Undergraduate Non-licensure Programs in Education Studies

The four-year non-licensure Education Studies program focuses on education as discipline within the liberal arts. Courses in Education Studies investigate topics within the sociology of education, the political economy of schools, theories of learning and development, as well as cultural, historical and philosophical studies in education. Both a major and minor in Education Studies are offered, as outlined below.

Course Catalog

Requirements for a major

Education Studies

Requirements for a minor

Education Studies

Courses in Education Studies

Foundations of Education

This course examines education through historical, philosophical, socio/cultural, and political/economic lenses. We explore the power of education to transform lives, and the ways in which it can work to reproduce social inequality and oppression--within the U.S. and globally. The course introduces students to the core framework of the education studies program that entails an expansive view of education as a social and political process embedded throughout our lived experiences. May not be taken pass/fail.

Developmental Theories in Education

This class addresses the relationship between psychology and education through a broad study of theories of teaching, learning, and other educational practices. We interrogate traditional theories of cognitive, moral, social-emotional development in relation to contemporary political, social, and cultural contexts of education - within and beyond traditional schools in the United States - and our own relationships to these theories and spaces. May not be taken pass/fail.

Deconstructing Difference: Education and Society

This class questions difference and diversity by deconstructing oppression and resistance and examining the relationship between education and power. We investigate the production of differences relative to systems of oppression, like racism and white supremacy, capitalism and imperialism, ableism and sexism, and others. In this course, we study how people and groups have and are trying to enact liberating practices. May not be taken pass/fail.

Issues and Trends in Education

Examination of the education process and its bilateral relationship with society in both historical and sociological terms. Attitudes and values developed as a result of research in both education and sociology are stressed. May not be taken pass/fail.

Radical Philosophy and Education

This class looks at contemporary issues in radical education. We investigate the relationship between education and social, economic, and political transformation. Focusing on literature influenced by post-structuralism, queer theory, marxism, the Black radical tradition, and anarchism, we explore the radical possibilities of things like studying, failure, forgetting, ignorance, silence, and weakness. In addition to asking what form education should take, we also research how people are imagining alternative visions for our future.

Reimagining Sex Education

This course examines sex education, in its varying forms, from historical, philosophical, policy, and cultural perspectives. This includes an exploration of the ethical, epistemological, and political implications of sex education policy for the project of social justice education. It also aims to cultivate a deep understanding of gender, sexuality, and race in order to begin to reimagine what it means to be 'sexually educated'. We will begin with a careful consideration of formal, federal sex education policies in the US, including the historical and ideological contexts out of which these policies emerged, before considering the way the US's use of sex education aligns with its foreign interests. We will then explore alternative forms of sex education that already exist beyond schooling in order to ultimately engage in the imaginative work of rethinking what is possible for sex education in formal educational spaces.

Topics

Assorted topics related to the field of education and education-related issues. May be repeated with different topics for credit. May not be taken pass/fail.

The American High School: Anatomy of an Educational Institution

Examines the American high school, a school that has been described as the 'icon' of American education from multiple perspectives: architectural, historical, institutional, organizational, and as a reform element in American education. To frame our examination of the American high school as an institution, students conduct a major research project which involves the life story of a current, mid-career high school teacher. May not be taken pass/fail.

Critical Multiculturalism

Explores the cultural foundations of American education and examines the challenge to the schooling process, presented by cultural diversity. Focuses on the existing definitions of knowledge, learning, cultural assimilation, the distribution of power and academic achievement. Particular attention is paid to school policy and the system as a site of political and cultural contestation. Prerequisite: EDUC 223 highly recommended. May not be taken pass/fail.

Education and Social Change

Examines issues related to the school's function as a catalyst for social change. Analyzes the school's role in the reformation of society and formation of attitudes and behaviors, and determination of outcomes. May not be taken pass/fail.

Thinking, Learning, and Ways of Knowing in Education

What factors affect one's cognitive ability? How has our understanding of cognition and intelligence changed in recent times? Can cognitive/intellectual development be enhanced with specific parenting and instructional techniques? How does one's ways of knowing change over time? These are but four of the questions that are addressed in this course. Issues related to thinking, understanding, and intellectual development will be explored from early childhood through adulthood. Recent research and current thought in the field will be analyzed and debated to try to gain insights into these issues as they relate to themes of social justice and equity, critical thinking, and leadership in education. Prerequisite: EDUC 222 highly recommended. May not be taken pass/fail.

History of American Education

Explores the purposes and practices of American education as they are reflected in the documentary history of formal education from colonial times to the present. Cultivates an understanding of the evolving contexts within which American traditions of education evolved, developed, and became institutionalized over time. May not be taken pass/fail.

