Across the Brandeis Education Program, four themes provide intellectual coherence, practical guidance, and clarity of purpose.
Inquiry
Knowing Students as Learners
Teaching for Understanding
Commitment to Social Justice
The Minor in Education Studies
A minor in Education Studies is suitable both for students interested in the broad social and cultural contexts of education and for these interested in educational careers. The minor will help students develop skills and habits of inquiry, critical thinking, and analysis associated with a strong liberal arts education.
Please note that the Education Studies minor 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, Elemetary, or Secondary licensure.
A Brandeis graduate with an Education Studies minor will be prepared to pursue, after graduation:
- careers in education-related field, such as school psychology, higher education, informal education, museum education;
- education policy, legislative, or non-profit work; and/or graduate study
Six courses are required in order to complete the Education Studies minor:
- two core courses, and
- four program electives.
See below for more information about these requirements.
Any undergraduate may begin fulfilling requirments for the minor at any time, without formal admission; however, students should consult with an Education Studies faculty advisor 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. Core course: ED 155b (Education and Social Policy). This course is ordinarily offered every year.
B. A second core course to be selected from the following:
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 159 - Philosophy of Education
SOC 104a - The Sociology of Education
C. At least four additional program electives, no more than two of which can be taken in the same department or inderdepartmental program. Students may have only two cross-over courses that meet requirements for both the teacher education (licensure) minor and the Education Studies minor. See list of electives below.
Students may substitute successful completion of an essay, thesis, or internship for the fourth elective.
Education Studies Electives
Not all course are given in any one year. Please consult the Schedule of Classes each semester.
Schooling, Policy and Society:
AMST 150a - The History fo 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
Human Development, Learning and/or Teaching:
BISC 7a - The Biology and Culture of Deafness
ED 100a - Exploring Teaching (Elementary)
ED 100b - Exploring Teaching (Secondary)
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