Education Specialist in Social Justice Education

The Education Specialist degree (Ed.S.) in Social Justice Education is an option for students who would like to pursue an advanced degree beyond a master's without the dissertation component of the doctorate. The Ed.S. degree is an advanced terminal degree in the United States that is designed for individuals who wish to develop advanced knowledge and theory beyond the master's degree level but may not wish to pursue a degree at the doctoral level.The EdS provides an intensive, cohesive program of professional development for educational specialists beyond the master's level. The EdS in Social Justice Education at UMass Amherst is a 31-credit-hour program of study (at minimum) beyond the master's degree. All 31 credits must be taken at the university within a 4-year period, and a minimum of 18 credits used toward fulfillment of this requirement must be at or above the 600 level.

The Social Justice Education admissions committee wants to know about your interest in social justice education and to understand how your prior personal, educational, and professional experiences have prepared you for graduate work in social justice education. Please be succinct yet specific about your interest in social justice education and the ways in which SJE can support your future plans and professional goals. Your personal statement will doubly serve as a writing sample (no more than 3 pages).Personal statement describing the applicant's prior experience with social justice education, professional objectives relevant to social justice education, and a description of what they hope to achieve through completion of the programOfficial transcriptsFull résumé3 letters of recommendation (at least one faculty member)Applicants are expected to show evidence of applied social justice experience, at least one semester of which is supervised. Examples might include classroom teaching, peer education programs, mediation teams, residence assistants, or community outreach programs. Applicants may also have certification in teaching, school counseling, and special education or school administration. Evidence of at least one full year's work experience in a social justice-related area beyond the bachelor's degree is strongly preferred.