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Students in a Cultural Foundations class discussion.

Cultural Foundations - M.Ed.

Embrace a multidisciplinary approach to education with our M.Ed. degree in Cultural Foundations, in which you'll gain expertise in areas such as sociology of education, philosophy of education and multicultural studies, positioning you as a leader in promoting positive change in education.

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Program Information

Program Description

Full Description

The Master of Education degree in Cultural Foundations engages students in the exploration of education through a range of disciplinary and interdisciplinary perspectives from the humanities and social sciences. Students examine the social contexts of education with particular emphasis on structural inequities; issues of access and the distribution of educational opportunity; normative considerations about the purposes of education; and the transformative potential of education. Students learn to use these perspectives to identify problems of practice through their work as educators and leaders in communities, cultural organizations and educational organizations. To address these problems of practice, students learn to conduct community-engaged inquiry in partnership with stakeholders and communities.

Admissions

For more information about graduate admissions, visit the graduate admission website. For more information on international admissions, visit the international admission website.

Admission Requirements

  • Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university
  • Minimum 2.750 undergraduate GPA on a 4.000-point scale
  • Official transcript(s)
  • Goal statement
  • Two letters of recommendation
  • Résumé or curriculum vitae is required starting with spring 2025 admission term
  • English language proficiency - all international students must provide proof of English language proficiency (unless they meet specific exceptions to waive) by earning one of the following:1
    • Minimum 79 TOEFL iBT score
    • Minimum 6.5 1ELTS score
    • Minimum 58 PTE score
    • Minimum 110 DET score

Applicants will be assessed holistically, considering academic credentials, related professional experience, academic or professional references, scholarly activities and professional activities, among others.

1

International applicants who do not meet the above test scores will not be considered for admission.

Application Deadlines

  • Fall Semester
    • Rolling admissions
  • Spring Semester
    • Rolling admissions
  • Summer Term
    • Rolling admissions
Learning Outcomes

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of the program will be able to:

  1. Use perspectives from the sociocultural foundations of education to identify and explore problems of practice.
  2. Lead community-engaged inquiry to address problems of practice collaboratively in partnership with diverse communities and with local cultural and educational organizations.
  3. Enact commitments to equity and social justice through work as scholarly practitioners, educators and leaders.
Coursework

Program Requirements

Major Requirements

Major Requirements
CULT 60011SEMINAR IN EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATIONS: PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES 3
CULT 60040APPROACHES TO COMMUNITY ENGAGED INQUIRY 3
CULT 69592ADVANCED PRACTICUM AND INTERNSHIP IN CULTURAL FOUNDATIONS 3
Major Electives, choose from the following:18
CULT 60030
SOCIAL CONTEXTS OF EDUCATION: CONTEMPORARY ISSUES AND THEORY
CULT 69510
CLASSICS IN PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION
CULT 69521
MULTICULTURAL EDUCATIONAL PRACTICE AND POLICY
CULT 69522
ETHICS IN PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE
CULT 69530
MULTICULTURAL THEORIES AND SCHOLARSHIP IN EDUCATION
CULT 69560
CONTEMPORARY PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION
CULT 69564
HISTORY OF AMERICAN EDUCATION
CULT 69575
ANTHROPOLOGY AND EDUCATION
CULT 69582
SOCIAL THEORIES IN EDUCATION
CULT 69591
SEMINAR IN CULTURAL FOUNDATIONS
CULT 69595
SPECIAL TOPICS IN CULTURAL FOUNDATIONS
CULT 69691
VARIABLE CONTENT SEMINAR: GREAT IDEAS IN EDUCATION
Other electives with faculty advisor approval
Culminating Requirement
CULT 69999CAPSTONE 3
Minimum Total Credit Hours:30

Graduation Requirements

Minimum Major GPA Minimum Overall GPA
- 3.000
  • Students have six years from the term of first enrollment to complete the program.
  • No more than one-half of a graduate student’s coursework may be taken in 50000-level courses.
  • Grades below C are not counted toward completion of requirements for the degree.
Roadmap

Roadmap

This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this major. However, courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.

Plan of Study Grid
First Year
Fall SemesterCredits
CULT 60011 SEMINAR IN EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATIONS: PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES 3
Major Elective 3
 Credit Hours6
Spring Semester
Major Elective 3
Major Elective 3
 Credit Hours6
Summer Term
Major Elective 3
Major Elective 3
 Credit Hours6
Second Year
Fall Semester
CULT 60040 APPROACHES TO COMMUNITY ENGAGED INQUIRY 3
CULT 69592 ADVANCED PRACTICUM AND INTERNSHIP IN CULTURAL FOUNDATIONS 3
 Credit Hours6
Spring Semester
CULT 69999 CAPSTONE 3
Major Elective 3
 Credit Hours6
 Minimum Total Credit Hours:30
Program Delivery
  • Delivery:
    • Fully online
    • Mostly online
  • Location:
    • Kent Campus
Careers

Most of our students are already engaged in satisfying work and plan to use their advanced degree in the Cultural Foundations to open up new opportunities for themselves within their current setting or to move their organizations and institutions in new directions. Others see an advanced degree in the Cultural Foundations as a way of opening up new avenues in their professional lives while contributing also to their communities. In short, our students seek to bring a scholarly orientation to their educational, activist, and entrepreneurial endeavors.

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