Undergraduate
Prepare to work education
The School of Educational Studies offers two undergraduate programs and three minors that prepare students to think critically about issues of equity and social justice in educational and community contexts.
Majors & Options
Educational Studies
The Educational Studies major is designed for students interested in working with youth, families, and communities in and beyond the classroom. Students explore critical issues in education, including the tensions between education and social justice; child and youth development; and how systems of inequity shape teaching and learning.
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Elementary Education Option
The Elementary Education Option prepares students to become certified teachers in Washington state who are focused on educational justice and equity. Students learn how to center and sustain the rich cultural and linguistic identities and experiences of students, families, and communities.
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Child & Youth Development
The Child & Youth Development Minor explores child and adolescent development, across a range of social contexts, spanning early childhood into teenage years and emerging adulthood. This minor focuses on the diversity and richness of development in family, peer, school, and community contexts. Students will develop knowledge of human growth and development processes and theories from infancy through adolescence. Students will also develop and deepen skills as change agents to work against inequity in educational and community contexts.
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Diversity Studies
The Minor in Diversity Studies is an option for students who want to explore key concepts related to power, identity, and difference, and to understand how historical and structural relations of power and difference shape social relations.
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Education & Society
The Education & Society Minor helps students develop broad perspectives on education’s role in society, both in the United States and abroad. Students will investigate topics such as education policy, culture, knowledge, and equity in education.
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Educational Advocacy & Community Engagement
The Educational Advocacy & Community Engagement Minor focuses on critical perspectives on education history and policy and explores the tensions between education and social justice. Students who choose this minor will examine systems of inequity and learn about educational advocacy in schools and communities. Through reflection and community-engaged work, students will develop leadership skills to nurture partnerships with individuals, families, and communities, preparing them to amplify community voice and advocate for social change.
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Teaching & Learning
The Teaching & Learning Minor explores how children and adolescents learn in a range of settings, including schools and informal or community contexts. This minor focuses on child and adolescent development, learning theory, and how social factors like systems of inequity shape teaching and learning. Through community-engaged learning, Teaching & Learning minors will have the opportunity to work in schools or community organizations and develop leadership skills to become change agents who advocate for the learning of all young people.