The Major

The Education Major

The College offers an undergraduate major in Education with three possible concentrations: B.A. in Early Childhood Education (licensure), B.A. in Special Education (licensure), B.A. in Community Education and Social Change (non-licensure).

The Education major has three possible concentrations:

B.A. in Early Childhood Education (licensure for PreK-2)

This is a restricted major, which means students must apply during sophomore year through an on-campus process to be accepted into the major. Students should indicate Education or Education-Exploratory Track on their initial application to UMass for the time being. For admission to the program, students must complete Math 113, Math 114, and HUMDEV 270 with a B or higher. A cumulative grade point average of at least a 3.00 is required. Students interested in Early Childhood Education should seek advising from the Advising Center education@umass.edu.

B.A. in Special Education (licensure for moderate disabilities K-8 or 5-12)

This is a restricted major, which means students must apply during sophomore year through an on-campus process to be accepted into the major. Students should indicate Education or Education-Exploratory Track on their initial application to UMass for the time being. For admission to the program, students must complete Math 113, Math 114, HUMDEV 270 and EDUC 325 with a B or higher. A cumulative grade point average of at least 3.00 is required. Students interested in Special Education should seek advising from the Advising Center education@umass.edu.

B.A. in Community Education and Social Change (non-licensure)

Intended for students interested in education and/or non-profit based work. This concentration does not lead to licensure. Students can apply directly into this major from the common application by selecting Education BA.  Students interested in Community Education and Social Change should seek advising from the Advising Center education@umass.edu.

Summary of Requirements for the B.A. in Community Education and Social Change Concentration (non-licensure)

Students will complete 54- 60 credits

Community Education and Social Change

Entry level course

Choose one
EDUC 101 - Introduction to Education (4 credits)
EDUC 351 - Foundations of Education (3 credits)

Social Justice in Education

Choose one
EDUC 115 - Embracing Diversity (4 credits)
EDUC 167 - Education and Film (4 credits)
EDUC 218 - Hip Hop Nation and Literacy Practices (4 credits)
EDUC 229 - International Education (4 credits)

Choose one
Education 210 Social Diversity in Education (4 credits)
EDUC 202 Social issues in Intergroup Dialogue. (4 credits)
EDUC 377 - Introduction to Multicultural Education - (3 credits)

Foundations of Human Development

Choose one
HumanDev 270 - Child Development (4 credits)
EDUC 306 - Educational Psychology (3 credits)

Technologies Course

Choose One
EDUC 376 (EDUC 390D) - Digital Tools & Apps for 21st Century Students - (3 credits)
EDUC 312 (EDUC 390F) - Teaching and Learning with Tech (3 credits)
EDUC 527 Intro Ed Uses of Computer (3 credits)
EDUC 615G Integrating Tech with Instruction (3 credits)

Statistics or Equivalent course

EDUC 240 - Intro to Ed Stats (4 credits)

Junior Year Writing

EDUC 375 Education Research Design (3 credits)

Early Field Experience

Choose one
EDUC 356 Social Justice Issues in Community Service Learning (3 credits)
EDUC 457I (EDUC 497I) - Tutoring in Schools (4 credits)
Srvclring 293 - Learning Through Community Engagement (4 credits)

Internship

EDUC 398C (6-9 credits)
**Need to attend an internship information session and complete early field experience prior to enrolling.
**Internship can be completed over multiple semesters

Leadership

Choose one
EDUC 393B Leadership in Diverse Communities (3 credits)
EDUC 566 - Ed & Development (3 credits)
EDUC 390K - Education Policy and Inequity (3 credits)
SPP 390 Making a Difference: Policies and Strategies for Social Change (4 credits)
**Need to have completed internship prior to enrolling

Integrative Experience

Choose one
EDUC 494RI - Educational Issues in Real World Contexts (4 credits)
EDUC 494DI -Making Sense of Educational Data (4 credits)

Special Interest Courses

Choose 4
***Students must have completed at least 60 credits towards their degree prior taking these courses

See the Getting Started tab to learn more about joining this major.