HUX program offers master’s degree opportunity for incarcerated students
A new graduate degree initiative offered at Dominguez Hills is giving incarcerated people the chance to continue their education. The exclusive HUX program marks the first time the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) has formally partnered with the state’s higher education system.
HUX – or Humanities External Masters of Arts Degree – started this fall with 33 students enrolled in the program. However, the one-of-a-kind program welcomes applications from anyone who is imprisoned in the state.
The HUX program has been serving students since 1974. Since then, the program has been rebooted from the HUX legacy initiative and transformed it into a hybrid, correspondence, and online program.
“The decision was made a few years ago to teach out that program and create a new online HUX program, since it was completely online it wouldn’t be able to reach incarcerated students,” said HUX’s program director Matthew Luckett
This past April, The CDCR and CSUDH entered an agreement to allow the HUX program to take place within the California state prison system. HUX’s stated goal is to create viable educational pathways for incarcerated students, who often don’t receive the resources necessary to continue their degrees while imprisoned.
In an email to The Bulletin, CSUDH President Thomas A. Parham reiterated the value of higher education, noting that it has the power to transform anyone’s life no matter the situation or circumstance.
“I feel incredibly proud that CSUDH is now a leader in incarcerated education,” Parham said. “Too often incarcerated individuals’ humanity is overlooked with the focus on punishment rather than rehabilitation.”
Parham continued: “HUX was founded on the principle that incarcerated students are worthy of investment, education, and rehabilitation. The program is a testament to the core values and mission of CSUDH.”
