How to declare your Ed Studies major:
Step 1: Download the Ed Studies major declaration worksheet to understand our requirements and start designing your major proposal.
Step 2: Schedule a meeting with the Director of the Ed Studies Program to review your plans and learn more about your options, including dual majors and study-away semesters.
Step 3: After the Director approves your Ed Studies major declaration worksheet, insert it into the Registrar’s online major declaration form. Either insert the Google Document link to your worksheet in the “Remaining Requirements” field OR attach your worksheet as a MS Word document. Ignore other boxes on the form, since Ed Studies does not use them.
Ed Studies major requirements:
- 5 courses in the Core
- Educ 200: Analyzing Schools (offered every semester)
- Educ 300: Ed Reform Past & Present (every spring)
- any Research Methods course offered by other departments/programs
- any Research Project seminar, where teams of students learn to conduct primary-source educational research with qualitative, quantitative, and/or historical methods
- Educ 400: Senior Research Seminar (every fall), where students design and conduct their own primary-source research project, and publicly present their findings
- 4 courses in a Student-designed Concentration
Design a thematic concentration from the list of Ed Studies and cross-referenced courses, or other relevant courses at Trinity or elsewhere, selected in consultation with the Director. At least 3 of the concentration courses must be at the 300-level or above. Give your concentration a title and write a paragraph that explains how these courses fit together. Since students do not know exactly which courses will be offered more than a year in advance, insert estimated semesters or “TBA” as needed. Students may update their proposal with their advisor each semester as they move closer to graduation. - 3 additional Electives
Drawn from the list of Ed Studies and cross-referenced courses, or other relevant courses at Trinity or elsewhere, selected in consultation with the Director. These electives may be at any level, and are not necessarily linked to the student’s concentration.
Overall, the Educational Studies major adds up to 12 credits. At least 3 departments or programs (i.e., Educational Studies and 2 others) must be represented in the total number of credits. No more than 6 courses may be drawn from any one department or program outside of educational studies. If the research project is to be double-counted toward the concentration, then the student must designate a 4th course to be counted toward the other electives section to maintain a total of 12 courses toward the major. Only courses in which the student earns a grade of at least C- may be counted toward the major.
After Director approves your major proposal, a printed copy will be attached to your major declaration form for you to submit to the Registrar, and a digital copy will be kept by you and the Ed Studies Faculty to update at future advising meetings as new course schedules become available.
Additional opportunities:
How to design an independent study
Request permission to count other courses toward Ed Studies major:
See list of all Educ and cross-referenced courses that have been pre-approved to count toward the Ed Studies major. Students may submit a written request for permission by the Ed Studies Faculty to count other courses, taught at Trinity or elsewhere, toward the major. Your written request should specify the course, persuasively explain how it addressed at least one of the key themes in the major (educational institutions, learning processes, or youth development), and attach supporting evidence of relevant academic work (such as significant readings in the syllabus, written assignments you submitted, etc.). Discuss your request ahead of time with the Director of Educational Studies and email it to them for review by the Ed Studies Faculty. Please note that on average we approve less than half of the requests that students submit, so make sure to show us persuasive evidence of academic work that is clearly relevant to educational studies.
Study away: Students are encouraged to study abroad and have a variety of options for transferring credit to the Educational Studies major. Past majors have successfully transferred courses from Trinity-in-Capetown, Trinity-in-Rome, and DIS (The Danish Institute for Study Abroad). Education-related internships are available at Trinity-in-Capetown.
Teacher preparation: Students who desire to teach should consult with educational studies faculty about the various routes available to them, such as alternate route certification programs, graduate school programs, and independent school teaching opportunities. For more information, see the Pathways to Teaching section.
Double major: Students considering a double major (such as psychology and educational studies, or sociology and educational studies) are encouraged to plan their schedules early in consultation with their advisers. Selected courses for an educational studies major may also be applied toward fulfillment of the student’s other major, if listed or approved by both departments or programs.
Honors: To earn departmental Honors in the Educational Studies Program, students must complete a senior thesis with a grade A- or better (typically defined as their grade in Educ 400: Senior Research Seminar), and earn a GPA of at least 3.50 in all core courses combined in their major proposal.
