Majors, Minors and Special Majors

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Major in Educational Studies

An educational studies major includes at least 8 credits in Educational Studies.  All majors must include a methods course in their program as preparation for their senior thesis or comprehensive.  Methods courses can include any of the following three courses:

  • EDUC 65 Qualitative Methods for Educational Change
  • SOCI 16B Research Methods in Social Science
  • EDUC 21 Educational Psychology

The culminating exercise for the major is normally a 1-2 credit senior thesis, completed in the senior year.

Students may take up to 3 credits outside of the Department of Educational Studies toward the major. These may include courses taught by a faculty member outside of the department and cross-listed in Educational Studies, and courses taken through off campus study.

Prerequisites for entry into the major include EDUC 014, Pedagogy and Power: Introduction to Education and one additional course in the department. 

Students may also pursue an honors major in Educational Studies.

Regularized Special Majors - Educational Studies & Partnering Departments

Students may complete a course special major that integrates work in Educational Studies with their study in another campus department. Pre-established programs have been created with the following disciplines: biology, chemistry, computer science, English literature, French, German, history, linguistics, mathematics/statistics, music, physics, political science, psychology, Russian, sociology/anthropology, and Spanish (requirements below). Individualized special majors with other disciplines can be pursued with the approval of both the Department of Educational Studies and the second department. In the case of all special majors involving educational studies, both departments collaborate in advising the student. The Educational Studies prerequisite for acceptance to the course special major program is EDUC 014. Pedagogy and Power: An Introduction to Education and one additional Educational Studies course. 

All special majors are required to complete a one or two credit thesis or a comprehensive examination/research/practicum experience integrating work in their two fields of study. Special majors are encouraged to take EDUC 065: Educational Research for Social Change in the spring of their sophomore or junior year. This course, which can be taken for 0.5 or 1 credit, prepares students to write a special major thesis or conduct research in their senior year. 

The course special major usually requires 10 to 12 credits, at least 5 of which must be in Educational Studies. If a special major pursues teaching certification, EDUC 092: Practice Teaching and EDUC 093: Curriculum and Methods Seminar are not counted as part of a special major. Students may take up to 2 credits outside of the Department of Educational Studies toward the course special major. These may include courses taught by a faculty member outside of the department and cross-listed in Educational Studies, and courses taken through off campus study.

Educational Studies has agreements with the departments, listed below, as to what courses are required both within Educational Studies and the second department. There may be some flexibility in what courses will meet each requirement; each student's program will be planned in consultation with advisers in Educational Studies and the partnering department.

Special Majors may also be pursued as part of an honors program.

 

Special major requirements:

 

Minor in Educational Studies

The Educational Studies minor provides students with the opportunity to choose from a variety of Educational Studies courses and prompts students to reflect on the overarching theme of their experience in the department. The Educational Studies course minor requires at least 5 credits in Educational Studies. Students may take up to 2 credits outside of the Department of Educational Studies toward the course minor. These may include courses taught by a faculty member outside of the department and cross-listed in Educational Studies and courses taken through off campus study. The prerequisite for acceptance to the Educational Studies course minor program is EDUC 014. Pedagogy and Power: An Introduction to Education and one additional Educational Studies course.  Course minors may also pursue teacher certification. 

Students may also pursue an honors minor in Educational Studies