- Behavioral & Social Sciences
- B.A.
- M.A.
- Ph.D.
- Undergraduate Minor
- Social Sciences
- Education
Program overview
The EDJ major provides opportunities to examine critical questions, theories, practices, and research in the field of education. Courses in the major 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.
Learning Experience
The major’s course of study explores 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 does not focus on education in international contexts but will address the effects of immigration and globalization on U.S. education.
Study and Research Opportunities
The 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.
Transfer Requirements
This is a non-screening major. 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. To formally declare, completion of EDUC 10, and EDUC 60 is required.
For the Education minor and EDJ major, Educ60 will be the first course to take in the subject area. EDJ majors will also need to take Educ10.
Those with a STEM major who are interested in the STEM Education minor should meet with Cal Teach staff as early as possible. Cal Teach program internships are required for the STEM Education minor.
For more information about the declaration process please review the Education Website.
Internships and Career Opportunities
Please see the Opportunities/Internships for Education Students web page for an up-to-date list of internships. For career opportunities that the education field offers, please see the Careers in Education page.