Community, Youth, and Education Studies

Community, Youth, and Education Studies (CYES) is an interdisciplinary major that bridges Community Development, Critical Youth Studies, and Education Studies.  In addition to the power of interdisciplinarity, CYES majors and minors engage in social justice oriented “praxis.”  Toward that end, student in the major take a sequence of 11 courses that guides and supports them to critically interrogate their social world, reflexively examine their social location within that world, engage in social change, and reflect critically on their work for a broader audience.  The aim of CYES is to prepare students for engaged scholarship and leadership in the 21st century, working for social justice across a wide-range of educational, cultural, institutional, and linguistic boundaries and borders.

The CYES major is designed with high standards and high levels of support.  A signature element of the CYES major is the 3-course Capstone Sequence: Praxis Design Seminar (CYES 290), Praxis Project Seminar (CYES 292), and the Praxis Thesis Capstone (CYES 294), beginning in the spring semester of the junior year.  The Praxis Design Seminar (CYES 290) supports students in the development of their praxis project proposal and IRB approval. The Praxis Project Seminar (CYES 292) supports students as they carry out their praxis project, including data collection, data analysis, and theory development.  The Praxis Thesis Capstone (CYES 294) course supports CYES majors as they complete their final thesis, digital portfolio, and thesis defense.  The capstone thesis and digital portfolio demonstrates a CYES students capacity for integrating theory and practice; showing creativity, discipline, resilience, and intellectual excellence - needed to engage in original, self-directed work of consequence for a particular site or program, the neighborhood, or community at large.

International students applying to Clark must submit their applications through the Common Application. Official transcripts covering the student’s prior three (full) years of education must be submitted by the student’s school. Two letters of recommendation are required, one from an academic teacher and one from a school counselor.

All applicants whose first language is not English are required to submit evidence of English proficiency either through the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) or Duolingo, regardless of the length of time they have spent in the United States. The Certificate of Eligibility (Form I-20) necessary to obtain a student visa will be granted only after full admission and receipt of complete financial documentation (in the form of an official bank statement reflecting the student’s family’s financial resources).

To apply to a School of Professional Studies Bachelor of Science degree program, please submit the following:

• Completed online application
• Personal essay
• $75 non-refundable application fee (international students only)
• Official high school transcript or equivalent (unless high school completion is noted on a college transcript)
  • In lieu of a high school transcript, transfer students can submit an official copy of their domestic college transcript in combination with our Attestation Form.  This will waive the need for a high school transcript submission.)
• English proficiency exam scores. Required for international applicants whose native language is not English: TOEFL 80 | IELTS 6.5 | PTE 51.

If English is not your native language, you will need to submit an official TOEFL, Duolingo, or IELTS  score report. We do not have minimum scores for any test. We will consider your English proficiency holistically, based on your scores, transcript, essay, and letters of recommendation.

We strongly encourage all applicants to sit for an interview. This is especially important for applicants who do not speak English as a native language. Test scores only tell us so much; we want to give you the opportunity to tell your own story. Your options for an interview are:

• Email your admissions counselor to request a Skype interview with a current Clark student.
• Schedule an interview as part of a campus visit.
• Send us an interview from Vericant or InitialView.

If we determine that you are academically qualified to attend Clark, but could use additional language support, we will refer you to our English for Academic Success Program or Undergraduate Pathway Programs. Depending on your level of English proficiency, you would spend between one and four semesters in this program before joining the undergraduate degree program. You would not need to take the TOEFL or IELTS again after finishing the program.