing and advancing knowledge on social justice education in Canada and beyond. Social justice education is a term used in robust ways in the department and this allows for diverse meanings and methodologies.

The department's graduate programs are concerned with both theoretical and empirical problems regarding in/equity in educational spaces, broadly conceived. Faculty and students approach their inquiries from disciplinary (e.g., anthropology, history, philosophy, political science, or sociology) and/or interdisciplinary (e.g., anti-colonial, critical race, disability, feminist, francophone, indigenous, or queer) perspectives. The graduate programs focus on identifying new relationships and making connections by asking significant questions about social justice education within and across disciplines. Hence, they foreground research and teaching in social justice education, pursued through analytical and empirical tools from the humanities and social sciences.

The department enables both graduate students and initial teacher education students to explore questions such as, “What was, what is, and what should be the relationship between education and society?” and “What kinds of knowledge do educators need to answer those questions?” The department aims to provide students with the academic knowledge and skills necessary to raise and engage questions of critical importance to educational theories and practices, and their relationship to individuals, communities, and societies.

Overview of Program

Social Justice Education Program - MA, MEd, EdD, PhD

• Collaborative specializations: 
  • Comparative, International and Development Education -  MA, MEd, EdD, PhD
  • Development Policy and Power, MA, MEd
  • Diaspora and Transnational Studies - MA, MEd, EdD, PhD
  • Education, Francophonies and Diversity - MA, MEd, EdD, PhD
  • Educational Policy - MA, MEd, EdD, PhD (admissions have been administratively suspended) 
  • Environmental Studies - MA, MEd, EdD, PhD
  • Ethnic, Immigration and Pluralism Studies - MA, MEd, EdD, PhD
  • Indigenous Health - MA, MEd, EdD, PhD (admissions have been administratively suspended) 
  • Sexual Diversity Studies - MA, MEd, EdD, PhD
  • South Asian Studies - MA, MEd, EdD, PhD
  • Women and Gender Studies - MA, MEd, EdD, PhD
  • Workplace Learning and Social Change - MA, MEd, EdD, PhD

NOTE: Please see Bulletin sections below for more information on SJE programs.

• See the School of Graduate Studies Calendar for details about Collaborative Specializations.
• See the School of Graduate Studies Calendar for Graduate Faculty Members.