Education, Democracy, and Justice B.A.

Information and Policies

Introduction

The Education, Democracy and Justice major (EDJ; pronounced as ‘Edge’) will provide opportunities to examine critical questions, theories, practices, and research in the field of education considered broadly and not only in relation to formal schooling. Courses in the major will provide the conceptual knowledge for students to engage in critical thinking about social and policy contexts as well as everyday practices affecting inequitable structures in schooling, society, and culture that have enduring impacts on the quality of our democracy and communities. The major’s course of study will explore the history and politics of education and public schooling and their relation to the formation of just and democratic societies; theories of cognition, learning, and pedagogy; and issues of equity and cultural and linguistic diversity in education and in public school policies and practices. The major will not focus on education in international contexts but will address the effects of immigration and globalization on U.S. education.

The department faculty and the program’s social justice orientations bridge theory and practice, drawing on a variety of fields and areas of study in the humanities and social sciences—including sociology, psychology, anthropology, history, philosophy—as well as critical interdisciplinary theories and the learning sciences. Core required courses and elective field experiences will incorporate history and insights from action and participatory forms of research and community organizing to highlight the relationship between education and democratic politics. These studies and field experiences will ground students in an understanding of the transformative power of the linguistic, cultural, epistemic, and social resources that individuals, families, social groups, and communities bring to bear on their circumstances, and how these resources provide the foundations for personal and social change to address historic and enduring inequities that have been barriers to education as a democratic project. The aim of the EDJ major is to provide students with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to become leaders in their communities who can impact a wide array of educational and social institutions, including schools, and put their combination of coursework, research, and fieldwork experiences to work in improving the lives of the least advantaged to advance the welfare of all.

The Education, Democracy, and Justice (EDJ) major does not provide a professional education degree or teaching credential. However, for students interested in a future career as a K-5 teacher, it will provide a strong background for applying to a master's (M.A. or M.Ed.) teaching credential program. Students interested in 6-8 or 9-12 levels of teaching might wish to double-major in education to provide a strong educational context to support their major in a subject area (e.g. literature, history, science, math) if they intend to apply to a graduate program in teacher education. Students cannot teach in 9-12 grades in California schools with a single major in education. Students who complete the major with at least a 3.0 GPA along with other advised coursework and experiences will be given priority for admission into UCSC’s Master of Arts and Credential program in K-5 (multiple subjects) on the recommendation of the faculty.

The Education, Democracy, and Justice (EDJ) major’s sociocultural perspective emphasizes equity and social justice related education in and out of school, with a particular focus on how cognition, language, and knowledge production, circulation, and mobilization are related to social, cultural, and other identities and their processes of formation. Students will examine critical, transformative pedagogies that focus on meeting the needs of low-income, ethnically, racially, and linguistically non-dominant students and their families, and how these pedagogies support the development of more healthy and flourishing children and youth and a more just and democratic society.

Program Learning Outcomes

1. Students will demonstrate an understanding of the key theoretical perspectives and existing research on innovative teaching and learning approaches that value and promote historically disadvantaged and under-served communities and their cultural and linguistic resources.
2. Students will apply critical perspectives in reflecting on and/or conducting research and/or fieldwork, and present their findings in multi-modal forms.
3. Students will demonstrate knowledge of broad historical, social, and political contexts that impact equal opportunity to learn and contribute to society, and the role that education and schooling can play in expanding opportunity.
4. Students will demonstrate basic knowledge of transformative teaching and learning principles that can be applied in a wide range of learning environments and youth serving educational organizations.
5. Students will demonstrate oral and written communication skills through individual and group presentations and assignments in their courses.

Academic Advising for the Program

Undergraduate Advisor

The undergraduate advisor offers specific information about navigating through the program and the curriculum and assists students with prerequisites, requirements, policies, procedures, learning support, guidance on internships, scholarships, and opportunities for undergraduate research. Please contact the EDJ undergraduate advisor at educationadvising@ucsc.edu.

Peer Advisors

Peer advising can assist in academic planning in regards to major and minor requirements, help prepare declaration of major and minor paperwork. Please see the department website for Peer Advisor contact info. 

Transfer Students should also consult the Transfer Information and Policy section below.

Getting Started in the Major: Frosh

Students interested in pursuing the Education, Democracy, and Justice (EDJ) major should complete EDUC 10, and EDUC 60 and attend a declaration workshop or meet with the department advisor. After completing these requirements, students may petition to declare the education major.

