St. Lawrence students working with area youth

Educational Studies

Academics
Educational Studies

About Our Program

Education is at the root of so many contemporary challenges, and our minors learn to think critically about the role it can play in solving them. Our department emphasizes inclusivity, which will inform your perspective as you learn, ask questions, and pose solutions.

Whether you’re interested in becoming a teacher or are eager to empower communities through education another way, you’ll gain the reading, writing, thinking, and communication skills you’ll need to engage with complex issues and apply your understanding to just about any career path you choose.

Learning Experiences to Prepare for Your Career

We believe relevance is key, and our curriculum is constantly evolving to reflect current issues and conversations. So not only will you be more invested in the topics you study, you’ll be better equipped to help employers and organizations tackle their most pressing challenges in the real world.

Contemporary Curriculum

In your coursework, you’ll delve deep into contemporary topics affecting education. You’ll consider how education can be more inclusive of the LGBTQ+ community, what the Black Lives Matter movement means for education, or how to talk about mental health in the American public school system.

University Fellowship Program

Our faculty are known for the close relationships they build with every student, which often turn into faculty-mentored summer research projects. Apply for a fellowship to spend eight weeks in the North Country digging into a topic you’re passionate about with your mentor as your advisor.

Research

Our students often use their educational studies minor to inform research that encompasses their other areas of study. For example, they’ve looked at sports and masculinity, anti-Blackness in Chinese universities, or how to improve environmental literacy and communicate the importance of sustainability.

Explore Research Opportunities

Internships

Learn by doing in a real-world environment. Our minors intern in schools and with a wide range of organizations concerning access to education and education policy.

Get Career Ready

Volunteer Work

You can also gain experience while making a difference in our community. We partner with local schools on a reading and math tutor program and often sponsor one-credit educational internships.

Engage with our community in a variety of ways, including:

Math/reading help at local elementary and middle schools
After-school programming at the Ogdensburg Boys and Girls Club
Facilitate creative activities at the North Country Children’s Museum

Explore Volunteer Opportunities

Study Abroad

Choose from more than 30 semester-long programs offered in more than 20 international locations, including Australia, Kenya, Sweden, Spain, and Thailand.

Explore Diverse Models of Early Childhood Education

Educational studies minors who journey to Denmark can enroll in a child development and diversity course. It consists of a travel component that will allow you to experience models of education across Eastern Europe and Scandinavia.

Off-Campus Study in the U.S.

Other U.S-based off-campus study programs include a Liberal Arts in New York City experience, which includes an internship with a Manhattan-based business or nonprofit. The Washington Semester in D.C. consists of a semester-long internship, so you could study education policy by interning with stakeholders on the ground.

Explore Our Programs

Among the 150+ clubs and organizations at St. Lawrence, you’ll find many that involve leadership, community engagement, education, and cross-cultural communication:

The Advocates
Club of American Sign Language
Common Ground Connections
Club Volleyball
The Hill News
Men In Color
Class Council
Her Campus
SLU Adaptive
Black Student Union
Literacy for Nepal
Rotaract
Carefree Black Girls
La Sociedad
The Women’s Resource Center
Reading Buddies
WORD Studio
Spectrum
Relay for Life
SLU EMS

Why St. Lawrence for Education

St. Lawrence student working with young people

North Country Children's Museum

Spend a summer planning programs for local kids while interning at the North Country Children’s Museum.

94%

of recent graduates are employed or continuing their studies within a year

Volunteer-producing University

Peace Corps 2019, 2020

82%

of students pursue volunteer work

#20

Best School for Making an Impact

The Princeton Review, 2021

More Program Information

Program Requirements & Courses

Explore educational studies minor requirements, as well as electives and combined study options.

Complementary and Related Programs

If you’re interested in educational studies, you might also be interested in these programs.

Other Programs You May Be Interested In

Education Faculty

Meet Our Faculty

“We find ways to incorporate and integrate education in everything our students do and then that prepares them for a really wide variety of work in the future.”

Jeff Frank

Director, Center for Innovation in Teaching and Assessment Center for Innovation in Teaching and Assessment

Associate Professor and Chair Education Department