Educational Studies

The Academic Program

Students interested in Educational Studies at Swarthmore may design an honors or course major in Educational Studies; a special major in Educational Studies and another discipline; or an honors or course minor in Educational Studies. Students also have the option to pursue teacher certification.

First course recommendation:

EDUC 014F: First-year seminar: Pedagogy and Power: An Introduction to Education - Schools are complex institutions, central to any society. Schools are sites of teaching and learning, places where inequalities are maintained or challenged, and institutions within which children and their teachers live out the daily realities of national political agendas. This course explores major questions in educational policy, theory, and practice. Students read original source materials from multiple disciplines, write, discuss, and complete fieldwork in area schools as an introduction to the interdisciplinary and expansive field of educational studies. EDUC014, or the first-year seminar EDUC 014F, is required for students pursuing teacher certification.

Course Major

An Educational Studies major includes at least 8 credits in Educational Studies. In their sophomore plan, we recommend that prospective majors clarify a focus within the department. Foci might include policy, social and cultural foundations of education, or the study of learning. All majors must include a methods course in their program as preparation for their senior thesis. Methods courses can include any of the following three courses:

• EDUC 65 Qualitative Methods for Educational Change
• SOCI 16B Research Methods in Social Science
• EDUC 21 Educational Psychology

The culminating exercise for the major is either a 1-2 credit thesis, completed in the senior year, or participation in an honors seminar that has been approved as fulfilling the senior comprehensive.

Prerequisites for entry into the major include EDUC 014, Pedagogy and Power: Introduction to Education and one additional course in the department. EDUC 092: Practice Teaching and EDUC 093: Curriculum and Methods Seminar are not counted as part of the major.

Course Special Major

In special majors involving Educational Studies, the student combines work in Educational Studies with work in another academic department or interdisciplinary program. Pre-established programs have been created with the following disciplines: biology, Black studies, chemistry, computer science, English literature, French, German, history, Latin American and Latino studies, linguistics, mathematics/statistics, peace and conflict studies, physics, political science, psychology, Russian, sociology/anthropology, and Spanish. Special majors with other disciplines can be pursued with the approval of both the Educational Studies Department and the second department or program. In the case of all special majors involving Educational Studies, both departments collaborate in advising the student.

The special major usually requires 10 to 12 credits, at least 5 of which must be in Educational Studies. All special majors are required to complete a thesis or a comprehensive examination integrating work in their two fields of study. Special majors are encouraged to take EDUC 065 Educational Research for Social Change in the spring of their sophomore or junior year. This course prepares students to write a special major thesis in their senior year. Each partnering department or program provides specific course requirements for the completion of a special major and for the thesis/comprehensive exam, details of which may be found on the departmental website.

If special majors pursue teaching certification, EDUC 092: Curriculum and Methods Seminar and EDUC 093: Practice Teaching are not counted as part of the special major requirements. The prerequisite for acceptance to the special major program is successful completion of EDUC 014: Pedagogy and Power: Introduction to Education and one other course in the department.

Course Minor

The Educational Studies minor provides students with the opportunity to choose from a variety of Educational Studies courses and prompts students to reflect on the overarching theme of their experience in the department. The Educational Studies minor requires at least 5 credits in Educational Studies. The prerequisite for acceptance to the Educational Studies minor program is EDUC 014  and a second course in the department. Minors may also pursue teacher certification.

Honors Program

The department supports the Honors Program for majors, special majors, and minors.

Research Opportunities and Experiences

Engaging in research is integral to students’ work in Educational Studies. Participation in research supports students to understand the importance of research to theory, policy-making, and practice.

In each course and seminar in the department, students are introduced to qualitative and/or quantitative methods of research, which they use to work directly with questions addressed in coursework. Students not only read original research, but they also collect and analyze data using appropriate methods in each course.

Students are strongly encouraged to take EDUC 065: Qualitative Research Methods: Educational Research for Social Change in the spring of their sophomore or junior year. This course prepares students to write a thesis in their senior year. It can be used as the required methods course for special majors with Sociology and Anthropology, and as the required methods course for Educational Studies majors.

As a culminating activity in the department, many majors and special majors write a thesis. Students select the focus of their thesis work; theses typically build on students’ course work and methods training in Educational Studies and the other department comprising their special major.

Some students conduct independent research or serve as research assistants on faculty members’ projects. Students may begin working as research assistants as early as the summer following their first year. Many such collaborations have led to student-faculty co-authored conference presentations, articles, and chapters.

Fieldwork and Service-Learning Opportunities

Bridging research and practice is a goal for courses and seminars in the department. Many courses and seminars have a distinctive fieldwork component. Course descriptions indicate if a course involves a field placement.

Depending on transportation options, students can request fieldwork placements in urban, suburban, or rural communities and choose from public, charter, or private school settings. Students are encouraged to use the field placements as an opportunity to explore a range of school and population types. A list of school sites may be found on the department’s website.

Study Abroad

Students requesting credit in Educational Studies for course or fieldwork done abroad (or at another institution in the U.S.) must take EDUC 014: Pedagogy and Power: Introduction to Education. This course may be taken before or after the study abroad credit is completed, but the credit will only be accepted after EDUC 014 has been completed.

Transfer Credit

Transfer credit is accepted once a student has completed EDUC 014. To request transfer credit, the student must present a syllabus and all course work for the department to review. Some additional work may be required.

