Educational Foundations is a liberal arts major that provides students with a deep understanding of key social, historical, and philosophical trends in American education. The major also allows students to explore theories of learning, assessment, and human development and provides a breadth of interdisciplinary courses to ensure core content knowledge in essential subject areas – language arts, math, science, and social studies. This major is comprehensive, multi-disciplinary, concise, and targeted. For students interested in classroom teaching (K-6), our program seamlessly aligns with the course of study needed for teacher certification. Admission to the Teacher Education Program is a separate process. For students interested in career paths other than teaching, our program offers coursework in a range of areas, such as urban education, gender issues in/and education, human rights education, and higher education.
Unless otherwise noted, 120 credits of coursework is required for a baccalaureate degree with a minimum 2.0 overall GPA, and a minimum 2.0 major GPA.
For details about this program, including program description, admission requirements, and contact information, click here.
Degree Requirements Overview
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| New Student Seminar | 0 | |
| SEEDS General Education Requirements | 12-15 | |
| Major Requirements | 74 | |
| Free Electives | 34-31 | |
| Total Credits | 120 | |
Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Educational Foundations | ||
| EDFD 150 | New Student Seminar | 1 |
| EDFD 180 | Foundations of Education: Social, Cultural, and Political Contexts | 3 |
| EDFD 200 | Psychological Foundations of Education | 3 |
| EDFD 220 | Philosophical Orientation to Education | 3 |
| EDFD 221 | Historical Foundations of American Education | 3 |
| EDFD 445 | Human Rights Education | 3 |
| or EDFD 450 | Current Issues in American Education | |
| or EDFD 458 | Dialogue and Inquiry | |
| Liberal Arts Core | ||
| Literature and Expression | ||
| CMST 101 | Fundamentals of Speech: Communication Requirement | 3 |
| WRIT 105 | College Writing I | 3 |
| or ENGL 110 | Introduction to Literature: The Analytic Essay | |
| or ENGL 111 | Introduction to Literature: The Short Story | |
| Any 200-level ENGL or WRIT course or HONP 108 | 3 | |
| READ 209 | Children's Literature for a Multicultural Society (or any 200-level HUMN course) | 3 |
| Math, Science, and Social Science | ||
| BIOL 100 | Biological Sciences | 4 |
| or BIOL 110 | The Biology of Human Life | |
| EAES 170 | World Geography | 3 |
| HIST 117 | Foundations of America | 3 |
| HIST 118 | Emergence of the Modern United States | 3 |
| ANTH 105 | Introduction to Disability Studies, Rights, and Culture | 3 |
| or PSYC 101 | Introduction to Psychology | |
| Any 300-level ANTH or SOCI course | 3 | |
| Focus Area | ||
| Complete the Focus Area requirements below. | 27 | |
| Total Credits | 74 | |
Education and Society Focus Area
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Any 300- or 400-level ANTH course | 3 | |
| CHAD 340 | Current Social Issues in Child Advocacy | 3 |
| EDFD 264 | Gender Issues in Education | 3 |
| EDFD 290 | Education and the Social Development of Urban Youth | 3 |
| EDFD 300 | Assessment, Learning Sciences and Ethics | 3 |
| EDFD 445 | Human Rights Education | 3 |
| EDFD 450 | Current Issues in American Education | 3 |
| EDFD 455 | Teaching Critical and Inclusive History | 3 |
| EDFD 458 | Dialogue and Inquiry | 3 |
| FSHD 214 | Child Development I | 3 |
| FSHD 216 | Adolescent Development | 3 |
| HIED 100 | Purposes of Higher Education | 3 |
| Any 300- or 400-level HIST course | 3 | |
| Any 300- or 400-level POLS course | 3 | |
| POLS 416 | Special Topics in Political Science | 3 |
| Any 300- or 400-level SOCI course | 3 | |
SEEDS General Education Requirements
Click here for a list of courses that fulfill the SEEDS requirements.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Foundations | ||
| Effective Writing I | ||
| Fulfilled by WRIT 105, ENGL 110, or ENGL 111 in the major | 0 | |
| Effective Writing II | ||
| Complete one Effective Writing II course. | 3 | |
| Interactive Communication | ||
| Fulfilled by CMST 101 in the major | 0 | |
| Quantitative Reasoning | ||
| Complete one Quantitative Reasoning course. | 3 | |
| Political and Civic Life | ||
| Complete one Political and Civic Life course. | 3 | |
| World Language | ||
| Complete two sequential classes in one World Language when starting at the Beginner I or Beginner II level. Complete one class when starting at the Intermediate/Advanced Level. | 3-6 | |
| Exploration | ||
| Complete one course from four different Exploration categories. | ||
| Analyzing Cultures and Societies | ||
| Fulfilled by EDFD 200 in the major. | 0 | |
| Creative Expression | ||
| Ethical Inquiry | ||
| Fulfilled by EDFD 220 in the major. | 0 | |
| Historical Thinking | ||
| Fulfilled by EDFD 221 in the major. | 0 | |
| Literary and Artistic Analysis | ||
| Scientific Reasoning | ||
| Fulfilled by BIOL 100 or BIOL 110 in the major. | ||
| Total Credits | 12-15 | |
Recommended Roadmap to Program of Study Completion
This recommended degree plan is provided as an outline for students to follow in order to complete their program of study requirements within four years and 120 credits. This plan is a recommendation and must be used in consultation with their academic advisor. Important note: Students should be aware this plan assumes no pre-requisite coursework is required. If pre-requisite coursework is needed, students may have additional requirements to fulfill which do not appear on the plan.
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| WRIT 105, ENGL 110, or ENGL 111 (Fulfills SEEDS: Effective Writing I) | 3 | WRIT 106 (Fulfills SEEDS: Effective Writing II) | 3 |
| HIST 117 | 3 | HIST 118 | 3 |
| CMST 101 (Fulfills SEEDS: Interactive Communication) | 3 | EDFD 221 (Fulfills SEEDS: Exploration 1 - Historical Thinking) | 3 |
| EDFD 180 | 3 | ANTH 105 or PSYC 101 | 3 |
| READ 209 (or 200-level HUMN course) | 3 | BIOL 100 or 110 (Fulfills SEEDS: Exploration 2 - Scientific Reasoning) | 4 |
| EDFD 150 | 1 | ||
| 16 | 16 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| EDFD 200 (Fulfills SEEDS: Exploration 3 - Analyzing Cultures and Societies) | 3 | Any 200-level ENGL or WRIT course | 3 |
| EAES 170 | 3 | SEEDS: Quantitative Reasoning | 3 |
| SEEDS: Political and Civic Life | 3 | EDFD 220 (Fulfills SEEDS: Exploration 3 - Ethical Inquiry) | 3 |
| Education and Society Elective 1 | 3 | Education and Society Elective 2 | 3 |
| World Language 1 | 3 | World Language 2 or Free Elective | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| 300-level ANTH or SOCI course | 3 | EDFD 450, 445, or 458 | 3 |
| Education and Society Elective 3 | 3 | Education and Society Elective 6 | 3 |
| Education and Society Elective 4 | 3 | Education and Society Elective 7 | 3 |
| Education and Society Elective 5 | 3 | Education and Society Elective 8 | 3 |
| Free Elective | 3 | Education and Society Elective 9 | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| Free Elective | 3 | Free Elective | 3 |
| Free Elective | 3 | Free Elective | 3 |
| Free Elective | 3 | Free Elective | 3 |
| Free Elective | 3 | Free Elective | 3 |
| Free Elective | 2 | Free Elective | 2 |
| 14 | 14 | ||
| Total Credits 120 | |||