Comparative Education

A socio-cultural comparative view of education in different social contexts. Investigates the impact of economic, social, cultural and political factors upon schooling in Asia, Europe, Africa and the Americas. Prerequisite: it is strongly advised that students have taken EDUC 240 or a course in sociology, anthropology, economics, political science or geography. May not be taken pass/fail.

Theorizing Discipline in Educational Contexts (formerly School Discipline: Practices, Issues and Trends)

School discipline is a topic of major interest and concern among parents, principals, teachers, school boards and even state legislatures. This course explores the nature of school discipline problems, including its symptoms, causes and ways that schools respond. The course also examines the role that schools themselves play in 'causing' such problems, as well as the impact of social and political forces. Theory and current research on school discipline are reviewed in an attempt to seek alternative discipline responses. May not be taken pass/fail.

Artistic Dimensions of Teaching

Explores the artistic dimensions of teaching and examines the relationships between teaching and performing as art forms. Topics such as creativity, attitude, perception and intuition are covered. Unique parallels are drawn between classrooms and other educational settings and theater, with a specific focus on the teacher role. Activities include pantomime, role playing and oral interpretation as vehicles to improve self-confidence, voice and positive approaches to the nuances of the classroom. May not be taken pass/fail.

Women in Education

Women in Education is an interdisciplinary discussion of how girls and women have affected and been influenced by K-12 schooling and post-secondary education over the last 125 years. Drawing on the fields of education studies, sociology, women's studies, and history, we will examine areas such as the rise of co-education, the feminization of teaching, 'feminine' learning styles, and the impact of race, ethnicity, sexuality, and social class on women's aspirations, interactions, and experiences within learning institutions. Prerequisite: W S 140 or permission of instructor. Cross-listed with W S 355.

Education Process

Examines the impact of education upon our culture within the dynamics of social change. May not be taken pass/fail.

The Political Economy of Schools

The term 'political economy' refers to the fusion of the interests of political and economic elites. The course establishes an economic context for the analysis of current reform initiatives and investigates claims in the literature and in policy about the performance of schools and the privileging of training over education. Examines the claim that economic imperatives have shaped and re-named the world, including the school, and have turned education into a production process. May not be taken pass/fail.

Education Reform

Investigates the educational reports, agendas, initiatives and debates that have had an impact on American schools since 1978. Involves the critical analysis of present school systems, as well as the changes expected from reform proposals. May not be taken pass/fail.

Topics in Education Studies

Detailed study of theoretical and policy topics and issues related to education studies. May be repeated for credit with different topics. May not be taken pass/fail.

Directed Study

Independent study. Prerequisite: by permission of instructor. May not be taken pass/fail.

Directed Study

Independent study. Prerequisite: by permission of instructor. May not be taken pass/fail.

Explore P-12 Institutes as Equitable Teaching and Learning Environments

This course is designed for those students who are considering the career of teaching in their future whether through an experiential induction programs (such as Fulbright, AUSL Chicago Teacher Residency, TFA, AEON Amity, JET, etc.) or a traditional post-baccalaureate licensing program of study. Weekly classroom study of the field of education on campus is balanced with a weekly teaching practicum in a P-12 classroom. Interested students need to contact the instructor to discuss their interest as the heavy field practicum requires one-on-one placement.

Projects in Education

A systematic exploration of projects reflecting issues and concerns in education. Focuses on students in collaboration with faculty examining research, application, adaptation and implementation. May be offered with a specific research topic. Prerequisite: permission of instructor. May not be taken pass/fail.

Projects in Education

A systematic exploration of projects reflecting issues and concerns in education. Focuses on students in collaboration with faculty examining research, application, adaptation and implementation. May be offered with a specific research topic. Prerequisite: permission of instructor. May not be taken pass/fail.

Educational Research (was Methods of Educational Research)

An in-depth exploration and evaluation of methods, theories, and politics of educational inquiry and research in relation to current topics in the field of education studies. Through synthesizing previous coursework and engaging new common readings, students work with the instructor to identify and pursue a new line of inquiry that serves to extend and advance the ideas that define the critical educator, transformative intellectual, and public pedagogue. Students produce a substantive scholarly product and give a formal presentation. Prerequisites: Junior Education Studies major, EDUC 170, 222, and 223.

Education Studies Senior Seminar

The capstone course in the major and a study experience that extends and advances the ideas that define the critical educator, transformative intellectual, and public pedagogue. Projects build upon a common set of core readings and are guided by the instructor and peer community. Involves the development and completion of a significant and creative intervention in the field of education studies that is shared beyond the classroom. Prerequisites: Senior Education Studies major, EDUC 480.