Educational Studies

Program Vision

Educational Studies at Rhodes College strives to advance justice, democracy, and equity in underserved public schools, particularly in Memphis, through our interdisciplinary programs, partnerships, scholarship, and advocacy.

Program Mission                                                

Educational Studies and the educators and advocates we prepare engage theory and research while embedded in our schools and communities in order to promote understandings of problems and strategies for change that transform schools in the service of justice.

Education Major

Teaching and Learning Track- supports students interested in entering the teaching profession or pursuing professional study as an educational professional (e.g., administrator, counselor, speech therapist, etc.)

Policy and Social Change- supports students who are interested in education outside of traditional educational settings. It provides opportunities for interdisciplinary explorations of pressing social and educational issues on local, national, and international levels. It prepares students to advocate for equity and diversity in civic education, youth development, educational work in nonprofits and the media.

Teacher Licensure

The licensure program prepares students to teach in either elementary schools or in middle and high schools in one of thirteen endorsement areas: American Government, English, History, Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Spanish, French, German, Latin, Russian, and Chinese. All secondary licensure candidates are required to double major in Educational Studies and their endorsement discipline. Elementary licensure does not require a double major. For information about teacher licensure, please contact Joseph Kelly at kellyj@rhodes.edu.

Noyce Scholarship Program

This scholarship program offers underrepresented STEM majors committed to teaching in public schools $37,500 in scholarships for junior and senior year and funding for 9th semester student teaching. This program also covers all licensure fees, one summer paid experience, $675 toward attending a professional conference, and a $500 classroom startup grant. Please contact Dr. Zac Casey at caseyz@rhodes.edu.

 Research Opportunities/ Experiential Learning

All Educational Studies majors complete mentored clinical field experiences in local schools. Additionally, students have opportunities to collaborate with faculty on research, including presenting at conferences and publishing. Students also may seek education-related internships and service opportunities.

Career Outlook

Students who major in Educational Studies go on to rewarding careers in education and beyond. Past graduates have become teachers and school leaders or gone onto study related fields like school psychology, school counseling, occupational therapy, special education, and speech language pathology. Additionally, some graduates work in nonprofits, corporations, and law.

For More Information

Please contact Dr. Zac Casey at caseyz@rhodes.edu. You can also visit our Educational Studies microsite.

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