Truly understanding issues of social justice and taking effective action requires knowledge and skills in areas such as economics, politics, philosophy, education, religion, sociology, and more. OWU's social justice major will help you develop the knowledge and skills needed to analyze social injustices and theorize and work toward positive social change.
Ohio Wesleyan's interdisciplinary social justice major brings together coursework, faculty expertise, and practical experience from many fields to help you cultivate the knowledge and skills to analyze social injustices and work toward positive social change. You will develop the knowledge and skills to think critically on the meaning of social justice locally and globally, examine the dynamics of societal conflicts, and analyze social issues from many perspectives.
The major also is highly flexible, allowing you to deeply explore issues related to areas such as race, global feminism, gender, Latin American culture, labor economics, poverty, civil rights, and the environment.
You will supplement your classwork with practical experience in an applied project, and you will have opportunities to explore other cultures through Travel-Learning Courses, Theory-to-Practice Grants, and service-learning projects.
In the interdisciplinary Social Justice major, you take classes in many disciplines, and explore major issues from different perspectives. We emphasize intellectual curiosity, creativity, initiative, and synthesis.
You also have many opportunities to pursue undergraduate research, performed under the mentorship of expert faculty.
Diana Muzina '17 earned Departmental and University Honors for her senior research thesis exploring stereotypes and perceptions of Greek women. Diana now works as a Diversity and Inclusion Specialist at Abercrombie and Fitch.
OWU offers many ways for you to take your studies off campus and gain a global perspective. Travel-Learning Courses combine classroom study with travel to areas of the world where you may study the issues discussed in class in the settings where those events are occurring.
Other travel-learning options include semester-long programs and Connection Grants, and spring break service trips.
HannahJo Grimes '20 used a Theory-to-Practice Grant to compare racism in America to sectarianism in Northern Ireland.
Cara Harris '18 attended lectures about the psychology of The Troubles of Northern Ireland and intergenerational trauma among the community while on a Theory-to-Practice Grant.
Every social justice major completes an internship or faculty-mentored applied project.
These experiential components of the program will help you develop career-related skills, such as community organizing, working with and mediating diverse social groups, presenting ideas in professional forums, and managing real-world projects.
Meek Leadership Award winner Dylan Hays '20 created a cohort of first-generation college students in the OWU class of 2023 that met regularly to discuss the challenges and triumphs of being first-gen. Dylan is pictured here speaking at OWU's 2020 Mock Convention.
OWU faculty are outstanding scholars and researchers—and passionate teachers. They will push you, challenge you, inspire you, and work with you on your own research and creative projects.
They can even pack a 3-minute lecture with ideas, insight, and imagination. Check out our unique I³ lectures.
Every spring break, teams of OWU students spread out across the nation and in Central America doing volunteer work. These Spring Break Service Week projects have provided community support in New Orleans, Chicago, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and many more locations. It's spring break with a greater purpose.
Founded in 2009, the Citizens of the World House creates a inclusive community where students from diverse backgrounds can share experiences, promote inclusiveness, and learn about the world around them. COW House members value acceptance, education, and understanding of diversity in all forms. The Citizens of the World House spreads cultural awareness and provides service both on campus and around the globe.
The social justice major includes courses from more than 10 departments, making double-major options easier for students. Combine social justice with a major in economics, politics & government, Spanish, or another discipline.
Members of the Sociology/Anthropology Department Student Board serve as liaisons between students and faculty, interview candidates for faculty positions, and plan special events.
Dylan is enrolled in the Master of Education program at Clemson University, where he is a graduate assistant for community leader development. At OWU he majored in Social Justice and Sociology/Anthropology.
OWU Student Completing Internship with National Alliance on Mental Illness
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Ohio Wesleyan Feb. 19-20 Events to Examine Environmental and Racial Justice
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Aimen Shah '20 poses with her protest sign at the Women's March on Washington. On campus, Aimen is actively involved in women's rights activism.
Alix Templeman '19, a resident of the Tree House, invited campus members to "Paint Your Peace" and creatively express themselves on a collaborative community art piece. She used the event as her Fall 2017 house project. Alix is involved in environmental and feminist activism on campus.
Members of the Sexuality and Gender Equality House (SAGE) focus on justice and equality issues within female and LGBTQIA+ populations.
Daniel Delatte '19, Anna L. Davies '19, Eli Reed '19, Cara Harris '18, Adedayo Akinmadeyemi ’19, Lisa Ho, Leslie Melton and HannahJo Grimes '20 attend a lecture at Ulster University about the structure and monitoring of Northern Ireland's police force.
Students on Interfaith Service Teams can participate in environmental, LGBTQ+, religious, political, or civil activism and service.
HannahJo Grimes '20 (middle), a double major in Black World Studies and Social Justice, combined her classroom learning with a Theory-to-Practice Grant to Northern Ireland and several local, community engagement activities right in Delaware.
Business major Adedayo Akinmadeyemi ’19 explored his interest in social justice while traveling to Northern Ireland on a Theory-to-Practice Grant in summer 2018. Akinmadeyemi also used his passion for photography to document every location he visited and every Belfast local he met.
Members of the House of Peace and Justice are actively involved in on and off campus service, activism and justice. The house's common room is frequently used for meetings and documentary screenings.
Students participate in a food justice project to help aid food insecurity within the community.
Lisa Ho, Assistant Director of International and Off-Campus Programs, frequently works with students passionate about conflict resolution, peace and reconciliation, social justice and community engagement. Above, she talks with lecturers from Ulster University while on a Theory-to-Practice Grant with students.
Daniel Delatte '19, Anna L. Davies '19 and Eli Reed '19 listen to two sociologists from Queens University Belfast explain the sociological differences between sectarianism in Northern Ireland and racism in America.
Dr. Comorau shows students Izzy Sommerdorf '18 and Sarah Gielink '20 an interactive map of London while visiting the London, Sugar and Slavery exhibit at the Museum of London Docklands.
Char Gross '20 spent Spring Break serving with an Interfaith Service Team at a Muslim mosque and community center in Columbus, Ohio. In 2018, Char co-lead a team to an Interfaith Center in Philadelphia. She lives in the Interfaith House on campus.
Working with the St. Bernard Project is a popular option for Spring Break Interfaith Service Trips. The St. Bernard Project was started by an OWU alum and works to reestablish community in the Lower Ninth Ward.
Rene Garcia '18 helps with food justice projects through Repair the World in Pittsburgh, PA.
Students can partner with different social justice clubs and groups to attend marches in DC or in Columbus. Recent marches include women's rights, gun control and climate change awareness.
The 2018 Northern Ireland Theory-to-Practice Grant team attends a lecture at Ulster University's Belfast campus.
Annie Spink '18, a resident of the House of Peace and Justice, served as a leader in activism for the rights of indigenous people. She participated and lead several service trips to the Lakota nation in South Dakota.
