In this BA program in Education Studies, students explore and examine the broader context of education. They learn how education continuously shapes society and how, in turn, society continuously transforms education. Using powerful tools from public policy, advocacy, and social entrepreneurship, students learn how all members of society can influence education at its many levels, whether in school or non school settings, locally, nationally, and internationally.
Through liberal arts and education core courses, students to gain a broad understanding of education from cultural, historical, sociological, political, and economic perspectives. Students dive deeply into a variety of education issues using approaches that are grounded in the social sciences and humanities, while honing relevant interdisciplinary skills such as writing, communication, and qualitative and quantitative methods of research and analysis.
Learning experientially is a key component of the program. Through study abroad, internships, and senior capstone projects, students gain hands-on experience involving educational change and advocacy.
The major prepares students to work in a broad range of governmental, nonprofit and industry settings as well as for graduate study in law, policy, social sciences, social work, education, and business.
Double Major Opportunities
Education Studies majors may double major in another subject. Depending on the choice of second major, students may need additional courses beyond the 128 credits required for the bachelor’s degree.
New York University's Office of Undergraduate Admissions supports the application process for all undergraduate programs at NYU. For additional information about undergraduate admissions, including application requirements, see How to Apply.
Program Requirements
The BA in Education Studies requires the completion of 128 credits, and combines a range of liberal arts courses with study-abroad opportunities. Students complete a senior seminar as their culminating undergraduate experience.
Effective Fall 2025, SOED-UE 1015 replaced TCHL-UE 41 as major core requirement. New students matriculated in the major in Fall 2025 and onward are required to take SOED-UE 1015. Students who matriculated prior to Fall 2025 may take the former requirement (TCHL-UE 41), or switch to the new major core curriculum after meeting with the advisor.
Area of Specialization
Education and Society
Students who are interested in US Education in urban and other settings can choose to specialize in the Education and Society track. Going beyond the core requirements, students can choose to delve into important education issues from the perspectives of sociology, history, culture, immigration, equity and social justice to develop a solid foundation in these areas.
Course List
Course
Title
Credits
Students are required to take both of the following courses:
American Dilemmas: Race, Inequality, and the Unfulfilled
Total Credits
16
Global Education
Students who are interested in the role of education globally, in developing countries, or in the context of globalization, can choose to specialize in the Global Education track. Students can learn important issues in global education that are nested in sub disciplines such as politics and policy, human rights, peace and conflicts, and get real experience of how international education works through many NYU global sites.
Course List
Course
Title
Credits
Students are required to take both of the following courses:
American Dilemmas: Race, Inequality, and the Unfulfilled
Total Credits
16
Impact and Entrepreneurship
Students who are eager to make a social impact in education can choose the Impact & Entrepreneurship path. In this track, students will get many hands-on experiential learning opportunities such as utilizing data and problem solving via courses in entrepreneurship, consulting, and education policy analysis.
Course List
Course
Title
Credits
Students are required to take both of the following courses:
or Statistical Mysteries and How to Solve Them or Cracking the Code or Carpe Datum: Data Science for Life’s Big Questions or Statistics for The Behavioral Sciences
Upon successful completion of the program, students will:
Demonstrate an interdisciplinary understanding of current and historically critical issues in education.
Employ appropriate research methods that are grounded in the social sciences and humanities to analyze education related issues in broad settings.
Compare and contrast key education issues that are domestic and international and generalize to different cultural and contextual settings.
Use powerful tools from public policy, advocacy, and social entrepreneurship to assess existing policies and practices and to propose innovative and impactful solutions or changes in the fields of education.
Use practical skills such as communication, analytical and problem-solving skills to apply knowledge to real-world issues in education.
Policies
Program Policies
Department Academic Standards
Successful completion of our department’s undergraduate program requires a strong foundation in theories and methods. Therefore, Education Studies students must also adhere to the following academic standards below:
Students must maintain a GPA of 2.0 or higher.
Students must complete all major core courses with a grade of B- or better.
Students may not take any major core or area of specialization courses as pass/fail.
Program Academic Policy
Students must make progress towards their degree. If a student has the intention of transferring to a different program or department, they are still required to take at least one Education Studies course per semester. If the student is in the program and not taking Education Studies courses, they will be placed on Notice of Academic Concern. If after the student's third semester, they are not making progress in the Education Studies program, the student will be recommended for dismissal from the Education Studies program.
Education Studies Internship Course Policy
To enroll in EDST-UE 1605 Education Studies Internship, students must be a sophomore, junior, or senior and be in good academic standing within the Education Studies major, which requires earning a B– or better in all major core courses. Students must also have secured, or be in the process of securing, an approved internship placement. Students who are not meeting the B– minimum in major core courses or who have concerns about their academic load are required to consult their advisor prior to registration. In such cases, the program may determine that enrollment in the internship course is not appropriate for that semester.
International students should first consult with their advisor to verify eligibility as EDST-UE 1605 can only count towards the restricted electives requirement. If approved to enroll in the course, international students will also need to contact the Office of Global Services and apply for Curricular Practical Training authorization (CPT). Failure to receive CPT authorization will prevent the student from participating in the internship.
Course Substitutions/Exemptions
Students are expected to follow the established curriculum filed with the state for their specific year of study. Students can request this Program of Study from their advisor. Course substitutions are evaluated on a case by case basis under advisement and must be approved by the advisor and the Director of Undergraduate Studies. When planning their programs, students should pay attention to course schedules across at least two years, as certain courses are not offered each semester.
If a student has taken courses prior to attending NYU that fulfills Education Studies requirements, the advisor will review these units for application toward the current program of study. Any questions about AP, IB, A-Level or college credits can be reviewed by the student's academic advisor.
Repeat of Major Core Course Policy
Students who do not meet the required B– final grade for any major core class are allowed to repeat the class one time. Students are highly encouraged to review Steinhardt’s repeat policy for how this impacts the GPA calculation.
Pass/Fail Grading Policy
Students can take up to 16 credits on a pass/fail basis. Up to 4 credits are allowed to come from one of the two restricted electives. The pass/fail grading option is not allowed for any major core or area of specialization courses. If there is an extenuating circumstance, the student should communicate with the academic advisor.