Culturally Sustaining Education (M.Ed. or Ph.D.)
What you can earn
Duration
Credits earned
Format
Time commitment
Upcoming deadline
Join. Center. Sustain.
Our program seeks to join, center, and sustain the strengths, wisdom, histories, and futures of Indigenous, Black, Latinx, Asian, Pacific Islander and all global majority young people, families, Elders, communities and educators across multiple intersections with gender, disability, language, land, migration, class, and more.
Our program is designed to prepare students to serve as educators, collaborators, and advocates with schools, community organizations, colleges and universities, and other learning spaces and to facilitate, design, enact and/or engage in projects, courses, and programs that promote educational justice in all its forms.
The program is further designed to prepare scholars whose commitments span across disciplines (content/subject areas and academic disciplines), ages (grades/lifespan), and educational spaces (in school/beyond school) to approach teaching, learning, research, and leadership through a racial and intersectional justice and equity lens. We understand the ongoing projects of decolonization, liberation, and abolition as led by communities are central to our work in education. We are committed to learning alongside various culturally sustaining settings and we work to enact them in our own courses, research, and beyond. We understand our program as always in the process of becoming, seeking to grow alongside our students and communities.
Curriculum
Overview
Students work closely with their advisor to create a personalized and comprehensive program of study.
- M.Ed. program
M.Ed. students create a tailored course of study plan that includes:
- Foundations of Education (9 credits)
- Culturally Sustaining Education or related fields (18 credits)
- Ethnic Diversity credits outside the College of Education (12 credits)
- Culminating experience (9 credits)
All course choices are to be negotiated with your adviser, who has the discretion to recommend or require certain courses depending on your background.
In order to earn their degree, students must adhere to the Graduate School's degree requirements, which include completing at least 18 credits at or above the 500 level and earning at least 18 graded credits.
- Doctoral program
Ph.D. students work closely with their advisers to create highly tailored programs of study that include intermediate and advanced coursework in culturally sustaining education, educational justice, and related fields, as well as outside coursework to gain broader perspective and deeper insight into specialized topics.
During the first year, Ph.D. students collaborate closely with their advisors to create a personalized and comprehensive program of study which includes:
- Identifying a research topic
- Securing ways and means for taking part in the selected project
- Selecting first-year courses
- Preparing documentation for advancement to prospective candidacy
Admission requirements and process
Overview
To declare your program of interest on your application go to the 'Program Selection' page and under 'Select your program' select either 'Education - Seattle (MEd- Curriculum & Instruction)' or 'Education - Seattle (PhD- Curriculum & Instruction)' depending on your desired degree. Next go to the 'Application Questions' page an add your area of interest, here select 'Culturally Sustaining Education' and save. Then finish the required application materials.
Materials
- Degree from an accredited institution
- A bachelor's degree is required for the Master of Education (M.Ed.) program
- A master's degree is required for the doctorate program
- Your degree can be in-process at the time of your application but must be completed before the program starts.
- Unofficial transcript(s) with minimum 3.0 GPA
- You must submit an unofficial transcript(s) with your application. The UW Graduate School requires a cumulative GPA of 3.0, or 3.0 for your most recent 90 graded quarter credits (60 semester credits), however this is just one part of the application.
- Our programs review all applications holistically, so we encourage you to still apply. You do not need to take classes to increase your GPA. Instead, we would like for you to focus on a goal statement which discusses your interests and how the program will meet your professional or individual goals and strong letters of recommendation. You can also feel free to address why your GPA is lower than a cumulative 3.0.
- Three letters of recommendation for Doctoral, two letters for Masters
During the online application process, you will be given instructions for adding your recommenders and getting their letters submitted electronically.
- Resume/Vita
A current academic and professional resume or vita is required. A resume is intended to showcase your skills and experiences and to summarize the work you’ve done in your career. You should include educational degrees and professional experience, and it should also detail all relevant awards, publications, presentations or other achievements. Highlight relevant qualifications and skills that are directly connected to the program and degree to which you are applying.
Be sure to review your resume to show clear communication - free of errors - and attention to detail.
- Statement of Purpose
Your statement should address goals, relevant experience, future plans and how the desired specific program meets your needs. Be sure to include personal experiences that have prepared you for the challenge of graduate school, here are some general questions to think about:
- Why this specific program? What do you want to do academically and professionally? What specific issues or concepts in the field are you interested in exploring and in what ways do you want to work through these issues?
- Describe how your interest in the field developed and how you have engaged meaningfully in the field to explore your interests.
- Emphasize how specific learning and professional experiences have inspired and motivated your desire for continued education.
- Mention special skills you possess that will assist you in graduate studies such as technical skills, research methodologies, and unique experiences not elaborated in your resume.
- Highlight any experiences that demonstrate your initiative to develop ideas and solutions, the capacity to work through problems independently and collaboratively, and the determination to reach your goals.
