Minor in Education Studies
Are you interested in shaping how and what schools teach, understanding the role school plays in society, exploring human learning, or pursuing a career in an education-related field? Consider complementing your major with a minor in education studies.
An education studies minor will prepare you well for a variety of careers in related fields, including education policy, school psychology, higher education, and alternative classroom learning, such as museum education. It will also give you a solid foundation from which to pursue graduate studies in education-related fields.
To minor in education studies, you’ll complete six courses in all: two core courses, including Purpose and Politics of Education, and four electives from an approved list that covers policy, human development, and teaching and learning. If you wish, you may substitute an essay, thesis, or internship for the fourth elective.
Requirements for the Minor in Education Studies
Six courses are required to complete the education studies minor:
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two core courses, one of which is ED 150b, Purpose and Politics of Education, and
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at least four additional program electives, no more than two of which can be taken in the same department or interdepartmental program.
A grade of C or better is required in each course taken for credit in the minor. Pass/Fail courses are not allowed.
To Declare the Minor:
A. review the requirements carefully
B. complete the declaration worksheet
C. fill in the ED Studies courses you have taken or plan to take in the appropriate semesters on the worksheet
D. download and email the completed form to education@brandeis.edu
- please use the subject line: ED Studies minor declaration
- we will also schedule a meeting for you with Prof. Rachel Kramer Theodorou, UAH, to select an advisor
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A. ED 150b (Purpose and Politics of Education) is one of the two required core courses. This course is ordinarily offered every year.
B. A second core course to be selected from the following:
AMST/ED 120a - History of Higher Education in the US
AMST 150a - History of Childhood and Youth in America
AMST 180b - Topics in the History of American Education
ECON 59b - The Economics of Education
ED 10a - Introduction to Teaching and Learning
ED 101a - Literacy, Literature, and Social Justice (K-6)
ED 101b - Teaching Science and History for Social Change (PK-6)
ED 104a - Pedagogy in the Disciplines
ED 105a - Structure, Concepts, and Best Practices in Mathematics (PK-6)
ED 144a - Look Who’s Talking: Student Voice and Classroom Discourse
ED 145a - Making the Grade: Equity and Assessment
ED 161b - Religious Education in America
ED 163b - Creativity and Caring (not offered after 2022)
ED 165a - Reading and Talking Back to Research in Education
ED 170a - Race, Power and Urban Education
ED 173b - Psychology of Love: Education for Close Relationships
SOC 104a - The Sociology of Education
THA 138b - Creative Pedagogy
C. At least four additional program electives, listed below, no more than two of which can be taken in the same department or Interdepartmental program. Students may have only two cross-over courses that meet requirements for both the teacher education (licensure) minor and the Education Studies minor.
Students may substitute successful completion of an essay, thesis, or internship for the fourth elective.
Not all courses are given in any one year. Please consult the Schedule of Classes each semester.
Schooling, Policy and Society
AAAS 156a #BlackLivesMatter: The Struggle for Civil Rights from Reconstruction to the Present
AMST/ED 120a History of Higher Education in the US
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
ANTH 180b Playing Human: Persons, Objects, Imagination
ECON 59b The Economics of Education
ED 75b Waltham Speaks: Multilingualism, Advocacy and Community (new in 2021)
ED 121a Education and Equity in Modern American History
ED 155b Education and Social Policy
ED 159b Philosophy of Education
ED 161b Religious Education in America
ED 170a Race, Power and Urban Education
ENG 131b Decolonial Pedagogy
HSSP 192b Sociology of Disability
LGLS 141b Juvenile Justice: From Cradle to Custody
NEJS 169b From Sunday Schools to Birthright: History of American Jewish Education
NEJS 171b Tikkun Olam/Repairing the World: Service and Social Justice in Theory and Practice
NEJS 235c Topics in Jewish Education
SOC 104a Sociology of Education
SOC 108a Youth and Democracy
SOC 113b Sociology of Race and Racism
SOC 138a Sociology of Race, Gender, and Class
SOC 154a Community Structure and Youth Subcultures
WMGS 151a Social Politics of Sexual Education
Human Development, Learning and/or Teaching
COML/ENG 140b Children's Literature and Constructions of Childhood
EBIO 33b Citizen Science: Bridging Science, Education and Advocacy
ED 10a - Introduction to Teaching and Learning (replaces ED 100a and 100b as of fall 2023)
ED 100a Exploring Teaching (Elementary & Preschool) (replaced by ED 10a as of fall 2023)
ED 100b Exploring Teaching (Secondary) (replaced by ED 10a as of fall 2023)
ED 101a - Literacy, Literature, and Social Justice (K-6)
ED 101b - Teaching Science and History for Social Change (PK-6)
ED 104a - Pedagogy in the Disciplines
ED 105a - Structure, Concepts, and Best Practices in Mathematics (PK-6)
ED 107a Teaching and Learning Reading in Elementary and Preschools (if taken before 2021)
ED 144a - Look Who’s Talking: Student Voice and Classroom Discourse
ED 145a - Making the Grade: Equity and Assessment
ED 158b Looking with the Learner: Practice and Inquiry
ED 163b Creativity and Caring (not offered after 2022)
ED 173b The Psychology of Love: Education for Close Relationships
ED 175a Teaching of English Language Learners: Pre-K to 12 (if taken before 2021)
ED 203a Teaching Multicultural Learners I (replaces ED 175a)
ED/HRNS 168a Summer Camp: The American Jewish Experience
ED/NEJS 170b Inside Jewish Education: Language, Literacy and Reading
HRNS 206f Informal Jewish Education
LING 110a Phonological Theory
LING 197a Language Acquisition and Development
MATH 3a Mathematics for Elementary and Middle School Teachers
NEJS 169a Inside the Religious School Classroom
NEJS 170a Studying Sacred Texts
PSYC 33a Developmental Psychology
PSYC 36b Adolescence and the Transition to Maturity
PSYC 169b Disorders of Childhood
THA 138b Creative Pedagogy