EDSO Courses
In addition to the General Education requirements for the College of Letters & Science, EDSO students will be required to complete the following courses:
Download the EDSO Degree Sheet (PDF)
These courses are a general introduction to the major and the three Core Areas. All EDSO students are required to take these three courses, for a total of 12 units.
- ED 40: Learning Across the Lifespan
- ED 41: Education and Human Diversity
- ED 42: Education Research in an Informed Society
EDSO students are required to take four courses from this section, with at least one course from each Core Area. A total of 16 units from the Upper-Division Core Courses are required.
- Learning & Teaching
- ED 111: Intro to Child and Adolescent Development
- ED 150: Teaching and Teachers
- Culture & Communities
- ED 123: Culture, Development, and Education
- ED 113: Race, Inequality, and Education
- Policy & Institutions
- ED 125: Schooling in the U.S.
- ED 147: Evaluating Policies and Programs
EDSO students are required to take 6 total courses from the Advanced Pathways, including at least one Practicum Course. These should add up to 24 units (at least 4 from a practicum course). View full course list and program areas below.
Preparation for the Major Courses
All three lower-division preparation for the major courses are required for the EDSO degree.
ED 40: Learning Across the Lifespan
4 units | Core Area: Learning & Teaching
This course introduces theories of learning from different perspectives -- behavioral, cognitive, sociocultural, sociopolitical, neuroscience, and artificial intelligence. It explores the implications of these perspectives to understand how people learn over their lifespan in various contexts of engagement and participation.
ED 41: Education and Human Diversity
4 units | Core Area: Culture & Communities
This course explores the neurobiological, linguistic, developmental, and structural aspects of human diversity. Students examine how societies organize and respond to such diversity, with a focus on the role of education in shaping the social and cultural functions of diversity.
ED 42: Educational Research in an Informed Society
4 units | Core Area: Policy & Institutions
This course discusses the intersection between society and educational research, including school reform, ethnicity and race, higher education, teaching and teachers, and the curriculum. It offers an overview of educational research and introduces inquiry methods in education and social and behavioral sciences.
Core Courses, Upper Division
Students must take 4 courses from this section, with at least one course in each Core Area.
ED 111: Introduction to Child and Adolescent Development
4 units | Core Area: Learning and Teaching
A course on the development of children from infancy to adolescence. Examines developmental changes and basic developmental theories (e.g., Piaget, Vygotsky) in four general areas: cognitive, social, language, and physical development.
ED 150: Teaching and Teachers
4 units | Core Area: Learning and Teaching
Provides a foundation for understanding both (a) the nature of teaching as a specialized human activity, as distinct from other human activities, and (b) the organization and conduct of teaching in contemporary U.S. schools.
ED 113: Race, Inequality, and Education
4 units | Core Area: Culture and Communities
This course highlights how race and racism shape education in the U.S. To do so, students learn about critical theories of race that can be used to study and understand educational inequity.
ED 123: Culture, Development, and Education
4 units | Core Area: Culture and Communities
An examination of culturally constructed beliefs, attitudes, and values. This course examines how culture shapes human development, behavior, and interpersonal relations in culturally pluralistic environments, with an emphasis on educational settings.
ED 125: Schooling in the U.S.
4 units | Core Area: Policy and Institutions
A study of the relationship between school and society. Social and political influences on education historically and currently are examined as well as schools as complex organizations and their unique roles in society.
ED 147: Evaluating Programs and Policies
4 units | Core Area: Policy and Institutions
This course will provide students with an understanding of how large-scale policies or small-scale programs can be evaluated. Students will learn various evaluation approaches to help determine the effectiveness, efficiency, and impact of public policies and social programs in education.
Advanced Pathway Courses
EDSO students have the opportunity to select a focused set of courses to pursue as an advanced pathway. Please note that these are not formal concentrations, rather, they function as a way to guide the students' interests as they grow their expertise. There are special topics courses, as well as practicum courses. Students must take at least one practicum course.
The advanced pathways are:
- Justice, Equity, Democracy, and Inclusion (JEDI)
- STEM Education (STEM)
- Education, Ecology, and the Environment (EEE)
- Research, Inquiry, and Evaluation (RIE)
- Human Development and Diversity (HDD)
- Language, Literacy, and Society (LLS)
Special Topics Courses for Advanced Pathways
ED 126: Social Connectedness, Motivation, and Self-Regulation in Education
4 units | Advanced Pathways: JEDI, HDD, LLS
This course explores three fundamental student needs: to be connected to others socially, to be motivated, and to be self-regulated. The course investigates how educators might address these needs, and explores how interventions might improve these student outcomes.
