Education Minor

The School of Education’s 15-credit-hour undergraduate minor in education is designed for students who are interested in education and education policy issues but not necessarily interested in pursuing teaching licensure.

The program incorporates a set of courses in social foundations of education and an engaged learning field experience to provide students with a sophisticated understanding of the historical, cultural and social contexts of education both domestically and internationally.

The purpose of the education minor is to give undergraduates of any major the opportunity to:

• Develop their understanding of current educational practices and the complex interactions among the legal, social, political and economic forces that influence and shape educational policies in America;
• Consider options for a career in education; and
• Become better consumers of educational services as parents, taxpayers and citizens.

All students completing the minor will meet a set of learning outcomes relevant to the knowledge, skills, values and dispositions that emanate from the Dominican University Vision for Undergraduate Learning Statement. In addition, the coursework is aligned with the School of Education’s Conceptual Framework, which addresses the ethical behaviors required to demonstrate how teachers as scholars, leaders, and moral agents interact with their constituents in the role of educator.

How It Works

The minor in education is created with a sequence of coursework that includes foundational courses as well as elective courses, including opportunities for hands-on learning experiences in educational settings. Students pursuing the minor will learn about current educational systems today (accountability, choice, charters, high-stakes testing, educational disparities, etc.) and their relationships to other social systems. Through this minor, students will gain a broad and comprehensive understanding of the educational world around them.

Students pursuing the education minor select from a variety of courses that may focus on a particular interest or sample a variety of aspects of the curriculum. Specific areas of interest that are reflected in the course offerings include, but are not limited to: special education, literacy and language, curriculum and teaching strategies, educational research, teaching in a diverse society and other educational topics.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completing the minor, students will be able to:

• Examine the historical and philosophical origins of educational policies and practices and articulate how history and philosophy shape current and future educational policies and practices
• Analyze issues and practices in today’s educational systems and understand their relationships to other social systems
• Demonstrate knowledge of major global issues and intercultural understanding related to education
• Understand and analyze how race, class, ethnicity, ability, religion and culture intersect with educational issues, in order to use this understanding in dialogue with others
• Plan learning experiences to accommodate student diversity (e.g., cultural, racial and social diversity) in and outside of classrooms