M.Ed. with Critical Educational Change and Leadership (CECL) Concentration

Teachers Education - UWB

The Critical Educational Change and Leadership (CECL) concentration in the Master of Education program offers educators and community workers across various sectors the opportunity to build leadership skills and challenge oppressive systems and structures as a means for social change. This program focuses on principles of collective liberation while centering the wisdom and priorities of oppressed and marginalized communities. 

While some students in our program have taken their learning from this degree to improve their current educational practices, others have utilized their degree to begin new justice-oriented careers in higher educational institutions, community organizations, and K-12 systems.

This program is for:

  • Those seeking career advancement within educational communities to take on leadership roles in the profession, and to make significant contributions to the future of children, youth, and families.
  • Anyone interested in co-creating liberatory educational spaces with youth and communities. This may include community-based advocates, K-12 educators, or cultural workers. 
  • Students who are ready to engage in critical perspectives examining power and domination like ideologies of white supremacy, heteropatriarchy, neoliberalism and coloniality, to name a few.

CECL Concentration Highlights

  • Evening courses to support working professionals and caregivers
  • Courses are offered online or in a hybrid model to maximize flexibility for our students 
  • Faculty prioritize the scholarship and work of marginalized peoples in course content
  • Courses are designed to support all students, including students attending classes after many years

Careers

Current students and program graduates go on to and advance in careers such as:

  • Educators in K-12 and higher education systems 
  • Community-based organization and non-profit leaders 
  • Government, advocacy, and policy specialists

Credit Structure

The CECL concentration within the Master of Education program requires that students earn a minimum of 37 credits. Students complete 10 credits of professional seminars, 20 credits of CECL concentration courses, 5 credits of electives, and 2 credits of a dossier.

Professional Seminars

  • Inquiry in Education 
  • Identity and Reflective Practice

CECL Core Area Courses

  • Social Justice Education: Oppression, Resistance, and Liberation 
  • Critical Pedagogy
  • Critical Policy
  • Enacting Agency for Social Justice

Electives

  • One 5-credit elective or two 3-credit electives (400 or 500 level course) from other core areas in the M.Ed. Program, classes offered by the School of Educational studies or other UWB Schools, or from the UW Seattle or UW Tacoma campuses. 

Dossier

  • M.Ed. Dossier 

Course descriptions can be found here.


Admissions

The application to the Autumn 2025 cohort will open on September 1, 2024 

Deadlines

  • Priority Deadline: January 15
  • Final Deadline: May 1

Learn More

Connect with a student recruiter and receive program details and application reminders.

Information Sessions

Join us to learn about the program, admissions, and have the opportunity to ask questions.