Education and Teaching

Program overview

UCSC offers a major in Education, Democracy and Justice, two minors in Education, a Master's/Credential Program, and a Ph.D. program.

We develop leaders and pursue research that will affect the future of teaching and learning both inside and outside the classroom. We work with undergraduate and graduate students to re-imagine and transform education with a focus on social and linguistic justice. We seek to cultivate awareness and critical analysis that provide a foundation for students to effectively engage in a multilingual, and multicultural society.

Learning Experience

Our commitment lies in four essential and interrelated domains:

School, Families, and Communities,
Teacher Education and Development,
Mathematics and Science Education,
Language and Literacy Education.

These areas are supported through emphasis on the socio-cultural context where learning and teaching take place, as well as an understanding of the intersection of culture and power in both formal and informal educational settings.

Study and Research Opportunities

Undergraduate Minors. Provides opportunities to examine basic questions, theories, practices, and research in education.
Undergraduate Major (Education, Democracy, and Justice). Provides opportunities to examine critical questions, theories, practices, and research in the field of education considered broadly and not only in relation to formal schooling.
Master of Arts in Education Plus TeachingCredential Program. Graduates are prepared to be informed, articulate, analytical leaders of educational reform within schools and communities.
Ph.D. in Education. Supports graduate students in becoming creative scholars who engage in research focused on the educational needs of students from linguistic and cultural groups that have historically not fared well in our nation’s public schools.

First-Year (Freshman) Requirements

High school students who plan to pursue a career in education should take the courses required for UC admission and complete any courses recommended as background for their intended major.

For General Education minors and EDJ majors, Education 60 will be the first Education course to take in the subject area.EDJ majors will also need to take Education 10.

Those with a STEM major should meet with Cal Teach staff as early as possible. Cal Teach program internships are required for the STEM Education minor.

More information on Cal Teach

Transfer Requirements

The Education Department majors are non-screening majors. Students who plan to transfer to UC Santa Cruz as juniors should fulfill campus general education requirements before coming to Santa Cruz. They should also complete any prerequisites for their major. Transfer students should contact the Education Department soon after arrival at UC Santa Cruz in order to plan for subject matter coursework and testing requirements.

Students from California community colleges may complete the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) in preparation for transfer to UC Santa Cruz.

Transfer course agreements and articulation between the University of California and California community colleges can be accessed on the ASSIST.ORG website.

ASSIST.ORG