Program: Educational Studies Major - Ohio Wesleyan University

2022-2023 Catalog

Jun 18, 2025

Assistant Professors Kaka, Nobel, Kang

Instructor Hall

The Educational Studies major at OWU is the only education major that does not lead to a teaching license. Rather, students who pursue this major seek to be in an education related field or have an interest in educational studies, but may not have a desire to teach in a traditional school setting. This major will set OWU students on the path to become social workers, school counselors, education policy analysts, teachers in charter or private schools, or attend graduate school in the learning sciences, school psychology, or law school. It would also provide a foundation for graduates to pursue a Master of Arts in Teaching degree in the future, if they decide to become a teacher after working in a related field. The integrated elective course options will be chosen after discussing their future career path/interest with their advisor; students and their advisors will choose which ones best fit the student’s intended career.

Learning Outcomes for Educational Studies majors

Successful majors will provide evidence of their:

knowledge of human development, motivation, and learning, as well as the individual and contextual factors which guide one’s ability to develop instruction that is appropriate for all students.
knowledge of a variety of instructional strategies and materials, including technology integration, that encourage students’ problem-solving, critical thinking, and the ability to select and implement instructional strategies that account for and adapt to all contexts, learners, and content.
knowledge of a variety of assessment strategies that can be embedded in instruction and an understanding of their use for formative and summative evaluation of student learning.
recognition of the importance of the teaching profession in today’s ever-changing world
understanding of the need to ensure that democratic ideals for a diverse society are the foundation of all teaching and learning.
understanding of the importance of engaging in reflective practice and lifelong professional development.

The Educational Studies major requires the following 9 courses:

Foundations of Education
- At least 2
Educational Psychology
- EDUC 251 Psychological Foundations of Education - with lab
Classroom management/Social Emotional Learning
- At least 1
  - EDUC 255 Inclusive Classroom Management
  - PSYC 366 Behavior Modification
General methods
- At least 1 of
Literacy
- At least 1 of
Capstone Connection Experience
- EDUC 490 Independent Study
Supported integrated courses
- At least 1 of
  - PSYC 110 Introduction to Psychology
  - PSYC 282 Adolescent Psychology
- At least 1 of a Related Upper Level Elective
  - 1 additional upper level class from the areas below, depending on potential career goals. After discussing your future career path/interest with your advisor, choose one course from this list that best aligns with your career goals (e.g., Ed Policy = PG course; school counseling = additional psychology course)
    - EDUC 491 Directed Readings
    - EDUC elective
    - PSYC
    - HIST
    - ENG
    - PG
    - SOAN