New frosh who are exploring majors may have chosen an "Advising Cluster" on their UC application, and can find information about getting started on the Advising Clusters site.

Transfer Information and Policy

Transfer Admission Screening Policy

Students planning to apply to UC Santa Cruz in the Education, Democracy, and Justice (EDJ) major are not required to complete specific courses for consideration of admission.

Transfer students considering the education major are strongly encouraged to complete most, if not all, general education requirements before transfer. Introductory education courses completed by transfer students at their prior institution will be reviewed to determine equivalency for EDUC 10 and EDUC 60. To ensure that students desiring a transfer to UCSC's EDJ major are on track for meeting these goals, they need to connect with their community college or university advisors for guidance and course planning.

Getting Started in the Major: Transfer Students

Transfer students can designate the Education, Democracy, and Justice (EDJ) major as their intended major and begin working on the requirements as soon as they arrive at UCSC.

Transfer students interested in pursuing the education, democracy, and justice (EDJ) major should complete EDUC 10, and EDUC  60 or courses taken at their previous institution that the Education Department has approved as equivalent. Transfer students should also attend a declaration workshop or meet with the department advisor.

After completing these requirements, students may petition to declare the education major.

Students who wish to pursue the education major should arrange to meet with the education undergraduate advisor as early as possible to discuss plans for enrolling in EDUC 10 and EDUC 60, if needed, declaring the major, and other course planning. Students should bring a copy of their UCSC Transfer Credit Summary to the meeting with the undergraduate advisor. This may be printed from the student portal.

Major Qualification Policy and Declaration Process

Major Qualification

To qualify to declare the EDJ major, students must have:

• Attended an Education, Democracy, and Justice (EDJ) Major Workshop or meet with the advisor
• Completed EDUC 10, Introduction to Education, and EDUC 60, Schooling, Democracy, and Justice. (Students may still petition to declare if they have completed one required lower-division course and are currently enrolled in the second required lower-division course.)

The Committee on Educational Policy on Major Declaration Process and Deadlines can be found here.

Appeal Process

Students who are informed that they are not qualified to declare the Education, Democracy, and Justice (EDJ) major may appeal this decision by submitting a letter to the program director within 15 days from the date the notification was made. Within 15 days of receipt of the appeal, the program will notify the student, college, and the Office of the Registrar of the decision.

How to Declare a Major

To officially declare the education, democracy, and justice (EDJ) major, students petition in MyUCSC and create and share an Academic Planning Form with the department’s undergraduate advisor. Students pursuing the major should meet with the Education Department’s undergraduate advisor or peer advisor as early as possible.

Letter Grade Policy

The Education, Democracy, and Justice (EDJ) major lower-division qualification courses (EDUC 10 and EDUC 60) may be taken for letter grades or Pass/No Pass. All other major requirements may be taken as a letter grade or Pass/No Pass. No more than 25 percent of credits earned at UCSC may be graded on a Pass/No Pass basis. Students must be in good academic standing to choose the Pass/No Pass option. 

Course Substitution Policy

Education, Democracy, and Justice (EDJ) B.A. students may substitute up to two of the upper-division elective requirements with upper-division electives from other UCSC departments, individual study courses, education abroad electives, or other four-year institution electives. Students are limited in the number of outside electives accepted toward the major and must petition for approval of the course prior to applying it to the major.  Review the department's Petition for a Course Exception page for information about the petition process.

Double Majors and Major/Minor Combinations Policy

The department accepts proposals for double majors. A student pursuing a double major meets the full requirements of the Education, Democracy, and Justice (EDJ) major as well as the full requirements of the other major.

Education Abroad Program (EAP)

Students seeking to study abroad must be declared in their major prior to studying abroad.

It is recommended that the students have the courses intended to be taken abroad reviewed and approved by the Education Department prior to departure. Up to two relevant courses taken through study abroad programs from which credits are transferable to UCSC may be used toward satisfaction of the Education, Democracy, and Justice (EDJ) B.A. elective requirements when the content is deemed appropriate and approved by the Education Department.

