Requirements for the Major
In addition to developing skills and habits of inquiry, critical thinking and analysis associated with a strong liberal arts education, as an education studies major you'll acquire a historical and comparative understanding of schooling, a deeper understanding of teaching and learning, educational research skills, and how well (or poorly) schools are educating all students.
If you are interested in the Education Studies major path to a teaching license, please refer to the Major + Licensure requirements under Teacher Education.
Education studies majors must pass nine courses (or the equivalent of 36 credits) with a grade of C or better. Pass/Fail courses will not earn credit for the major. Education studies majors may elect to complete an honors thesis.
A. Since January 2020, ED 150b Purpose and Politics of Education has been one of the two required core courses. This course will be offered every year.
B. ED 165a Reading (and Talking Back to) Research on Education is the second required core course. All education studies majors are expected to enroll in this course in fall semester of their sophomore or junior year.
The seven elective requirements for the major are to be distributed as follows:
C. Three elective courses in one of the four clusters (your ED Studies focus cluster):
1. Education, Equity and Social Change
2. Teaching and Learning In and Outside of Schools
3. Human Creativity and Development
4. Jewish Formal and Informal Education
D. The remaining four electives must come from at least three of the four clusters (See Course Clusters below).
E. Students may substitute successful completion of an essay or internship, as described below, for one of the seven 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 192) 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 are concurrently pursuing an education studies major. Students who choose this option will keep a journal about their experiences and produce a final paper.
F. Honors: Students who wish to be considered for honors in education studies will be required to complete a senior thesis. Students 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 99a (fall of senior year) and will then enroll in ED 99b (spring) to complete their thesis.
Majors who intend to do an honors thesis involving empirical research are required to have completed a research course before their senior year.
To Declare the Major:
A. review the requirements carefully
NB: If you are interested in the Education Studies major path to a teaching license,
please refer to the Major + Licensure requirements under Teacher Education.
B. COPY and DOWNLOAD the ED Studies declaration worksheet (revised as of 1/10/2024)
C. read the directions (tab 1) and complete the worksheet (tab 2)
D. email the completed worksheet, or questions to education@brandeis.edu
- please use the subject line: ED Studies major declaration
- we will also schedule a meeting for you with Prof. Rachel Theodorou, UAH, to select an advisor
Course Clusters
Courses with an * cannot be double counted to fulfill the three-course requirement in a cluster and the requirement to take a course in each of three clusters. Not all Program Elective courses are offered in any one year. Please consult the Schedule of Classes on Workday and your program advisor each semester.
“I can say with absolute certainty that the Education Studies Program shaped the course of my life. It provided me with a well-rounded foundation about the best practices in education that energized my career as a school counselor.”
Samantha Grosser Mazo