ED 127: Teaching for Climate Justice and Sustainability
4 units | Advanced Pathways: STEM, EEE
Examine the teaching of climate justice and sustainability in K-12 classrooms. It is interactive and project based. Students will increase their understanding and use of interdisciplinary resources for taking climate action. Students from all majors and invited to enroll!
ED 132: Innovative Practices for English Language Learners in K-12 Mathematics and Science Classrooms
4 units | Advanced Pathways: JEDI, STEM, LLS
Introduces undergraduate students to the experiences and perspectives of English language learners (ELLs) in mathematics and science classrooms and ways in which teachers can support these students.
ED 133: Physics and Everyday Thinking
4 units | Advanced Pathways: STEM
Develop ideas about physics content, the nature of scientific inquiry and about learning science through inquiry-based activities.
ED 134: Advanced Problem Solving in Mathematical, Historical and Pedagogical Contexts
Cross-listed with MATH 181A | 4 units | Advanced Pathways: STEM
Focuses on the strategies, representations, and language learners use to conceptualize and develop fundamental ideas of mathematics. Includes advanced mathematical problem solving and its implications for teaching and learning at the secondary level. Especially suitable for prospective middle school and high school teachers.
ED 136: Green Works -- Exploring Technology and the Search for Sustainability
Cross-listed with ENV S136 | 4 units | Advanced Pathways: STEM, EEE
A multi-disciplinary class examining the interplay of technology, society, science, and history. Investigate green technologies in an interactive class format designed to encourage discussion and debate. Innovative science and social science labs provide hands-on learning.
ED 137: Equity in STEM Education
4 units | Advanced Pathways: JEDI, STEM
Designed to study equity issues in the teaching and learning of STEM disciplines in P-20 education. Theory and practice is emphasized to understand some of the complexities and challenges in addressing issues of equity in STEM.
ED 138: Computer Programming and Engineering Design in Elementary School
4 units | Advanced Pathways: STEM, LLS
This course focuses on computer programming skills, computational thinking, and engineering design as they apply to the learning of elementary school students. It also includes a focus on how children learn computer science.
ED 145: Introduction to Research Methods
4 units | Advanced Pathways: REI
Provides an overview of methods used to conduct educational research. Skills learned help students conduct their own research projects. No previous coursework or research experience is required.
ED 148: Supporting Multilingual Language and Literacy Development and Home Language Maintenance in Early Childhood Settings
4 units | Advanced PAthways: JEDI, HDD, LLS
This course provides UCSB students with guiding principles for designing teaching activities to help young children build multilingual language and literacy skills in their home languages and English. Students conduct bilingual activities with bi/multilingual children at a local preschool.
ED 173: Introduction to Leadership Development
4 units | Advanced Pathways: JEDI
This course is an overview of theoretical constructs and practical applications of leadership. Through lectures, readings, discussions, and projects, the course will assist students in developing individual approaches to effective leadership.
ED 190: Introduction to Autism
4 units | Advanced Pathways: JEDI, HDD
Overview of diagnostic, clinical, and educational approaches used for autism. Intervention procedures in clinical, school, and family settings are discussed in relation to language development, social development, and self-stimulatory behavior, self-injury, and pivotal behaviors related to a favorable prognosis.
ED 197: Special Topics in Education
2-4 units | Advanced Pathways: JEDI, STEM, EEE, RIE, HDD, LLS
Topics vary by instructor.
ED 199: Independent Studies
1-5 units | Advanced Pathways: JEDI, STEM, EEE, RIE, HDD, LLS
Study in one of various fields of education guided by an instructor.
Practicum Courses for Advanced Pathways
All EDSO students must take at least one Practicum course.
Courses under development! Check this page for updates about the Practicum courses.
Education happens far beyond the textbook.
As an EDSO major, you won't just study educational theory in the classroom—you'll apply it in real-world settings across Santa Barbara County and alongside world-class Gevirtz Graduate School of Education faculty.
Whether you want to mentor local youth, analyze community programs, or contribute to cutting-edge academic research, our major provides guided, hands-on opportunities to build your resume and make an impact.