Learning & Education Studies: Educational Equality & Cultural Understanding, BS
for the degree of Bachelor of Science Major in Learning & Education Studies, Educational Equality & Cultural Understanding concentration
The Learning & Education Studies, BS with a concentration in Educational Equality & Cultural Understanding will prepare students to better understand the role of education in enabling equality and cultural understanding in domestic and international perspectives. Focusing on equality, diversity, and cultural understanding will give students a unique perspective on the historical place of education in both challenging inequities and helping to justify social divisions. Understanding how education as an institution operates to perpetuate social and economic stratification will give students a perspective on the challenges of creating a more equitable distribution of education. Classes will cover a wide range of disciplinary approaches, including history, social science, educational policy analysis, and theory. Students will understand the contemporary and historical barriers to the distribution of education and examine recent human rights-based demands for extending education to people of all social classes, regions, ethnicity, language groups, and genders.
Knowing how equity, social justice, and cultural understanding are enabled through education requires an in-depth understanding of domestic and international contexts. Introductory courses will cover basic definitions of educational justice and educational equality, survey international minorities in the United States or minorities in other countries in relationship to education, and explore political, economic, and social contexts for education.
Intermediary classes will invite students to apply their basic understanding of such processes to more local and detailed contexts, like shifts in the U.S. that have extended public schooling and higher education opportunities to historically marginalized populations such as people of color, immigrants, women and citizens from low socioeconomic status. Advanced classes will introduce students to the theoretical approaches to studying social justice and difference, including Critical Race Theory, transnational and global theory, and globalized critical pedagogy.
These courses will be designed to appeal to international and domestic students seeking employment in both the United States and international educational settings, including teaching English as a second language. In addition, understanding the role of education in fostering the expansion of universal human rights will enable students interested in international business and NGOs to explore the problems and potentials of policies intent on improving conditions in the United States and abroad. As all areas of study and trade are increasingly situated in transnational networks, the concentration in Educational Equality and Cultural Understanding provides a firm grounding on key issues of rights, obligations, and new institutions that help maintain commitments for educational equity and justice under these new circumstances.
Students are encouraged to pursue a minor or a coherent set of electives from several departments as approved by their adviser. Suggested minors are: English as a Second Language, African-American Studies, Asian American Studies, Global Studies, Latina/Latino Studies, South Asian Studies, Gender and Women's Studies, or LGBT/Queer Studies.
for the degree of Bachelor of Science Major in Learning & Education Studies, Educational Equality & Cultural Understanding concentration
A minimum of 120 semester hours is necessary for graduation in the Learning and Education Studies program. Students will spend much of the first two years with general education courses, achieving a solid preparation in the humanities, social and natural sciences, technology and mathematics. In the final two years of the major, students will take a set of core courses, as well as coursework in one of the concentrations.
Degree Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Orientation Seminar | ||
| EDUC 101 | Education Orientation Seminar | 1 |
The following degree requirements also meet general education course requirements and must be selected from the campus general education course list. Selections of core requirements courses should be made in consultation with the adviser.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Composition | ||
| Composition I | 4-6 | |
| Advanced Composition | 3-4 | |
| Quantitative Reasoning | ||
| An approved basic course in statistical methods such as STAT 100, SOC 280, or PSYC 235 | 3-4 | |
| From approved campus list | 3 | |
| Natural Sciences and Technology | ||
| From approved campus list | 6 | |
| Humanities and the Arts | ||
| From approved campus list | 6 | |
| Social and Behavioral Sciencess | ||
| From approved campus list (must include PSYC 100) | 6 | |
| Cultural Studies | ||
| From Western Culture(s) approved campus list | 3 | |
| From U.S. Minority Culture(s) approved campus list | 3 | |
| From Non-Western Culture(s) approved campus list | 3 | |
| Language other than English | ||
| Three years of one language other than English in high school or competion of the third semester of college-level language | 0-12 | |
| Core Requirements | ||
| Choose 2 from the following Education Foundations: | 6-7 | |
| Identity and Difference in Education | ||
or EPOL 201 | Foundations of Education | |
or EPOL 202 | Foundations of Education-ACP | |
| Career Theory and Practice | ||
| Child Development in Education | ||
| The Culture of Disability | ||
| Choose 6 from the following, with at least 2 in each area: | 18-20 | |
Learning and Instruction: | ||
| Introduction to Digital Learning Environments | ||
| Language Varieties, Cultures and Learning | ||
EPOL 350 | ||
| Educational Psychology | ||
| Psychology of Learning in Education | ||
| Child Language and Education | ||
Leadership in a Diverse Global Economy: | ||
| Social Justice, School and Society (May not be counted toward both the Core and Concentration requirements) | ||
| Race and Cultural Diversity | ||
| Asian American Education (May not be counted toward both the Core and Concentration requirements) | ||
| Historical and Social Barriers | ||
| Facilitation Skills | ||
| Diversity in the Workplace | ||
| Concentration | ||
| Students must complete 24 credit hours within one of the following areas of concentration: 1) Applied Learning Science, 2) Educational Equality and Cultural Understanding, 3) Workplace Training and Development, or 4) Digital Environments for Learning, Teaching and Agency. | 24 | |
| Electives | ||
| Electives (including minor, if taken) | 12-31 | |
| Total Hours | 120 | |
Educational Equality and Cultural Understanding Concentration
The following courses are required for this concentration. Changes/additions to this list can be obtained from the College office. Approvals for substitution must be submitted by petition to the College office for approval by the Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs.
