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
Student Stories
See what our students and alumni say about our program — inside the classroom, across communities, and around the world.
Alumni
My favorite aspect of being an ECS student is learning new strategies to assist my students on a daily basis. I also have gained new colleagues in the ECS program that are always willing to work together.
Alumni
Working on the APEX team built my confidence and I enjoyed the collegiality.
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.
Community Engagement
Strengthening global learning pathways in Mexico
Verónica Valdez and Tuba Yilmaz are building international partnerships that expand cross-cultural learning and future study-abroad opportunities for Utah students.
Math symposium connects students, families, and educators
ECS faculty José Francisco Gutiérrez partners with City Academy to bring students, families, teachers, and university partners together around student-led mathematics inquiry.
Preparing professionals to partner with Native communities
The Working with Native Communities Certificate prepares learners to collaborate respectfully with Native nations, organizations, and community partners.
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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College of Education Joins Statewide Read-A-Thon to Celebrate Literacy
The University of Utah College of Education will join Utah’s statewide Read-A-Thon on Friday, Oct. 2, inviting faculty, staff, and students to gather in the SAEC Auditorium for an hour of reading in support of literacy.
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College of Education Faculty Strengthen Global Learning Pathways in Mexico
University of Utah College of Education faculty recently traveled to Mexico through a U.S. Department of State IDEAS Program initiative to strengthen international education partnerships and future study abroad opportunities.
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Dean Frankie Santos Laanan Receives Marilyn J. Amey Senior Scholar Award
University of Utah College of Education Dean Frankie Santos Laanan has received the Marilyn J. Amey Senior Scholar Award from the Council for the Study of Community Colleges (CSCC).
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Premier journal publishes interdisciplinary faculty/student research on sexual assault
Through the mentorship of College of Education Dean Frankie Santos Laanan and Educational Psychology Professor Jason Burrow-Sanchez, Honors College student Michael Molenaar has published research in the prize-winning, peer-reviewed Journal of American College Health. The journal provides information related to health and well-being in institutions of higher education. The faculty/student research team’s article, “The intersection of disabilities and the risk of sexual assault victimization among female college students,” was officially released on November 3, 2025
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.