Educational Studies
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Minor in Educational Studies
The six courses that constitute the minor in educational studies provide a basic knowledge of the teaching and learning process. This minor is recommended for anyone interested in teaching and other education-related careers. Besides the six courses required for the minor, the Department of Educational Studies offers several undergraduate electives. Students may apply for up to two course substitutions in the minor, substituting Educational Studies electives or other relevant coursework from other departments; contact the Educational Studies department chair for more information.
One or two courses completed at other institutions may be counted towards the Educational Studies minor. Students who transfer three or more courses from outside institutions, or whose transfer courses are only 3 credits or are lower-division while the SMCM equivalents are upper-division, may still complete the minor through substituting other education-related undergraduate courses. For information about transferring courses from other institutions, please contact the Educational Studies department chair.
Completion of the minor or equivalent course work is a pre-requisite for admission to the MAT, but does not guarantee that a student will be admitted to the program. There are also specific content courses required for teacher certification in Maryland. Students who are considering the MAT should meet with their advisor or an educational studies faculty member about course selection. For a complete list of these courses for each certification area, please contact the Educational Studies department chair.
Learning Outcomes
- Analyze the influence of various laws, policies, theories, historical events, and systemic structures on modern education.
- Connect teaching and learning experiences to research and theory on cognition, development, motivation, language acquisition, and social interaction.
- Articulate how dimensions of individual difference, classroom diversity, and principles of social justice intersect with teaching and learning events.
Degree Requirements for the Educational Studies Minor
General College Requirements
- General College Requirements (see “Curriculum” section.)
- All requirements in a major area of study.
Required Courses
At least 23 credit hours, as comprised through the successful completion of the six following courses, with a minimum earned grade of C in each course, but with a combined minimum GPA of 3.0:
- EDUC 206: Education in America (4 credits)
- One course in language acquisition chosen from the following two:
- EDUC 296: Language Acquisition and Phonemic Awareness (3 credits) –Required for future elementary teachers.
- EDUC 286 Language Acquisition and Reading Development for Secondary and K-12 Teachers (3 credits)
- EDUC 336: Exceptionality: Introduction to Special Education (4 credits)
- EDUC/PSYC 368: Educational Psychology (4 credits)
- EDUC 491: ESL Across the Curriculum (4 credits)
- One course with a developmental focus chosen from the following three:
- PSYC 331: Infant and Child Development (4 credits)
This course is required for students who wish to pursue early childhood/elementary certification and recommended for students who wish to pursue elementary certification. - PSYC 333: Adolescence (4 credits)
This course is recommended for students who wish to pursue secondary certification - PSYC 230: Lifespan Development (4 credits)
This course is recommended for students who wish to pursue K-12 certification in Art, Music, or Theater and acceptable for students pursuing elementary and secondary certification.
- PSYC 331: Infant and Child Development (4 credits)
Faculty
Katy Arnett, Teresa Filbert, Angela Johnson (Chair & Director of Teacher Education), SooBin Jang, Kathy Koch, David Morris, Janna Thompson