All students admitted to the program are automatically admitted to this route. This completion route is recommended for students interested in obtaining employment in a social justice organization after graduation.

To qualify for the MA in Social Justice and Community Engagement degree through the coursework route, you must complete the following:

Fall term:

• SOJE601
• SOJE603
• SOJE690
• SOJE621

Winter term:

• SOJE602
• SOJE631
• SOJE690 (continued)
• SOJE621 (continued)

Spring/Summer term:

• SOJE605
• SOJE606

This completion route works well for students wanting more advanced research skills for working in the broad field of social justice and community engagement after graduation, or are considering completing additional graduate studies. Students apply in the fall term to complete the degree through this route.

To qualify for the MA in Social Justice and Community Engagement degree through the coursework plus MRP route, you must complete the following:

Fall term:

• SOJE601
• SOJE603
• SOJE690
• SOJE621

Winter term:

• SOJE602
• SOJE631
• SOJE690 (continued)
• SOJE621 (continued)

Spring term:

• SOJE695

This option enables students to combine an arts-based creative work relating to social justice and community engagement with an accompanying written work to complete the program. Students can apply to complete the degree through the MRP route. During the fall semester application process, prospective students can indicate their interest in this option.

To qualify for the MA in Social Justice and Community Engagement degree through the coursework plus MRP (with creative option) route, you must complete the following:

Fall term:

• SOJE601
• SOJE603
• SOJE690
• SOJE621

Winter term:

• SOJE602
• SOJE631
• SOJE690 (continued)
• SOJE621 (continued)

Spring term:

• SOJE695

Here is a brief list of some of the types of organizations our students have served their placements:

• Beat the Street Program, Frontier College
• Big Brothers Big Sisters
• Brantford Food Forest
• Canadian Mental Health Association
• Centre for Community Based Research
• Centre for Student Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, Laurier
• Children’s Aid Society
• Citizens Foundation Canada
• Ecology Ottawa
• Employment and Immigration Services, YMCA
• Food4Hawks
• Friendship House of Brant
• Grand River Community Health Centre
• Holistic Public Health Care Foundation
• Homeslessness Services Association of BC
• John Howard Society of Hamilton
• Justice for Workers
• Office of Human Rights and Conflict Management, Laurier
• Out on the Shelf
• Plant that Seed
• Ripple Effect Education
• Sexual Assault Centre
• Wisdom2Action

If you are interested in learning more about the Social Justice and Community Engagement program, or have questions about the application process, watch our Virtual Open House. The video includes information about:

• Routes through the program, courses, our faculty and the Brantford campus
• Admission requirements and who should apply
• The application process and timelines
• Tuition and funding

• A four-year (honours) undergraduate degree (or equivalent) in humanities, social science, natural science or related interdisciplinary program, and a background in the concepts of social and environmental justice.
• A minimum B average in your last year of undergraduate study, or equivalent.
• Applications are reviewed by the graduate program admissions committee, which considers prior postsecondary grades, a statement of intent including your social/environmental justice background and interests, a writing sample and letters of reference.

After you have submitted your OUAC application, paid the non-refundable application fee, and Laurier has received your application, you'll receive an email from gradadmissions@wlu.ca advising you to upload the additional required documentation to Laurier’s Online Registration and Information System (LORIS).

Please note, the application process and the uploading of supplemental documentation, which includes references, typically takes two weeks. To avoid disappointment, please apply early.

An application for admission to the MA program in Social Justice and Community Engagement must include:

• The Application Summary, which is generated after you complete your OUAC application (log back in to OUAC to retrieve it).
• Transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate work.
• A completed statement of intent.
• A resume of your academic and work experience. Include a history of your publication and scholarly paper activity and any other information you feel will interest the admissions committee.
• A sample of your scholarly writing (10-20 pages in length). This may be a paper written for a senior undergraduate course.
• Completed reference forms. Two academic references are required. Note: Reference forms are electronically submitted to Laurier by the referee and do not need to be uploaded.

Students applying to the MRP route are not required to have confirmed a supervisor prior to applying.

Visit our Graduate Admissions Toolkit for more information about applying.

English Proficiency

Proficiency in written and spoken English is essential to graduate studies at Laurier. Applicants whose language of instruction during their previous postsecondary education was not in English must submit evidence of proficiency in English. If applicable, results from accepted testing services must be uploaded to LORIS.

Further Information for Interational Applicants

If you are an international applicant, you will find more information about English proficiency, international student fees and financial aid on our International Graduate Student Admissions page.