Graduate Certificate in Social Justice Studies at University of Nevada, Las Vegas

    Graduate Certificate in Social Justice Studies at University of Nevada, Las Vegas

    Graduate Certificate in Social Justice Studies at University of Nevada, Las Vegas

    University of Nevada, Las Vegas offers the Graduate Certificate of Social Justice Studies as a full-time degree delivered on campus at its main campus in Paradise , United States of America. Taught in English and completed over 1 year, the program equips students with the theoretical knowledge and practical skills required for social justice studies and related professional fields. The next available intake begins on August 28, 2027.

    About Graduate Certificate in Social Justice Studies

    The graduate certificate in Social Justice Studies (SJS) targets full or part-time graduate students who seek professional preparation commensurate with the relevant Transformative Standards for Social Justice, Peace, and Environmental Education codified by Andrzejewski, Baltodano, & Symcox in 2009. Master's and doctoral students enrolled in various disciplines, as well as current administrative professionals who already possess an undergraduate degree and have 2-3 years full-time work experience, will particularly benefit from this certificate.

    Students in the certificate will develop interdisciplinary theoretical, methodological, and practical knowledge on all aspects of social justice, grounded in deep understanding of the root causes of injustices, and skills to advance social justice related to civil and human rights, social action/activism, community organizing, radical love, processes of conscientization, and societal democratization.

    For more information, please visit: http://tl.unlv.edu/content/csieme/certificate/sjs/.

    Upon completion of the graduate certificate in SJS, students will be able to meet the following relevant Transformative Standards for Social Justice, Peace, and Environmental Education codified by Andrzejewski, Baltodano, & Symcox in 2009:

    • Standard 1: Has the knowledge, skills, abilities, and dispositions to advance social justice, particularly as the advancement of social justice is related to:
      • Self-determination and relative autonomy;
      • A focus on the collective, not individuals;
      • Sociopolitical context, historicity, and political economy;
      • Civil and human rights;
      • Critique and self critique;
      • Radical love;
      • Dialogic, consensus process;
      • Ethics, including eco-sustainability relative to environmental racism and justice;
      • The coercive power of the state, imperialism, and the military industrial complex;
      • Schools as socially-reproductionistic, not democratic, institutions;
      • Affirmation of community funds of knowledge and cultural wealth in direct opposition to socially constructed deficit;
      • The legitimization of cultural aspirations and identity;
      • The principle of En Lak Ech;
      • The use of culturally relevant pedagogy;
      • Conscientization and democratization;
      • Equity;
      • The complex relationship between the local and the global as living and constantly adapting systems in which poverty and wealth can be mitigated (by social justice action) and/or augmented (by inaction in the context of neoliberalism); and,
      • A focus on what can be done.
    • Standard 2: Understands that all people, including PK-12 students, can exercise social justice, and has the knowledge, skills, abilities, and dispositions to facilitate this.
    • Standard 3: Understands that all institutions, especially educational institutions (PK-12 schools, colleges and universities, accrediting bodies, etc.) can foster social justice and has the knowledge, skills, abilities, and dispositions to facilitate this.
    • Standard 4: Understands how all people, including teacher educators, can support social justice and has the knowledge, skills, abilities, and dispositions to facilitate this.
    • Standard 5: Understands how all communities can realize the practice of social justice and has the knowledge, skills, abilities, and dispositions to facilitate this.

    Disciplines

    College of Education

    Requirements and Admission Criteria for Graduate Certificate in Social Justice Studies at University of Nevada, Las Vegas

    Entry Requirements

    While each graduate program has unique admissions standards, the Graduate College maintains minimum standards for graduate admission. All advanced degree and certificate program applicants must meet these eligibility requirements to be considered for admission. Immigration status does not impact admission to UNLV.