Pathways to Teaching

Swarthmore students come to an interest in teaching at many points during their own educational careers - some before they enter college, others during their four undergraduate years, and some as they investigate possible careers after Swarthmore. Students are encouraged to explore the many opportunities available to them in the field of education. Pathways to Teaching, on the department’s website, offers students more information on the options available to them:

• Mentoring and tutoring opportunities offered through Swarthmore.
• Summer opportunities to work in classrooms or enrichment programs or complete an education-related internship.
• Teacher certification at Swarthmore.
• Graduate study in education, including teaching programs and other programs in educational studies.
• Post-graduation teaching/education job opportunities and resources (for all students - with or without certification)

Teacher Certification

Swarthmore offers a state-accredited teacher preparation program for both special majors and minors (Honors or Course). Certification for elementary, middle, and/or high school teaching is transferable to all 50 states; after PA certification, some states may require additional exams or content. A guide to certification reciprocity is available through Certification Map at http://certificationmap.com/states/reciprocity-disclaimer/.

Swarthmore’s programs for secondary certification are designed with guidance from faculty members in the discipline in which the student is being certified as well as members of the Educational Studies Department. Students preparing for elementary certification design their course of study with advising from the Swarthmore Educational Studies Department and Eastern University.

Formal admission to the teacher certification program occurs at the start of EDUC 092: Curriculum and Methods and EDUC 093: Practice Teaching after students have successfully completed their core Educational Studies and discipline major requirements. Students must have completed 12 Swarthmore College credits (48 credit hours) to enroll in the program.

State Requirements for Certification

In order to be certified, students must attain either an overall grade point average of 3.0 or an overall grade point average of 2.8 GPA and a qualifying score on the appropriate PRAXIS exams. More information about the exams required for certification can be found on the Educational Studies Department website under “Teacher Certification > Student Teaching > Exam Information.”

Students seeking certification must meet 1) all Swarthmore’s general requirements for graduation with a Bachelor’s degree, 2) Educational Studies requirements for certification, and 3) state teaching certification distribution requirements in mathematics, English literature, and English composition. The following outline presents the ways in which students might meet these state distribution requirements:

Mathematics: 6 credit hours. This may be fulfilled by any sufficient combination of the following options:

English Literature: 3 credit hours. This may be fulfilled by any of the following options:

English Composition: 3 credit hours, met by the College’s general distribution requirement of Writing courses.

Certification Options

Student Teaching

EDUC 092: Curriculum and Methods (2 credits) and EDUC 093: Practice Teaching (2 credits) are completed during the first semester of the senior year or in a ninth semester after graduation. Placement for practice teaching is available in a range of public and private schools.

Ninth Semester

Students who have completed all of the requirements for certification (in their discipline and in Educational Studies) except for student teaching may return following graduation to complete the teacher certification program during a ninth semester. During this semester, students can only take EDUC 092: Curriculum and Methods (2 credits) and EDUC 093: Practice Teaching (2 credits). Students in the ninth semester program have full access to computing and other campus facilities but are not eligible for campus housing. Students obtaining education certification in the Ninth Semester program will be charged the unit charge for 1 course. Some tuition reimbursement will be available for ninth semester students.

Educational Studies Courses

• EDUC 001C. The Writing Process: Pedagogy and Practice
• EDUC 009C. First-Year Seminar: Why College? The past and future of liberal arts
• EDUC 004. First Year Seminar: Psychology in Schools
• EDUC 014. Pedagogy and Power: An Introduction to Education
• EDUC 014F. First-Year Seminar: Pedagogy and Power: An Introduction to Education
• EDUC 018. Critical Perspectives: Child & Young Adult Literature
• EDUC 020. Foundations of Dance Education
• EDUC 021. Educational Psychology
• EDUC 022. Peace Education
• EDUC 023. Adolescence
• EDUC 024. Special Education: Adolescents with Special Needs
• EDUC 026. Special Education: Issues and Practice
• EDUC 033. Black Education
• EDUC 041. A Site of Struggle: Educational Policy
• EDUC 042. Teaching Diverse Young Learners
• EDUC 043. Teacher Narratives, Policy and Power
• EDUC 045. Literacies and Social Identities
• EDUC 046. Race, Nation, Empire and Education
• EDUC 048. From the Undercommons: Ethnic Studies and Education
• EDUC 053. Educating Emergent Bilinguals
• EDUC 054. How children talk to each other: Oral and written language
• EDUC 056. TESOL Methods: Theory in Practice
• EDUC 061. Gender and Education
• EDUC 062. Sociology of Education
• EDUC 064. Comparative Education
• EDUC 065. Educational Research for Social Changes: Qualitative Methods
• EDUC 066. College for All? Critical Issues in Higher Education
• EDUC 067. Fight for #PhlEd: Urban Educational and Environmental Justice
• EDUC 068. Urban Education
• EDUC 069. The Facts and Economics of Education in America
• EDUC 070. Outreach Practicum
• EDUC 072. Humanitarianism: Educ & Conflict
• EDUC 073. Creative Writing Outreach Course
• EDUC 075. Introduction to Science Pedagogy: Theory and Practice
• EDUC 076. Pre Student Teaching Practicum
• EDUC 078SR. Schooling to Education: How Restorative Practices Can Transform Public Schools
• EDUC 091A. Special Topics
• EDUC 091B. Special Topics
• EDUC 092. Curriculum and Methods
• EDUC 093. Practice Teaching
• EDUC 096. Thesis
• EDUC 097. Thesis
• EDUC 098. Psychology and Educational Studies Thesis