Equity, Inclusion,
and Social Justice
in Design
Certificate

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Create a better future. Design a more equitable world.

In this online certificate program, you explore ways to promote equity and oppose injustice in your design systems and processes. You develop an in-depth understanding of the dimensions of social justice in personal and professional life. You leave the course with a set of practical tools with which to advance equity, inclusion, and social justice in your design projects and pursuits.

Who Should Enroll

Students interested in developing expertise in the ways in which equity, inclusion, and social justice influence and are influenced by the design professions
Individuals or managers working in the fields of design and design education
Professionals or corporate leaders wishing to identify and address issues of equity, inclusion, and justice in their workplace
Professionals seeking to develop an inclusive, equitable culture in the workplace

What You'll Gain

Practical tools for building and sharing knowledge about equity, inclusion, and social justice activism
Equity, inclusion, and social justice training and tools to use in design and design education professional contexts
An understanding of how design is implicated in global inequality and how the emerging field of design justice can address systems and cultures of oppression
The ability to critically analyze and evaluate social justice and community engagement designs and practices
An understanding of your own power to promote equity, inclusion, and justice in the art and design fields

How You'll Learn

Engaging video lectures and interviews with industry experts
Direct interaction with faculty practitioners at the top of their fields
Online collaboration in small classes, supported by video conferencing
Project-based learning focused on developing real-world skills and portfolio assets

Courses

Students are advised to complete courses in the order in which they are listed below.

Equity in Design Process and Systems

Explore the ways design industries encounter and address inequality and other forms of oppression in the United States and around the world. The course considers the role of equity and social justice broadly in relation to the field of design.

Building Inclusive Design Cultures

Discover how professional design environments can foster more inclusive practices. This course provides practical tools with which to respond to anti-inclusive systems and practices, offering opportunities to collaborate with others to advance inclusiveness in the field of design.

Dimensions of Social Justice in the Design Industries

This course focuses on the many issues of justice that arise in the design industries and other professional contexts. Students explore questions such as: Who is creating the design? Where is privilege operating?

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“How can we better understand our everyday encounters with issues of injustice in our fields of professional practice and learn to think about design as a way to promote social justice? The Equity, Inclusion and Social Justice in Design Certificate breaks down complex ideas and offers practical tools for building equitable futures.”

Sam Mejias, Associate Professor, Social Justice and Community Engagement

Why The New School?

The professional landscape as we’ve known it has changed dramatically, and ongoing learning is more important now than ever before. At The New School, we champion every student’s creativity and growth. By combining integrated disciplines with collaborative problem solving, we deliver an immersive, transformative learning experience. With the leadership of Parsons School of Design — a globally top-ranked design school — our faculty imparts the critical expertise students need to advance their careers or pivot to new ones in a constantly evolving world.