Master’s degree statements are generally 1-2 pages. Doctoral statements are generally 3-5 pages. Both should be double-spaced. Some programs may also have specific questions and prompts they would like you to address. We encourage you to review program pages to align your statement with the program/faculty match.
Admissions committees use your statement of purpose, along with other evidence, to determine whether your goals are well-matched with our programs.
- Personal History Statement (Optional)
While optional, you can add to your application by submitting a personal history statement with each application. This statement should address your intellectual growth and development, inclusive of and beyond your academic goals. Speak to topics like:
- Educational, cultural and economic opportunities and disadvantages you've experienced
- Ways these experiences affected the development of your special interests, career plans and future goals.
Statements should be no longer than two pages long. And while there are no standard formatting requirements, we encourage double-spaced text with a legible font.
- Writing sample (Doctoral only)
Doctoral candidates must submit one sample of scholarly writing. The Writing Sample is your best representation of graduate level writing. Typically, students will submit a research paper, article, or thesis from a previous program of study to represent their academic writing. Since these documents come in all sorts of formats, there is no standard guideline for submission, other than sticking within a suggested 10-12 page limit. Students are welcome to submit a portion of their document to fit within the suggested page limit.
If you do not have a writing sample some suggestions for a new writing sample might include a thesis abstract, peer-reviewed article written, research paper, literature review, a book review or report, etc.
Submitting
- Gather all required documents
- Visit the Graduate School website
- Log into your account or create a new profile if you are a first-time applicant
- Complete all steps in application process and upload your documents
- Pay the nonrefundable $85 application fee
- You may request a fee waiver during the application process
- Submit your application
When completing your application, you will select one of the following options:
- M.Ed. applicants: Education - Seattle (MEd - Curriculum & Instruction)
- Ph.D. applicants: Education - Seattle (PhD - Curriculum & Instruction)
Next Steps
International
We value and welcoming applications from international students! If you are applying from outside the United States, there are additional requirements and application materials.
- Prior degree requirements
- At minimum, you must have the equivalent of a U.S. bachelor's degree (a four-year degree from an institution of recognized standing)
- Evaluation of your degree will be based on:
- The national system of education in the foreign country
- The type of institution
- The field of study and level of studies completed
- Transcripts
- If a transcript is in English, you can upload the transcript in the online application.
- If the degree is on a separate certificate, you will need to upload this as well. An evaluation from a 3rd party is not needed for this.
- All transcripts and degree conferral documents that are in a language other than English must be accompanied by certified English translation and must be in the same format as the original(s).
- English language proficiency
Per UW Graduate School policy, you must submit a demonstration of English language proficiency if your native language is not English and you did not earn a degree in one of the following countries:
- United States
- United Kingdom
- Australia
- Bahamas
- Canada
- Ireland
- Jamaica
- New Zealand
- Singapore
- South Africa
- Trinidad and Tobago
The following tests are accepted if the test was taken fewer than two years ago:
- TOEFL
- Minimum score: 80
- Recommended score: 92+
- The UW's 4-digit code is 4854
- IELTS
- You must request from the center where you took the test that your scores be sent electronically using the IELTS system (E-TRF) to the following address:
- University of Washington All Campuses, Organisation ID 365, Undergrad & Graduate Admis, Box 355850, Seattle, WA, 98105, United States of America
- Minimum score: 6.5
- Recommended score: 7.0+
- School information for submission:
University of Washington, All Campuses
Undergraduate & Graduate Admission
Box 355850
Seattle, WA 98195
- You must request from the center where you took the test that your scores be sent electronically using the IELTS system (E-TRF) to the following address:
- Duolingo
- Minimum score: 105
- Recommended score: 125+
- Follow the instructions on the Duolingo website to submit your scores
- Financial ability
If you apply and are offered admission to UW, you will need to submit a statement of financial ability.
Costs and funding
Estimated Costs
We are a tuition-based program. Estimated tuition rates are based on your residency:
- Washington state residents: $19,584 per year
- Out-of-state students: $35,352 per year
Estimates are subject to change and may differ due to course load and summer quarter enrollment. Estimates include building fees, technology fees, U-Pass, etc. Additional program-specific fees are not included in this estimate.
View the UW tuition dashboard →
Visit the Office of Planning & Budgeting →
Funding & Scholarships
Federal financial aid is available for students. Visit the UW Financial Aid website for information and resources. The College of Education also provides scholarship and other funding opportunities.
History of the program
Founded as the Multicultural Education Program under the visionary leadership of Dr. James A. Banks and Dr. Geneva Gay, our program has been an internationally recognized graduate program for several decades. It has been the intellectual home for countless graduates who have become leaders driving justice and equity in education. We are honored to carry forward the remarkable legacy of this graduate program.
Affiliated research center
The Banks Center for Educational Justice at the University of Washington is a central location for partnerships, program development, and collaborative research with educational settings that seek to center and sustain Native, Black, Latinx, Asian and Pacific Islander young people and communities across multiple intersections with gender, disability, language, land, migration, class, and more.