Anti-Racism, Graduate Certificate
Program Overview
Become an Expert in Social Justice Issues with your Anti-Racism Graduate Certificate from UNC Charlotte
Are you passionate about anti-racism, social justice and equality? Would you like to put your passion into practice with an anti-racism education?
Offered entirely online, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte’s Graduate Certificate in Anti-Racism delves into racial issues. Through four distinct anti-racism education courses, participants gain advanced understanding of race and anti-racism practices.
Designed for people interested in learning tools to integrate anti-racism efforts in their workplace, communities, and society as a whole. By examining social, economic and political factors that perpetuate inequities, students uncover the roots of systemic racism and develop strategies to dismantle it, fostering social justice and more equitable environments.
Program Contact
- Ashley Gibson
- Enrollment Team
- online@charlotte.edu
- 704-687-5235
- Schedule appointment
Still trying to decide?
Ready to apply?
Apply NowEarning your Anti-Racism Graduate Certificate will demonstrate that you have received an anti-racism education enabling you to become a justice-oriented change agent for any organization. Our certificate is ideal for:
- Educators in public and private settings
- Administrators in non-profit settings
- Counselors
- Community planners
- Workers in juvenile justice systems
- Leaders in religious or spiritual entities
- After school program leaders
- Those with an HR or diversity, equity and inclusion role
- Local, regional and state government employees
- Anyone interested in topics of equity
Learn More From Our Students
Hear Evan Willis and Beth Caruso describe their experiences in the Graduate Certificate in Anti-Racism program.
An organization I started in 2017 aimed at changing the narrative of Black boys in America. It should come as no surprise that in 2020 I felt like I wasn’t doing enough. I know that the summer of 2020 was rough for all of us as the pandemic forced us to sit in the realities of “This is America” after the murder of George Floyd. As a leader in predominantly white spaces and of my own organization, I was challenged with how to lead authentically in a period where I was grieving so much myself. I quickly turned to the Anti-Racism certificate program at UNC Charlotte where I was equipped with how to confidently have difficult conversations rooted in theory and facts sprinkled with my lived experiences. I will forever be grateful to the professors who helped me hone my voice and transitioned me from passionate leader to a thought leader. I was hesitant about entering the program since I am not an educator, but a corporate executive who is a working mom of 2 children. I believe that all leaders regardless of industry can benefit from the Anti-Racism program. This program is key to helping all of us understand who we are, what we need to learn and unlearn, and how to apply those learnings to being a confident, culturally responsive leader.
– Charlitta Hatch, Technology Consulting executive and founder of the Me3 Project
During my time in the ARCert program, I had the opportunity to not only learn about antiracism from historical, cultural, and educational perspectives, but was also able to apply this knowledge to my teaching. Every aspect of my courses, from the syllabi to the exams, have in some way been influenced by what I learned in this program. Moreover, it has provided me with the appropriate background to tackle issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) outside of the class, both at the departmental and university level. I would highly recommend the ARCert program to any teaching professional who wants to become more familiar with antiracist pedagogy and who wants to make a real difference in their school or community.
– Dr. Pablo Chialvo, Lecturer in the biology department at Appalachian State University
Courses
The certificate requires 12 credit hours of coursework.
Students may complete the certificate in multiple ways:
1) Complete the courses over two summers:
- ELED 6260: History and Psychology of Racism (3) (First Half Summer Year 1)
- ELED 6261: Racial Identity Dev. (3) (Second Half Summer Year 1)
- ELED 6262: Race and Education in Schooling (3) (First Half Summer Year 2)
- ELED 6263: Anti-Racist Activism in Education (3) (Second Half Summer Year 2)
2) Recommended path for students pursuing the certificate while concurrently enrolled in the MEd in Urban Education:
- ELED 6260: History and Psychology of Racism (3) (Fall Year 1)
- ELED 6261: Racial Identity Dev. (3) (Spring Year 1)
- ELED 6262: Race and Education in Schooling (3) (Fall Year 2)
- ELED 6263: Anti-Racist Activism in Education (3) (Spring Year 2)
Course Descriptions
ELED 6260: History and Psychology of Racism
The history and psychology of race and racism will be examined and an analysis of how racism manifests and is sustained by individuals living within systems of power and privilege (micro and macro levels) will be explored. An in-depth examination of unconscious racial bias, awareness of privilege, and the impact of ideologies that sustain racism, including colorblind ideology and meritocracy will be conducted. Course readings will allow students to individually build a knowledge base and develop multiple perspectives. Research methods for the psychology of racism are reviewed as a basis for interpreting research results. Notion of Whiteness as normative in the US will be investigated. How those notions of race and racist beliefs and practices exist in the US (politics, education, psychological perspectives) are included.
Learning Outcomes: Self-reflect on personal contributions to racism and examine institutional racism.