    1. Bachelor’s Degree – You must hold a four-year baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution, or an approved international equivalent.
    2. Grade Point Average – You must have a minimum overall grade point average of 2.75 (4.00=A) for your bachelor’s degree, or a minimum 3.00 (4.00=A) for the last two years (60 semester hours).
    3. Additional Requirements – Factors that may also be considered by the academic department to which you are applying include test scores (like the GRE or GMAT), the type of course work completed during undergraduate studies, letters of recommendation, writing samples or portfolios, and any other supporting documents your department/program may ask you to submit to complete your application.
    4. International Applicants: Proof of English Proficiency – The application process for international students is the same as for domestic students, with the exception of submitting proof of English Proficiency.
    5. Transcripts – All applicants are required to submit a transcript from each postsecondary institution attended, showing all degrees and coursework, the dates awarded, and grades received. If the institution is outside the U.S., a foreign credential evaluation may be required. Please review our foreign credential evaluations page for additional guidelines, information, and requirements.
      Credentials not in English must be accompanied by an English translation certified as true by a university official, an official representative of a United States embassy or consulate, the United States Information Service, the United States Education Foundation, or an approved professional translating service. Notarized copies of originals or translations are not considered official.

    Credentials from China: Students who have completed a degree in China must provide copies of the original language transcripts and a copy of their Degree Certificate and Graduation Certificate. Documents verified by the Center for Student Services and Development (CSSD) or the China Academic Degree and Graduate information Center (CDGDC) are also accepted. 

    Credentials from India: Consolidated marks sheets are acceptable if yearly mark sheets are not available. Mark sheets must also be issued by the degree-granting institution. Mark sheets from affiliated colleges, are not acceptable or considered official. Students who have completed a degree in India must also provide a copy of their Provisional Certificate.

    Please note that the aforementioned requirements are the minimum requirements established and monitored by the Graduate College. Meeting the minimum admissions requirements is a necessary but not sufficient condition of admission. Admission decisions are based on applicants meeting the minimum Graduate College requirements and a more extensive and holistic departmental review, which considers a combination of factors, including indicators of success based upon academic degrees and records, the statement of purpose, letters of recommendation, test scores, relevant work experience, and the like.

    English Requirements

    • PTEMin 65
    • IELTSMin 6.5
    • TOEFLMin 80

    Tuition and Fee Information for Graduate Certificate in Social Justice Studies at University of Nevada, Las Vegas

    Application Fee 95

    How to Apply for Graduate Certificate in Social Justice Studies at University of Nevada, Las Vegas

    1. Review Admission Requirements – Review requirements for advanced degree and certificate program applicants. Be sure to check your department of interest as well because departmental requirements vary. Please note that only degree-seeking students are eligible for I-20/student visas and graduate assistantships. Certificate programs are not considered degree-seeking. However, with proper approval students may be enrolled concurrently in both degree and certificate programs.
    2. Application Procedures – To apply to the Graduate College, submit the following admission materials for consideration:
      • A completed application. Complete the application online.
      • A nonrefundable admission application fee of $95, payable online by credit card or by check/money order, to the Board of Regents, UNLV.

        *Note: Applications and materials will not be processed until the application fee is received. Applicants to any UNLV graduate program must pay the admission application evaluation fee for each application filed. Denied applicants, who later seek admission to the same or other UNLV degree program, are required to pay an additional application fee.
    3. Additional Graduate College Application Materials – If needed, send any additional Graduate College admission materials (for example: your admission receipt with your check payment; your transcripts if you did not upload them into your online application; or your official transcripts upon admission; etc.) to:

      Office of Admissions

      University of Nevada, Las Vegas
      Mail Stop: 1021
      4505 S. Maryland Pkwy.
      Las Vegas, NV 89154

    4. Additional Materials for your Department & Degree Program Application – Submit any additional department-required admission materials by uploading them into your online application. Please check with your graduate program of interest and refer to the application checklist on the Home tab of your Grad Rebel Gateway account in order to determine their specific admission requirements prior to submitting your online application.
    5. Financial Certification Requirement – Submit Financial Certification form and Bank Letter to the Graduate College.
      Before an I-20 can be issued, all international students must submit a completed Financial Certification form and bank letter. Even if you anticipate receiving a Graduate Assistantship, you must submit the Financial Certification form and bank letter.
      • Confidential Financial Certification
    Graduate Certificate in Social Justice Studies at University of Nevada, Las Vegas
    University of Nevada, Las Vegas
    University of Nevada, Las Vegas
    United States of America

    United States of America, Paradise

    WhatsApp student consultation with YouApply