Poverty and Social Justice Studies

Coordinator: Assistant Professor Johnson

The Poverty and Social Justice program supplements students’ interest in helping people in poverty by educating them about poverty’s multi-factorial causes and realities. This program offers the opportunity to study the root causes and structural patterns that contribute to poverty and focus on processes and strategies of poverty alleviation from a variety of disciplinary perspectives. An academic program with integrated experiential components strengthens students’ capacities to address the root causes of poverty at Elon and afterwards, as global citizens and as professionals in a variety of careers. Regardless of career area, graduates who possess a deep understanding of what contributes to and exacerbates poverty in society can contribute to solutions that help reduce and alleviate poverty in their local communities and the world around them.

The minor consists of 20-24 credit hours, including the Introduction to Poverty Studies (PSJ 110) course, three electives, an internship, and a capstone course. Up to two electives from a student’s major may count toward the elective requirements and approved internships/teaching practicums required for one’s major can fulfill the internship. The capstone is normally taken after all other course requirements are fulfilled.

Through careful planning, students can coordinate several of their Elon Core Curriculum requirements with their PSJ requirements in order to create a learning pathway that can help to integrate and deepen their learning. This coordination also facilitates access to this program for students with demanding undergraduate course requirements. The online application for the program can be found on the program website and an interview with the director of the program will help assist students in planning their course of study.