Education, Schooling, & Society (Supplementary Major)

Like the ESS minor, the ESS supplementary major, which accounts for about one-third of ESS's 115+ students, enables students to come together from across diverse disciplinary studies at the University to rethink their understanding of education, to reimagine forms of schooling and what is entailed in them, and to lead society. Through interdisciplinary study, research, immersion and a network of peers and close faculty mentorship, ESS empowers students to explore big questions in education and develop innovative and practical solutions that help improve the lives of children, families, and society. You will be prepared for work across diverse fields, not just education, but also healthcare, policy, business, law, nonprofit leadership, research, and more. You’ll also develop as a critical thinker and servant leader, and build a portfolio of service and scholarship that demonstrates impact. 

In addition to the requirements outlined above, ESS asks students to engage a local educational community:

(1) One course must be an educationally-relevant community-engaged learning course (the CENG attribute), offered from within or, by approval, outside of ESS. The requirement may be fulfilled by completing one of a number of University-sponsored community-engaged learning experiences, including over the summer.

(2) students are asked to engage in a practical learning experience that involves a minimum of 14 hours of service, research, or structured observation in PK-12 schools or educationally-relevant community organizations serving PK-12 students (please provide a statement signed by the supervising faculty member/community organization as well as yourself). 

Finally, supplementary major students will focus their elective coursework within ESS by taking three of their five electives in one of the following concentrations, or tracks (qualifying courses are identifiable by course attributes in PATH):

Learning Sciences

Students in the learning sciences track examine the mechanisms involved in learning, thinking, and problem-solving in school and non-school settings. They study basic theories of cognition, learning, and development; expand their methodological toolkit for testing and evaluating said theories; and gain a rich understanding of how to apply empirical research evidence to design innovative learning environments, including those built around new technologies and media. Through this track, students gain a deeper understanding of how the reciprocal relations among mind, brain, behavior, and environment contribute to human learning. They can also gain expertise in the design, analysis, and evaluation of formal and informal educational interventions. 

Comparative Education and Policy

Students in the comparative education and policy track examine the policymaking and social programs relevant to mass education. They learn about the historical and contemporary contexts that shape education and about the underlying philosophical principles and political systems that govern education’s role in social and economic change. Students have the opportunity to study topics relevant to comparative and international education, including international development education; ethnographic, anthropological, and historical approaches to education; postcolonial thought; learning from high-performing systems; and area studies of a particular country’s education systems, including the United States.

Language, Literacy, and Culture

General Policies

The ESS program will accept courses marked as “Univ. Req.” via the online class search (PATH) if they are listed/cross-listed with ESS. The program will not accept CSEM courses for credit but will consider education-related USEM courses on a case-by-case basis (note that there are three ESS USEMs). ESS will accept no more than one 3-credit international course for credit toward the minor or two for the supplementary major. It is important to note that ESS students may not count courses that apply to other majors or minors without replacing those credit hours with another elective course within ESS. Typically, students apply for admission to the program in the spring semester of their First Year or later; some students can even begin the program as late as their junior year. For more information or to sign up for the minor or supplementary major, contact Kevin Sandberg, C.S.C., at ksandberg@nd.edu.