Education Studies

About Education Studies

Education Studies is a cross-disciplinary field that considers learning, teaching, and schooling as lenses through which to understand social processes and contexts. This major conceptualizes education broadly, recognizing that the study of education can serve a variety of purposes, apply to diverse demographic groups, and be situated within a range of institutional and social contexts.

As a course of study, Education Studies offers you the chance to explore topics such as human development, education policy, the history of schooling, educational research methodology, learning theory, the sociology of education, and urban education, among others.

Preparation for Careers in Schools, Non-Profit Institutions, or Graduate Studies

The major prepares you for a wide assortment of jobs in schools and afterschool programs, non-profit institutions, international development agencies, cultural institutions, and government. It can also serve as a solid foundation for advanced graduate work in education, sociology, anthropology, psychology, history, political science, or international studies.

Concentrations

The curriculum consists of four concentrations:

• Education Policy focuses on understanding how decisions that shape the focus, content, and institutional structures of education are made and how various stakeholder groups engage in this decision-making process.
• Global and Comparative Education asks students to think critically about the similarities and differences between educational systems and approaches around the globe.
• Children and Youth draws on the field of Childhood Studies, examining childhood and youth as socially constructed categories that are shaped by and that shape their social context.
• Teaching and Learning takes a deep and expansive theoretical and practical perspective on what it means to teach and learn, exploring various conceptions of pedagogy and theories of learning.

You select a concentrations and then complete the required courses. Additionally, you will complete a series of courses related to your concentration and a special 3-credit course to complete your capstone project, all with the guidance and supervision of a faculty advisor.