Program Information

15 credits

The minor in Social Justice offers a multidisciplinary approach to understanding the causes and consequences of unjust social arrangements, the ideas that undergird them, and how they can be changed.  Students are able to explore a variety of issues (e.g., immigration, human rights, war and militarism, crime and criminality, feminism, gay and lesbian issues, sexism and misogyny, race and racism, economic discrimination, ableism, globalization, political disenfranchisement), through the lens of a wide variety of disciplines (e.g., literature, philosophy, music, art, sociology, history, religion, and disability studies).

To view a minor program sequence to assist with course planning, click here.

Contact Information

For more information about the Social Justice minor, contact Susan Joel, chairperson of the Humanities and Social Sciences Department, at (413) 748-3349 or the Admissions Office at (800) 343-1257.

Required Courses:

Select five (5) courses from the list of courses that fulfill the Social Justice competency within the general education requirements, recognizing that this list may change over time.  The courses selected must be from at least three (3) different disciplines (i.e., have three different prefixes).

• ARTS 245 - Contemporary Jewish Art Credits: 3
• ATPY 430 - Multicultural Issues in Art Therapy Credits: 3
• EDUC 237 - Foundations of Multicultural Education Credits: 3
• ENGL 245 - LGBTQ Literature Credits: 3
• ENGL 251 - African American Literature I Credits: 3
• ENGL 252 - African American Literature II Credits: 3
• ENGL 272 - Native American Literature Credits: 3
• ENGL 274 - Asian American Literature Credits: 3
• ENGL 275 - Women and Literature Credits: 3
• ENVS 120 - Foundations of Sustainability Credits: 3
• HIST 105 - Colonial America to the Civil War Credits: 3
• HIST 210 - African American History Credits: 3
• MUSC 332 - Music as a Form of Social Protest Credits: 3
• PHIL 106 - Ethics Credits: 3
• RELI 210 - Interfaith Studies: Engaging in a Religiously Diverse World Credits: 3
• RELI 220 - Liberation Theology Credits: 3
• RHDS 230 - Psychology of Disability and Illness Credits: 3
• SMRT 272 - Inclusive Recreation Services Credits: 3
• SOCI 210 - Social Problems Credits: 3
• SOCI 312 - Genders in Society Credits: 3
• SOCI 322 - Racial and Ethnic Relations Credits: 3
• SOCI 410 - Poverty and Wealth: Class in Society Credits: 3
• SOCI 420 - Media and Society Credits: 3
• YDEV 330 - Programming for Diverse Youth Populations Credits: 3