Honors

A student with a major GPA of 3.75 or better qualifies for honors in the Education, Democracy, and Justice (EDJ) major. A student with a major GPA of 3.90 or better qualifies for highest honors in the major. In general, no more than approximately 15 percent of the graduating class can be considered for honors or highest honors in the major. Courses and units taken at UCSC to satisfy the major requirements are used to calculate the major GPA. Courses transferred from other institutions (with the exception of study abroad programs through UCSC) are not calculated into major GPA.

Requirements and Planners

Course Requirements

Education, Democracy, and Justice (EDJ) majors are required to take 10 5-credit courses for a total of 50 credits:

Lower-Division Courses

Both of the following

Upper-Division Courses

One of the following

Students will be required to take either EDUC 110, Popular Education, Democracy, and Social Movements (5 credits); or EDUC 180, Introduction to Teaching (5 credits).

Students may take both EDUC 110 and EDUC 180. One course will count as the required upper-division course and the other will count toward the six upper-division electives.

EDUC 110 explores principles of popular education that have emerged from social movements and that can guide future efforts to embody forms of education that are practices of freedom, justice, and democracy. EDUC 110 is recommended for students interested in the emphasis on Social Contexts and Foundations of Education.

EDUC 180 has a field component through which students reflect on how theories of learning and teaching become manifest in sociocultural and linguistic practices. EDUC 180 is recommended for students interested in the emphasis on Learning and Teaching.

Plus

Six upper-division electives from the education catalog.

Plus

Successful completion of the comprehensive requirement is required prior to graduation.

EDUC 190 will satisfy the senior capstone requirement with a focus on advanced topics in education, emphasizing at least one of the following: critical and analytical thinking, field research, advanced research methods (qualitative or quantitative), or advanced theory.

Electives

Beyond the three foundational required courses, all students will take any six, 5-credit electives from EDUC 102–EDUC 187.

Outside Electives

The following courses may also be counted toward the six electives:

Areas of Emphasis

Students may chose to follow an area of emphasis but it is not required. The two areas of emphasis are Social Contexts and Educational Foundations, and Learning and Teaching.

Students may take both EDUC 110 and EDUC 180. One course will count as the required upper-division course and the other will count toward the six upper-division electives.

Social Contexts and Educational Foundations

EDUC 110 is required

Learning and Teaching

EDUC 180 is required

Disciplinary Communication (DC) Requirement

Students of every major must satisfy that major's upper-division disciplinary communication (DC) requirement. The DC requirement in Education, Democracy, and Justice B.A. is satisfied by completing EDUC 110 or EDUC 180, and EDUC 190.

One of the following courses

Plus

Comprehensive Requirement

EDUC 190 (5 credits) will satisfy the senior capstone requirement with a focus on advanced topics in education, emphasizing at least one of the following: critical and analytical thinking, field research, advanced research methods (qualitative or quantitative), or advanced theory.

Planners

The tables below are for informational purposes and do not reflect all university, general education, and credit requirements. See Undergraduate Graduation Requirements for more information.

A four-year course plan for frosh majoring in education, democracy, and justice (EDJ) and a two-year course plan for transfer students are provided below.

Following are two recommended academic plans for frosh, and two plans for transfer students. Plan One is a suggested guideline for frosh who may choose social contexts and educational foundations (EDUC 110 is recommended) as an area of emphasis. Plan Two is for frosh who may choose learning and teaching (EDUC 180 is recommended) as an area of emphasis. The third and fourth planners are suggested two-year guidelines for transfer students. Students may choose to take education electives in summer quarters.

Plan One for Incoming Frosh

* WRIT 2 should be taken in or before spring quarter of the second year.

The courses listed above will satisfy the PR-S and DC general education requirements. Other GE requirements may be satisfied by elective courses. All other GE requirements have to be satisfied.

Plan Two for Incoming Frosh

* WRIT 2 should be taken in or before spring quarter of the second year.

The courses listed above will satisfy the PR-S and DC general education requirements. Other GE requirements may be satisfied by elective courses. All other GE requirements have to be satisfied.

Sample Plan One Transfer Planner

The courses listed above will satisfy the PR-S and DC general education requirements. Other GE requirements may be satisfied by elective courses. All other GE requirements have to be satisfied.

*Articulated equivalent courses may be taken prior to transfer.

Plan Two for Transfer Students

The courses listed above will satisfy the PR-S and DC general education requirements. Other GE requirements may be satisfied by elective courses. All other GE requirements have to be satisfied.

* Approved equivalent courses may be taken prior to transfer.