Program

The primary goal of ESS is to help students acquire different and diverse perspectives on important questions in education. Because education itself is an interdisciplinary endeavor, we believe that it cannot be adequately understood from any one perspective. Therefore, we have designed the program to encourage students to view educational issues through the lenses of distinct liberal arts disciplines such as anthropology, English, history, philosophy, political science, psychology, sociology, and theology. The curriculum, described below, requires students to take courses both outside their major and in two additional disciplines. This will enable students to see that a complex approach is more likely to reveal understanding of education and of education reform.

Normally, students apply for admission to the minor late in their freshman year or early in their sophomore year. Students will be admitted through the first semester of their junior year if there is room. Students should be in good academic standing and demonstrate a strong interest in issues related to the causes and consequences of learning, schooling, and educational policy.

In addition, the program will provide resources for students who may want to pursue careers in education after graduation. Such careers may include teaching, working for non-profits, university research and teaching, policy making, pastoral duties and others. Many ESS students see it as a way of acquiring foundational knowledge about education in preparation for applying to the Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE) or other teaching-as-service programs. Students interested in pursuing professional certification as teachers during their undergraduate studies may do so through our cooperative relationship with St. Mary’s College. Contact the Undergraduate Office of the College of Arts and Letters for more information.

Students who are interested in discussing the ESS minor should contact Nancy McAdams (Associate Director) for more information. Office hours for the academic year 2009-2010 are MW 8:30 - 12:30, Tu-Th 12:00 - 4:00 and Fridays by appointment. Her office phone number is 631-0985; email is nmcadams@nd.edu. The ESS office is located at 120C Institute for Educational Initiatives.

ESS Curriculum

The Minor in Education, Schooling and Society consists of 15 hours. Two courses are required (6 hours) and three courses are electives (9 hours).

The required courses are:

ESS 33600 : Introduction to Education, Schools and Society (MUST be taken by the end of Junior year)

The aim of the introductory course is to introduce some basic questions about the nature and goals of education, its history, and theoretical explanations of influences on learning, teaching, and schooling. We will incorporate both classic and current texts. The core course will incorporate several disciplinary perspectives.

ESS 43640 Senior Seminar: Education-Related Research (taken fall of Senior year)

This course will focus on instruction and learning with an emphasis on such research methods as case studies, interviews, ethnographies, and historiography. In turn, students will be expected to write a thesis paper of about 30 pages based on original research. (The topic for the Senior Seminar will vary, but it will always be research-focused).

Elective Courses

For the remaining 9 hours, students may choose from the elective courses approved for ESS. These will be listed in advance of course registration each semester on our web site.

• At least one (preferably more) of these 3 courses (3 hours) must be from the list labeled "Education-Focused" courses. These courses deal directly with educational issues.
• The other two courses (6 hours) may be selected from “Education-General” courses. These are courses that treat educational issues as part of a broader curriculum. In education-general courses, you should identify yourself to the professor as an ESS Minor and ask to do projects and papers on topics related to education.
• Additional requirements:
• One elective course may be in your major field, but may not be double-counted for the major or for University requirements.
• The other two elective courses must be from two other disciplines outside your major.
• A course taken for ESS cannot be used to fulfill two requirements simultaneously, for example, a sociology requirement and a course for ESS.

Registering for Cross-listed Courses

Many courses are cross-listed with ESS course numbers. This means that 3-5 seats are reserved for ESS students. If you are a major in that discipline, please register as a major, not as an ESS student (e.g., register for PSY 43240, not ESS 40256). That will reserve the seats for non-majors. If you are not a major in that discipline, try registering as an ESS student, using the ESS course number (e.g., ESS 40256). Always refer to the website for a complete list of courses offered for a particular semester.

If you have not officially registered for the ESS Minor, the Registrar's Office will not recognize you as an ESS Minor and will not let you register for an ESS course. See Nancy McAdams (1-0985; nmcadams@nd.edu).

Important Considerations for Prospective Minors

If you enroll in the program in your junior year and you plan to go abroad, you may not be able to fit the required courses into your remaining three semesters.  Please talk to your advisor about your scheduling options to determine if the ESS minor is compatible with your schedule.