Social Justice & Civic Engagement (minor)

Are you passionate about working to create a better world?
Do you believe that one person really can make a difference?
Do you want to add depth, value and humane insights to your major field of study?

If so, consider the Social Justice and Civic Engagement minor. The SJCE minor complements any major at Dominican and hones each student’s leadership and citizenship skills. It also provides educational depth and richness to students who later wish to work in law, education, ministry, social work, political science or other occupations.

The SJCE minor encourages students to deepen their civic engagement and service to the community while studying emerging research in the field of social justice. Students will be introduced to the study of
  • Service
  • Service leadership
  • Social justice
  • Public ethics
  • Civic engagement
  • Human rights
  • Social change
  • Global pursuit of the common good
Service learning, which combines academic instruction with community service, is a vital part of the SJCE minor.
Career Opportunities
The Social Justice and Civic Engagement minor allows students to analyze and reflect on issues of social justice and injustice as they are experienced in the local community, as well as in the global community.

Students will develop an ethically responsible personal and cultural stance through significant reflection opportunities in connection with ongoing service learning.

As an interdisciplinary minor,  Social Justice and Civic Engagement provides excellent preparation for many different types of careers, including:
  • Nonprofit Organizational Leadership
  • Governmental Institutions
  • Community Organizing
  • Teaching
  • Urban Planning
  • Law
  • Politics
  • Ministry
  • Contemporary Social Sciences
  • Criminology
  • Social Work
Service learning is a vital part of the SJCE minor. Service learning involves students in organized community service that is directly linked to the curriculum. Students must complete at least 100 clock hours of service with approved community agency partners.

Students typically divide the required 21 semester hours by taking:
  • Introduction to SJCE (SJCE 210)
  • 6-9 hours of service learning courses
  • 6-9 hours SJCE-related courses from the general curriculum
  • SJCE Capstone (SJCE 410)
Faculty
MaDonna Thelen
Phone: (708) 524-6425
Email: mthelen@dom.edu

As program director, Thelen is the only dedicated faculty member for the Social Justice and Civic Engagement minor.

Faculty members from throughout the university teach courses that may count toward the minor, however. To learn more about a specific faculty member, consult his or her departmental website.