Race and Racism in Education and Psychology

Graduate Certificate
18 Credit Hours

This program is offered by the School of Education and available online via asynchronous modality.

For information on the general requirements for a certificate, see Certificate Program Policies and Procedures under the Academic Policies section of this catalog.

Program Description

The graduate certificate in race and racism in education and psychology will provide a robust curriculum addressing race and racism in education and psychological environments. The history of racism and the systems that influence racism in this country have not been a component of graduate curricula in a systemic and consistent way. The program caters to those interested in an advanced program that offers an understanding of education in public education and psychological settings with a focus on race, racism and anti-racism. We acknowledge that K-12 schools have undereducated and miseducated a portion of students, and this certificate program will provide an opportunity for our students to learn historically accurate information about race, racism and be able to apply it to the systems in which they work. The certificate will demonstrate that students have completed coursework enabling them to become social justice enabled change agents in the organizations where they work. 

Learning Outcomes

• Describe the historical role that schooling played as a mechanism for colonization and oppression across communities in the U.S.
• Understand the multiple, and sometimes competing, approaches to teaching and learning that exist among disparate cultural communities. 
• Develop a solid understanding of how racialized policies in education served to create and maintain educational disparities. 
• Articulate an understanding of race as a social construct with material implications. 
• Demonstrate an understanding of educational desires and resistance to oppressive educational structures by communities of color and other marginalized groups. 
• Describe and define terms related to oppression (individual, symbolic and institutional).
• Develop the ability to engage in respectful and intellectual discussions with their peers on various topics of race, racism and oppression.
• Develop an awareness of the historical oppression and dimensions of structural racism.
• Explore the theoretical structure of implicit bias, prejudices, microaggressions and discrimination, and other culturally supported behaviors that are detrimental to the physical, mental and emotional well-being. 
• Develop an understanding of self-awareness through introspection of personal values that influence interacting and teaching of individuals who are from oppressed populations. 

Requirements

• EPSY 5953 Historical and Psychological Perspective of Identity Development/Whiteness (3 hours)
• EPSY 5890 Psychology of Stress (3 hours) 
• EPSY 5350 Intercultural Communications (3 hours)
• EPSY 5892 Psychology of Racism/Antiracism (3 hours)
• EPSY 5995 Race in Education (3 hours)
• EPSY 6000 Advanced Graduate Certificate Project (3 hours)

Admission

See the Admission section of this catalog for general admission requirements. Students interested in applying must submit their application online at www.webster.edu/apply. Transcripts should be sent from your institution electronically to transcripts@webster.edu. If this service is not available, send transcripts to:

Office of Admission
Webster University
470 E. Lockwood Ave.
St. Louis, MO 63119 

Additional Requirements

Requirements for admission to the Race and Racism in Education and Psychology graduate certificate include:

• Receipt of all official transcripts.
• Final degree conferred GPA of 2.5 or higher.