• School of Education
• Academics
• Curriculum & Instruction
• Programs
• Undergraduate Programs
• Educational Studies Minor
• Policy & Equity Concentration

The Policy and Equity concentration of the minor in Educational Studies advances interdisciplinary perspectives necessary for understanding the wide range of challenges facing public education in American society. Courses in this concentration focus on analysis of policy and the conditions of schooling at the macro and societal level, as well as an emphasis on examining the impact of educational policy and organizations on people’s lives.

Students in these courses will engage in developing strategies to address and counter the consequences and inequities that result from many of these policies and structures. The courses within this minor share the common assumption that ensuring access to a quality education and opportunities to engage in a democratic and global society is central to the individual human condition and the overall collective “good.”  

Requirements for the Educational Studies Minor — Policy and Equity (18 credit hours)

Note: College policy allows two courses from a student’s major to count toward requirements for a minor as appropriate.

1. EDUC 310 – Social Foundations of Education (3 credit hours)
2. At least one of the following courses (3 credit hours):
   EDUC 317 – Topics in Educational Studies: Race and Education
   EDUC 402 - Urban Education, Practice & Leadership (3 credit hours)
   EDUC 417: Topics in Equity and Policy in Education: Critical Race Theory in Education
3. At least one course in psychological foundations (3 credit hours):
   EDUC 260 – Truthiness in Education
   EDUC 301 – Educational Psychology
   An alternative psychology course
4. Three elective courses (9 credit hours) on policy and equity issues chosen in consultation with an advisor. Courses in Africana Studies, Anthropology, Economics, Education, Government/Public Policy, History, Psychology, Sociology, and other areas may be considered. A credit-bearing internship or research experience could serve as part of the elective credit total.
5. Experiential Learning (course credit not required) Students must fulfill at least 40 hours of approved off-campus experiential work on an education topic (e.g., internship, tutoring, independent field research).
   1. In cases where this experiential work is not done for credit, it must be approved by the program director, and in many cases it may be eligible for receiving COLL 300 credit.
   2. With approval of the program director, students may also arrange to receive independent study credit for academic study associated with the required experiential work.