Description

The Master of Arts degree in Cultural Foundations explores education through a range of disciplinary and interdisciplinary perspectives: philosophy of education, history of education, sociology of education, comparative/international education, anthropology of education, gender studies, multicultural studies and religious studies. Students examine the social contexts of education, with particular emphasis on structural inequalities, issues of access, and the distribution of educational opportunity, normative considerations about the purposes of education, and the transformative potential of education.

The degree program promotes students' responsibilities as change agents in a range of educational settings, including schools, cultural and religious institutions and civic associations. Graduates of the program have the knowledge and skills to interpret and critique educational policies and practices and to promote innovative practices in a variety of educational settings, domestically and worldwide.

Students in the M.A. degree write a thesis on an educational topic of their own choosing. Thesis students work closely with their academic supervisor to generate a thesis topic and design a research study or undertake a scholarly analysis of an issue of interest to the student.

Fully Offered At:

• Kent Campus

Admission Requirements

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university for unconditional admission
• Minimum 3.000 undergraduate GPA on a 4.000 point scale for unconditional admission
• Official transcript(s)
• Goal statement
• Two letters of recommendation
• English language proficiency - all international students must provide proof of English language proficiency (unless they meet specific exceptions) by earning one of the following:
  • Minimum 550 TOEFL PBT score (paper-based version)
  • Minimum 79 TOEFL IBT score (Internet-based version)
  • Minimum 77 MELAB score
  • Minimum 6.5 IELTS score
  • Minimum 58 PTE score

Applicants will be assessed holistically, considering academic credentials, related professional experience, academic or professional references, scholarly activities and professional activities, among others. For more information about graduate admissions, please visit the Graduate Studies admission website. For more information on international admission, visit the Office of Global Education’s admission website.

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of the program will be able to:

1. Demonstrate an understanding of the social, cultural, economic and political assumptions shaping educational policies and reforms in the United States and other societies.
2. Understand the nature of the democratic challenge for schooling in answering such foundational questions as: "What should be taught?" "Who should be taught?" and "Who should teach?"
3. Demonstrate an understanding of the convergence of social class, race, gender, sexual orientation and disability as barriers to and opportunities for educational change, domestically and internationally.