Education Studies is a multidisciplinary concentration that explores the role of education as both a foundational institution in society and a key influence on human development. We offer students a unique opportunity to do engaged scholarship by applying theory to real-world questions about education policy, practice, and the learning process. From introductory courses to advanced seminars, our classes examine how education can promote or limit equity, opportunity, and social justice. Our faculty members work closely with students to study education using analytical approaches and theoretical frameworks drawn from anthropology, economics, history, human development, political science, sociology, social work, and teaching and learning.
The Education concentration provides students with a strong liberal arts foundation for graduate studies and prepares students to be change agents in the broad-based education sector and beyond. Concentrators go on to a wide range of careers including advocacy, counseling, education technology, law, politics & policy, research, and teaching as well as leadership in schools, districts, and state departments of education. Students interested in earning a license to teach in public schools are encouraged to pursue the Brown 5th-year Masters of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program where they will receive world-class training to be culturally-responsive educators in urban education settings.
Concentration Requirements
The concentration in Education Studies requires a total of 10 credit-bearing courses and 1 non-credit-bearing experiential component, allowing students to develop a personalized plan of study to structure their Education experiences. The new Education Studies coursework is composed of the following four elements:
- Three (3) Core Courses: 2 introductory courses (EDUC 0300 and EDUC 0750) will provide students with a broad-based introduction to the field of education and empirical methods used in the field, while 1 Senior Seminar, EDUC 1900, offers a culmination of students’ experiences in the concentration.
- Four (4) Specialization Courses: Students choose 4 courses total in their planned area of emphasis within the education field. Some examples include: Education Policy Analysis; Human Development; Education and Inequality; Education for Social Justice; Adolescence; Immigrant Families, Communities & Education; Child Development; Teaching and Learning; Education and Economics; or any related topic of interest.
- Three (3) Elective Courses: Students choose three courses related to the field of education and the student's field of study. One (1) independent study course can be counted towards concentration requirements. No more than 3 courses in an Education Studies concentration can come from other departments outside of Education, and all courses should be approved by the student's advisor and meaningfully tied to education.
- One (1) Experiential Component: Before the beginning of the spring semester of senior year, students must complete an Experiential Component designed to promote practice-based engagement with the field of education and reflect on their experiences, tying them into their academic learning in the Education Studies concentration. Students can satisfy this requirement in one of the ways below and should then upload documentation in their ASK declaration.
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By completing an existing Community-Based Learning and Research (CBLR) in the Department. OR
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By writing a paper reflecting on their experience through the lens of their coursework in the Department, the student’s academic advisor will assess the paper. OR
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By completing the Experiential Component Based (ECB) Capstone project in EDUC 1900 (Senior Seminar) OR
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By completing the reflection in an independent study-like course “Reflecting on Fieldwork.”
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Education Studies Concentration Plan of Study
Foundational Courses Required for Education Studies Concentration
| Introduction to Education and Society: Foundations of Opportunity and Inequality | ||
| Evidence and Method in Education Research | ||
| Senior Seminar |
Other Courses in Education Studies Concentration
| 4 Courses in Area of Emphasis (could include any 4 of the following) | 4 | |
| Teaching LGBTQIA History | ||
| Adolescent Literature | ||
| Fieldwork and Seminar in Secondary Education | ||
| Brown v. Board of Education and the History of School Desegregation | ||
| Cradle of Inequality: The Role of Families, Schools, and Neighborhoods | ||
| Evidence and Method in Education Research | ||
| Introduction to Human Development and Education | ||
| Adolescence in Social Context | ||
| Family Engagement in Education | ||
| Qualitative Methods | ||
| Turning Hope into Results: The Policy Ecosystem of the Providence Public Schools District | ||
| Social Psychology of Race, Class, and Gender | ||
| The Big IDEA: The Complexities of Gifted and Special Education | ||
| Discipline and Punish: Historical Insights on School Punishment | ||
| Social Context of Learning and Development | ||
| The Psychology of Teaching and Learning | ||
| 3 Foundational courses in Education (from the table above) | 3 | |
| 3 Electives | 3 | |
| 1 Experiential Component | 0 | |
| Total Credits | 10 | |
Honors
Concentrators seeking to graduate with honors must apply for honors candidacy by the end of their sixth semester. Successful candidates must meet all requirements for the concentration; maintain a minimum grade average that includes more A’s than B’s in Education courses (a B must be counterbalanced by two A's); and successfully complete EDUC 1900 (fall) and EDUC 1991 (spring), in which they write a senior thesis under the guidance of a thesis advisor. Honors are awarded on the basis of thesis quality, and students whose theses meet or exceed the standards established in the Department Rubric will earn honors upon graduation. More information about writing an Honors thesis can be found on our website: https://education.brown.edu/academics/undergraduate/honors.
Combined Baccalaureate/Master of Arts in Teaching Degree
The Education Department offers a combined degree program. Brown undergraduates can apply to earn both the MAT degree and a B.A. or B.S. in a subject field (English, history, math, biology, chemistry, physics, engineering and allied concentrations) in 5 years.
Brown undergraduates can apply through the Education Department during their junior year. During their undergraduate years, candidates must complete all baccalaureate requirements and may take up to two of the required graduate courses. In their fifth year, they will complete the remaining required graduate courses, including the one-year teaching residency. The minimum requirements to complete both degrees are 36 credits, of which a maximum of two may count toward both the bachelor's degree and the MAT degree.