Education Studies (EDST-UE)

This course is designed to provide education studies students with an opportunity to gain or enhance their knowledge of different aspects of education by exploring an area of interest under the guidance of a full-time professor. Students may enroll in credit-bearing, paid or unpaid, internship work directly related to their interests in education studies under the guidance of an NYU full-time professor through an independent study. Only students who have successfully completed one full academic year at NYU will be considered eligible to use internship or fieldwork work to satisfy an independent study. The course requires a minimum of 45 hours of academic or fieldwork per point. Points are determined by the student and the professor.

Students, teachers and schools exist within a larger political and economic ecosystem that shapes education institutions and opportunities. In this umbrella course, students learn how different social, political and economic forces shape education policies and practices as well as the choices that students and their parents make. Subtopic courses span a range of topics and case studies, including growing neoliberalism in education policy, the influence of the high cost of higher education, school choice and access, and trends in global education development.

Why do so many high school students apply to study at expensive institutions when there are cheaper alternatives available? Who is able to attend, and who is excluded? Why do college costs keep rising so fast? Shouldn’t college be free? Students explore answers to these kinds of questions in this course. Students explore a range of economic concepts and empirical evidence that speaks to the value of Field available for additional information in footerhigher education for individuals and societies; state and institutional financial aid policies; and university budgets and spending priorities.

In this course students examine the legal and ethical issues confronting public schools; explore various legal principles and their application; and analyze current school practices from the standpoint of potential legal controversies, including the ability to recognize “preventative law” situations. In addition to identifying pragmatic approaches to the law, students engage in academic discourse involving issues of social justice and the democratic underpinnings of education.

Innovative solutions in education are emerging from the private sector every day. Business ventures from Teach for America to Khan Academy are changing the way teachers are prepared, the way students learn, and the way institutions use data. These ideas are started by “social entrepreneurs,” people who try to improve lives through solutions that have a market and customers. Students in this course learn about social entrepreneurship, how to identify critical issues in the education-related space, and how to develop their own entrepreneurial solutions accordingly.

This practice-based course provides students with an opportunity to learn about the education consulting profession. The first module provides a critical overview of how consultants work with schools, districts, universities and nonprofit organizations to assess educational challenges. The second covers multiple applied research methods, including design thinking, individual and focus group interviews, and secondary data analysis. During the third module students consult for a school, district or nonprofit organization, getting first-hand experience in the profession.

Storytelling using data visualization is a powerful tool to communicate ideas and to highlight critical issues in education. This course provides a comprehensive overview ofeducation data and effective ways of presenting them. Students gain hands-on experience and develop effective communication and storytelling skills using data visualization. Through working with real education data, students deepen their understanding of various issues in Educaton.

This course for Education Studies majors provides academic credit for internships in fields related to education. The course is intended to help students: acquire valuable experience and exposure to real-world issues in careers in the field of education; develop basic professional skills identified as especially important by employers; assemble a portfolio of materials useful for future job search; and develop networking relationships within the education field.

Course is designed as the culminating experience for Education Studies majors. Students will demonstrate an integration of disciplinary content knowledge & research skills culminating in a senior thesis or a final project. The final product requires students to synthesize course work & practical experiences & explore potential career options and academic pursuits upon completion of the program.