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The Major in Education Studies

A major in Education Studies is suitable both for students interested in the broad social and cultural contexts of education and for those interested in educational careers.  In addition to developing skills and habits of inquiry, critical thinking, and analysis associated with a strong liberal arts education, Education Studies majors will acquire an historical and comparative understanding of schooling, a deeper understanding of teaching and learning, educational research skills, and an understanding of the ethical dimensions of education.

Please note that the Education Studies major does not lead to a teaching license.  Students interested in becoming licensed as teachers should investigate the minor in teacher education, which offers paths leading to Preschool, Elementary, or Secondary licensure.

Nine courses are required to complete the Education Studies major:

• two core courses,
• six program electives, and
• ED 165a, the senior seminar.

Any undergraduate may begin fulfilling requirements for the major at any time, without formal admission; however, students should consult with an Education Studies faculty adviser no later than the beginning of the junior year to plan their course of study.

A grade of C- or better is required in each course taken for credit in the major.  Pass/Fail courses are not allowed.

Program Requirements:

A. ED 155b (Education and Social Policy) is one of the two requires core courses.  This course is ordinarily offered every year.

B. Education Studies majors must also take a second core course in which to study education from the perspective of a foundational discipline.  Students may choose their second core course from one of the following:

AMST 150a  - History of Childhood and Youth in American

AMST 180b - Topics in the History of American Education

COML 165a - Reading, Writing, and Teaching across Cultures

ECON 59b - Introduction to the Economics of Education

ED 158b - Looking with the Learner:Practice and Inquiry

ED 159b - Philosophy of Education

SOC 104a - The Sociology of Education

Please note: As part of fulfilling the requirement of six elective course, students must take at least one course in each of the two domains:

1. Schooling, Policy, and Society;
2. Development, Learning, and/or Teaching.

We also urge major to choose for one of their electives a course that focuses on cross-cultural understanding, such as COML 165a, ED 158b, or PAX 186a.

Students may substitute successful completion of an essay or internship, as described below, for one of the six elective courses.

• Essay: An approved research honors essay, usually taken in the senior year.  Student would receive credit for this essay, or ED 98a (Individual Readings and Research in Education), or an independent study or research course approved by the director of the education program.

• Internship: An internship (ED 92) approved by the director of the education program.  (Students who are student teaching as part of a minor in preschool, elementary, or secondary education will also be eligible to receive internship credit if they're concurrently pursuing an education studies major.)  Students who choose this option will keep a journal about their experiences and produce a final paper.

Majors who intend to do an honors thesis involving empirical research are required to have completed a research course before their senior year.

D. Senior Seminar: All education studies majors are required to enroll in ED 165a, "Reading (and Talking Back to) Research on Education," during the fall semester of their senior year.

E. Honors: Students who wish to be considered for honors in education studies will be require to complete a senior thesis.  Students who intend to do an honors thesis must discuss their potential thesis topic with a faculty adviser in education studies during their junior year.  These students will have an opportunity to begin their research in ED 165a and will then enroll in ED 99b to complete their thesis.

F. Pass/Fail courses will not earn credit toward the major.  Students must receive a grade of C- or higher for any course to be counted as part of the education studies major.

Education Studies Electives

Not all courses are offered in any one year.  Please consult the Schedule of Classes each semester.

Schooling, Policy and Society:

AMST 150a - The History of Childhood and Youth in America

AMST 180b - Topics in the History of American Education

ANTH 61b - Language in American Life

ANTH 109a - Children, Parenting, and Education in Cross-Cultural Perspective

COML 165a - Reading, Writing, and Teaching across Cultures

ECON 59b - The Economics of Education

ED 155b - Education and Social Policy

ED 159b - Philosophy of Education

ED 160 - NCLB and the Politics of Educational Reform

ED 170a - Critical Perspectives on Urban Education

HIST 153a - Americans at Home: Families and Domestic Environments, 1600 to the Present

HS 373a - Children and Families of Color

HSSP 192b - Sociology of Disability

NEJS 170b - Jewish Education in Modern America

NEJS 235b - Philosophy of Jewish Education

PHIL 148b - Philosophy of the Humanities

SOC 104a - Sociology of Education

SOC 108a - Youth and Democracy

SOC 154a - Community Structure and Youth Subcultures

BISC 7a - The Biology and Culture of Deafness

ED 100a - Exploring Teaching (Elementary)

ED 100b - Exploring Teaching (Secondary)

ED 103a - Teaching Strategies for Early Childhood

ED 107a - Teaching and Learning Reading in Elementary Schools

ED 158b - Looking with the Learner: Practice and Inquiry

HBRW 236a - Teaching and Learning in Jewish Classrooms

LING 197a - Language Acquisition and Development

PHYS 22a - The Science in Science Teaching and Learning

PSYC 33a - Developmental Psychology

PSYC 36b - Adolescence and the Transition to Maturity

PSYC 169b - Disorders of Childhood