Concentration courses found on the General Education Approved Course List may also be credited toward the General Education requirements.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Choose 3 from the Social Foundations area: | 9 | |
| Social Justice, School and Society (Can be counted in the Core requirement or the Concentration requirement but not both) | ||
| Education and Social Justice | ||
| History of American Education | ||
| School and Society | ||
| Choose 2 from the following Cultural Understanding area: | 6 | |
| Social Media and Global Change | ||
| Asian American Education (Can be counted in the Core requirement or the Concentration requirement but not both) | ||
| Racial and Ethnic Families | ||
| Exploring Cultural Diversity | ||
| Choose 2 from the following Educational Equality area: | 6 | |
| Historical and Social Barriers | ||
| Critical Thinking in Education | ||
| Sociology of Education | ||
| Politics of Education | ||
| Elective class from GWS, LLS, AAS, AFRO, AIS, or GLBL | 3 | |
| Total Hours | 24 | |
for the degree of Bachelor of Science Major in Learning & Education Studies, Educational Equality & Cultural Understanding concentration
Sample Sequence
This sample sequence is intended to be used only as a guide for degree completion. All students should work individually with their academic advisors to decide the actual course selection and sequence that works best for them based on their academic preparation and goals. Enrichment programming such as study abroad, minors, internships, and so on may impact the structure of this four-year plan. Course availability is not guaranteed during the semester indicated in the sample sequence.
Students must fulfill their Language Other Than English requirement by successfully completing a third level of a language other than English. For more information, see the corresponding section on the Degree and General Education Requirements page.
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours |
| EDUC 101 | 1 | Composition I or General Education course | 4 |
| Composition I or General Education course | 4 | PSYC 100 | 4 |
| Language Other Than English (3rd level) or Elective | 4 | General Education course | 3 |
| General Education course (CI 210 recommended) | 3 | Elective course | 3 |
| STAT 100, SOC 280, or PSYC 235 (SOC 280 recommended) | 4 | ||
| 16 | 14 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours |
| Education Foundations course | 3 | Education Foundations course | 3 |
| General Education course | 3 | Leadership in a Diverse Global Economy course | 3 |
| General Education course | 3 | General Education course | 3 |
| General Education course | 3 | General Education course | 3 |
| Elective course (choose from AAS, AFRO, AIS, GLBL, GWS, or LLS) | 3 | General Education course | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours |
| Learning & Instruction course | 3 | Learning & Instruction course | 3 |
| Leadership in a Diverse Global Economy course | 3 | Learning & Instruction or Leadership in a Diverse Global Economy course | 3 |
| Learning & Instruction or Leadership in a Diverse Global Economy course | 3 | Social Foundations course | 3 |
| Elective course | 3 | Elective course | 3 |
| Elective course | 3 | Elective course | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours |
| Social Foundations course | 3 | Social Foundations course | 3 |
| Cultural Understanding course | 3 | Cultural Understanding course | 3 |
| Educational Equality course | 3 | Educational Equality course | 3 |
| Elective course | 3 | Elective course | 3 |
| Elective course | 3 | Elective course | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Total Hours 120 | |||
for the degree of Bachelor of Science Major in Learning & Education Studies, Educational Equality & Cultural Understanding concentration
College of Education
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