ELED 6261: Racial Identity Development
The purpose of this course is to examine (a) how individuals construct and maintain their sense of themselves as raced beings within historical and ideological constructions of race, and (b) personal- and societal-level consequences of such identities. This course includes a review of essential theories pertaining to racial and ethnic identity in the United States and practical applications related to understanding how racial and ethnic identities play a meaningful role in the human experience and in schools and classrooms.
Learning Outcomes: Report on personal racial identity development.
ELED 6262: Race in Education and Schooling
This course will analyze schooling and education from a historical, sociological, political, economic, and contemporary perspective with institutional racism at the center. By examining schooling and education from these perspectives, investigations of urban schools will occur to understand how these schools were formed based on White supremacist ideologies. Contributions to the movement of improving schools for students of color will be discussed.
Learning Outcomes: Develop an educational plan for a school environment to dismantle racism.
ELED 6263: Anti-Racist Activism in Education
The purpose of this course is to examine (a) the long and inspiring history of anti-racist movements and resistance to racist practices and policies among both people of color and white people throughout American history, (b) explore the characterizations and impetus for contemporary anti-racist movements, particularly the role of social media as a vehicle for organizing momentum and disseminating information, and (c) analyze how systems, including education, can organize for lasting social change in effort to create a more equitable and just society.
Learning Outcomes: Restorative Justice project in which students will develop an anti-racist vision and plan for change within education institution.
Admissions
This certificate can be pursued either concurrently with the M.Ed. in Urban Education, Master of Social Work, M.A. in Counseling, or as a stand-alone option for interested students. The courses are also available as electives for doctoral students.
Most candidates finish over two semesters. This program is preferred to be completed in two separate summers, but students may start in the Fall.
Admissions & Requirements:
- Complete the Graduate School Admission Application.
- A bachelor’s degree from a university accredited by a US Department of Education-recognized institutional accreditor.
- A cumulative undergraduate GPA of 2.75.
- Copies of unofficial transcripts from all academic coursework beyond high school.
- A statement of purpose.
Application
Application Deadlines for the Anti-Racism Graduate Certificate
- August 1 (fall)
- May 1 (summer first half term)
- June 15 (summer second half term)
Outlook
What Can You Do With Your Anti-Racism Graduate Certificate?
Alumni of UNC Charlotte’s Anti-Racism Graduate Certificate program serve in diverse careers and professions with job titles such as:
- Social worker
- School administrator
- Teacher
- Non-profit employee
- Stay at home parent
- Community member
- School counselor
- Community college educator
- Doctoral student
- Therapist
- Religious leader
- Athletic coach
Why UNC Charlotte?
Why Earn Your Anti-Racism Graduate Certificate Online From UNC Charlotte?
By choosing UNC Charlotte’s online Anti-Racism Graduate Certificate, you’ll enjoy a number of advantages, including:
Earn your certificate online part time in just two semesters. While designed ideally to be completed over two summer semesters, we do offer you the flexibility to earn your certificate in a shorter time by enrolling in the Fall. Our classes are offered fully online, allowing you to complete your certificate around your busy schedule.
Receive strong student support in school and in your career aspirations. Our Center for Graduate Life provides the support and sense of community students need to meet the challenges they’ll face throughout their graduate experience. Virtual workshops are available online on subjects such as graduate academic writing and research writing at the graduate level. The University Career Center provides services, programs and support such as an Education Career Fair held each spring semester, individual appointments with career advisors and the Hire-A-Niner online job and internship database.
Learn from faculty experts. Co-Program Director Dr. Erin Miller conducts research in racial identity development and antiracist pedagogy. She has authored or co-authored 28 peer-reviewed articles, 12 book chapters, 2 books and numerous policy briefs. Her scholarly work has won a Taylor and Francis Distinguished Article award, and an Outstanding Dissertation Award. Co-Program Director Dr. Tehia Starker Glass has conducted research that includes culturally responsive teaching self-efficacy, culturally responsive teaching in teacher education, Black women in the academy and examining education through the lens of racial perspectives. She has published numerous articles, book chapters, books and blog posts around her research interests.
Tuition
Please note: Rates are subject to change.
Resident:
- $288.82 per credit hour
Outside of NC Non-Resident:
- $536.98 per credit hour
Non-Resident:
- $1,098.21 per credit hour
Related Programs
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Curriculum and Instruction, M.Ed.
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Instructional Coaching, Graduate Certificate
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Urban Education, M.Ed.
Meet Program Director Dr. Tehia Starker Glass
Dr. Tehia Starker Glass is the Cato College of Education Director of Diversity and Inclusion, the Inclusive Excellence Executive Fellow for Faculty Development in the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, and an award-winning Associate Professor of Elementary Education and Educational Psychology in the Department of Reading and Elementary Education at UNC Charlotte.
Meet Program Director Dr. Erin Miller
Dr. Erin Miller is an Associate Professor in The Reading and Elementary Education Department in the Cato College of Education at UNC Charlotte. Dr. Miller has been an educator for approximately 25 years. She is the current program director of the Graduate Certificate program in Anti-Racism.