Education

The education major at Transylvania University in Lexington, Kentucky, is an intellectually vibrant community committed to the liberal arts and to preparing students for a fulfilling personal and professional life. Whether you choose one of the teacher preparatory education degrees or the non-teaching education and social change degree, you will learn to examine the many problems and issues of education in a critical, open-minded spirit. You’ll reflect on what it means to be an educated person, and explore diversity and equity issues in all your courses.

As an education major at Transy, I learned not only how to teach others, but how to be a better learner myself. Because of my experience in the program, I am able to think critically and engage meaningfully with people and ideas, both within and beyond the field.

Lindsey Robke Bailey ’12, completed an M.A. in education at Harvard University

Teacher preparation majors are theory based rather than just technique driven. Primary, middle grades and secondary preparation students must be actively involved in their own learning, participating in a variety of interactive classes and seminars on campus and in P–12 classrooms. Most courses include labs and fieldwork, and the major includes a professional development component.

During their first course, students observe in the classrooms of local schools. Throughout their course work they participate in a variety of teaching experiences, including a four-week May term practicum that allows them to spend full days in a P–12 classroom. This hands-on approach is capped by a semester of student teaching completed in a public school during the senior year. Many of these opportunities are made possible by Transylvania’s location in downtown Lexington, which puts students in close proximity to both public and private elementary, middle and high schools.

If you’re not interested in teaching but rather the discipline of education and knowledge, you may find the education and social change a good fit. The major appeals to students who plan to study educational philosophy or policy studies at the graduate level and serves as a good second major for pre-law, psychology or sociology majors, among others.

Courses of Special Interest

Enculturation in Non-Western Cultures
Race, Ethnicity, and Social Class
Schooling in American Culture
The Immigrant Child
Young Adult Literature

Internships Our Students Have Completed

Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning
Due West Education, Beijing
Nerd Squad STEM Tutoring Program

Where Our Graduates Have Studied

Florida State University
Harvard Graduate School of Education
High Point University
Winthrop University
Vanderbilt University

Possible Career Options

Teacher, public or private school
School administrator
Curriculum specialist
Educational policy analyst

Semester Study Abroad Opportunities

Australia I
Australia II
England II
Fiji
Ireland
Italy
New Zealand
Scotland

These GlobalTransy programs have at least two courses related to the major.

Interested in studying abroad for a summer? Take a look at our summer study abroad opportunities.

Contacts

Tiffany Renee Wheeler, Associate Professor of Education, Program Director

Cindy Hague, Education Certification Specialist/Title II Coordinator

(859) 233-8608

Transylvania University
300 North Broadway
Lexington, KY 40508

More Information

Transylvania University | Academics