The MA in Community-Engaged Education and Social Change (CEESC) draws on relevant coursework in the School of Educational Studies to inform students of the important nexus between learning, teaching, and the local context. Courses will provide students with knowledge and skills so that they can work in community agencies in close connection with educators to ensure the best possible opportunities for all students in the community. Coursework includes action-based strategies for social change in our local communities. Bridging the divide between academia and activism, this program provides students with an opportunity to exercise alternative and critical pedagogies within the context of local community organizations and school programs. Graduates of the program will be prepared to work in a variety of non-profit and educational organizations that promote and support relationships between the community and formal and non-formal education.
University Policies
Policies detailed in the current Policies and General Information Bulletin apply.
Admissions Requirements
Admission requirements are detailed in the Admissions section of the current Policies and General Information Bulletin.
Degree Requirements
Coursework. The master’s degree requires the completion of 32 units of coursework, taken from among the following:
- Required courses: 16 units
- CEESC-aligned elective courses: 16 units
Transfer Credit. The University’s policy on transfer credit applies. The Education program permits a maximum of 6 semester units of transfer credit and stipulates that prior graduate coursework must have been taken within the last five years.
Claremont Colleges students admitted to the Community-Engaged Education and Social Change Accelerated BA-MA program may carry forward up to 8 units of undergraduate coursework, or up to 12 units for Pitzer College students in the Critical Action & Social Advocacy (CASA) program.
Degree Completion Option. Students will culminate their program by taking EDUC 451 - Community-Engaged Practicum for CEESC Students. This is a structured course meant to assist students as they design and implement a capstone project. The capstone project or thesis, completed by the end of the course, validates students as master scholar-practitioners fully prepared to engage as critical actors in their field.
Master’s Degree Along the Way to the PhD
CGU offers students the option to earn a Master’s degree along the way to the doctoral degree. Education students qualify by meeting all the following criteria.
- Enrollment in the doctoral program with the intention of completing 72 units of coursework at CGU
- Completion of 32 units of study with a GPA of 3.0 or higher
- Completion of one approved PhD qualifying exam in lieu of the thesis or critique
- Completion of the Intent to Receive a Degree/Certificate form in the semester in which the degree is requested to be conferred