Undergraduate degrees: BA or BS
Certificate in
About the major
The Educational Foundations (EdF) program is for undergraduates who are committed to social change and are pursuing a future in elementary education or related fields.
This major prepares aspiring future professionals in education and related fields to be critical thinkers, well informed about theory and practice, and to possess the knowledge and skills that will enable them to be change agents in economically, racially, culturally, and linguistically diverse communities.
To become an elementary teacher, you should begin your undergraduate study as an educational foundations major. You will then be qualified to apply for a graduate degree and licensure program such as UOTeach.
If you aspire to be a future middle or high school teacher, you should major as an undergraduate in the content area you wish to teach, explore the secondary educational foundations minor, and then pursue graduate studies and licensure in a program such as UOTeach.
A little more info
- The undergraduate major in educational foundations offers cutting-edge subject matter and over 60 hours of diverse field experience.
- With decades of classroom teaching and backgrounds in education sociology, ethnic studies, anthropology, physics, philosophy, measurement, educational psychology, sociology, and curriculum theory, the department's faculty members provide an array of expertise to help students become well-equipped teachers.
- Study abroad options for educational foundations students are available in more than 25 countries.
Career opportunities
After graduating with educational foundations, students planning to become teachers will need to obtain a master’s degree in a teacher preparation program and go through proper state licensure programs. Master’s level teacher preparation programs like are designed to produce highly qualified teachers with advanced instructional and classroom expertise. As a MEd and teacher licensure preparation program, UO Teach offers students elementary, middle, and high school education authorization level options.
Other careers pursued by educational foundations graduates include school counselors (requires a master’s degree), social workers, nonprofit directors, AmeriCorps volunteers, and Peace Corps volunteers.