Department of Education, Culture &
Society
A department committed to studying and pursuing social justice in education
Who we are
We are one of the top social foundations programs in the country, committed to studying and pursuing social justice in education using frameworks that address educational policy and practice.
Explore Degrees and Certificates
Master's Program
Ph.D. Program
Certificates & Special Initiatives
Testimonials
See what our students and alumni say about our program — inside the classroom, across communities, and around the world.
Alumni
My favorite part of the ECS program is the student body. My classes are unfailingly full of smart, insightful, kind people from all over the world.
Alumni
Working on the APEX team built my confidence and I enjoyed the collegiality.
Alumni
My most memorable experience was collaborating on research projects with peers and supporting publication efforts.
Community Engagement
Food Justice Initiative Connects Classrooms and Communities
ECS students collaborated with urban farms and local nonprofits to address food insecurity through hands...
Youth Mentorship Program Empowers the Next Generation
Undergraduate and graduate students joined forces to mentor middle-school youth, offering academic sup...
APEX Project
APEX strengthens educator expertise to better support multilingual learners, offering comprehensive professional learning that improves instruction, advances academic success, and helps close opportunity gaps across Utah.
News and Events
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William A. Smith Named 2025 Men of IMPACT Juneteenth Honoree
Distinguished Professor William A. Smith has been recognized as one of IMPACT Magazine’s 2025 Men of Impact , a national honor celebrating those who create lasting change in their communities. Smith is widely known for introducing the framework of Racial Battle Fatigue, a language that has helped scholars, students, and individuals better understand and articulate the emotional and physical toll of racism. He is distinguished not only by his substantial contributions to the field but also by his eminent positions within the university.
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AERA names Distinguished Professor William A. Smith as 2025 Fellow
The American Educational Research Association (AERA) has announced the selection of 29 exemplary scholars as 2025 AERA Fellows, Distinguished Professor of Education, Culture, & Society William A. Smith among them. Dr. Smith joins Laurence Parker, Chair and Professor of Educational Leadership & Policy, as the second AERA fellow in the College of Education.
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CoEdu Graduate Student Featured in BBC Video
Meet Abbey Salamera, a CoEdu graduate student in Education, Culture, and Society (ECS), who was recently featured in the video “Supporting mental wellbeing to empower success” presented by the David Eccles School of Business and produced by the BBC. As the Program Coordinator for Student Engagement & Belonging (SEB), Abbey plays a key role in planning belonging events and collaborating with affinity organizations to build community.
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Distinguished Professor William A. Smith Named Top-200 Scholar in National 2025 RHSU Edu-Scholar Rankings
We are delighted to announce that Distinguished Professor William A. Smith has been named in the national 2025 RHSU Edu-Scholar Public Influence Rankings! This marks Professor Smith's second appearance on the distinguished list, following his previous recognition in 2023.
Giving
Join fellow ECS alumni in creating the ECS Alum Line teaching assistantship — a collective effort to help future students across vital teaching and research opportunities. Your contributions, big or small, move us toward a $50,000 goal that will open doors for the nest generation.