Program Description
The Social Justice in Public Service graduate certificate seeks to develop leaders who can influence policy to create social justice. Students will obtain a theoretical background in social justice, exploring topics such as human rights, income distribution and the role of markets. Students will understand factors that contribute to inequity among various groups, with a focus on providing a theoretical background and methods to analyze social justice issues in public service. They will understand principles of social justice as they apply to government and nonprofit sector in education, health, transportatuion, and housing policy domains among others.
Curriculum
Graduate Certificate in Social Justice in Public Administration consists of 15 credit hours. Each student will complete 6 credit hours of core courses and 9 credit hours of restricted electives.
This certificate is primarily a face to face program but students will be able to select electives from the list of restricted electives that may be offered on-line. Classes are offered at UCF Downtown campus in the evenings.
Group projects are intended to develop leadership abilities while also providing an opportunity to show students are capable of working as part of a team. Group projects promote important intellectual and social skills and help to prepare students for work in a world in which teamwork and collaboration are increasingly the norms.
Courses from an undergraduate degree may not be applied to this Certificate.
Total Credit Hours Required: 15 Credit Hours Minimum beyond the Bachelor’s Degree
Required Courses: 15 Credit Hours Total
Core: 6 Credit Hours
- PAD 5185 - Foundations of Social Justice for Public Service 3 Credit Hours
- PAD 5186 - Policy Advocacy for Social Justice 3 Credit Hours
Restricted Electives: 9 Credit Hours
Select three elective courses from the list below (9 Credit Hours):
- CPO 6785 - Political and Economic Inequality in Comparative Perspective 3 Credit Hours
- EDF 6886 - Multicultural Education 3 Credit Hours
- EDF 6855 - Equitable Educational Opportunity and Life Chances: A Cross-National Analysis 3 Credit Hours
- INR 6067 - Human Rights and Security 3 Credit Hours
- INR 6062 - Peace Studies 3 Credit Hours
- INR 6356 - Environmental Security 3 Credit Hours
- PAD 5356 - Managing Community and Economic Development 3 Credit Hours
- PAD 5930 - Global Cities 3 Credit Hours
- PAD 6357 - Urban Resilience 3 Credit Hours
- PAD 6825 - Cross-Sectoral Governance 3 Credit Hours
- PUP 6324 - Women and Public Policy 3 Credit Hours
- SYO 6409 - Social Inequalities in Health 3 Credit Hours
- SYO 6404 - Food Insecurity and Health 3 Credit Hours
- PAD 6938 - Special Topics Credit Hours
Additional Program Requirements
Students must achieve a grade of “B-” (80%) or higher in every course listed under core requirements.
Students must maintain a program of study and graduate status GPA of 3.0 or higher and can only graduate with a graduate status GPA of 3.0 or higher.
The School of Public Administration incorporates service learning into some courses. Service learning is a teaching method that provides a means for every student to enhance his or her academic program with experiential learning opportunities. Service learning provides an opportunity for students to work with community partners by collecting and compiling data and producing quality products that will be beneficial to both students and organizations.
Students are expected to be computer literate and have computer internet access upon entry to the program.
Independent Learning
Independent learning is demonstrated throughout the curriculum through the process of inquiry and dialogue. Tangible projects, such as research scholarly papers and internships also contribute to the self-development of students.
Application Requirements
For information on general UCF graduate admissions requirements that apply to all prospective students, please visit the Admissions section of the Graduate Catalog. Applicants must apply online. All requested materials must be submitted by the established deadline.
In addition to meeting general UCF graduate application requirements, applicants to this program must provide:
- An official transcript meeting the minimum GPA requirement of 2.5 in a sealed envelope, from each college/university, attended.
- Current professional résumé including experience in the field (paid or voluntary).
- Goal Statement: The goal statement is a key component of the admission review process and serves as an example of the applicant’s ability to express himself or herself in writing. The goal statement must be no longer than two pages double-spaced (500-800 words) and should address the reason for pursuing graduate study in Social Justice related to Public Administration.
- Applicants applying to this program who have attended a college/university outside the United States must provide a course-by-course credential evaluation with GPA calculation. Credential evaluations are accepted from World Education Services (WES) or Josef Silny and Associates, Inc. only.
Application Deadlines
| Social Justice in Public Service Graduate Certificate | *Fall Priority | Fall | Spring | Summer |
| Domestic Applicants | Jun 1 | Dec 1 |
| International Applicants |
| *Applicants who plan to enroll full time in a degree program and who wish to be considered for university fellowships or assistantships should apply by the Fall Priority date. |
Financials
Graduate students may receive financial assistance through fellowships, assistantships, tuition support, or loans. For more information, see the College of Graduate Studies Funding website, which describes the types of financial assistance available at UCF and provides general guidance in planning your graduate finances. The Financial Information section of the Graduate Catalog is another key resource.
