professor in large classroom teaching about 8 adult learners
Conservatory Professor of Music Education Jody Kerchner instructs future music educators. Photo credit: Yevhen Gulenko
Program Overview

Education Studies

Program Type: Integrative Concentration

Students interested in the Education Studies Concentration must take four full courses in a variety of liberal arts areas that explore educational foundations, issues, and pedagogical strategies. Students must also complete two experiential components—academic year and or summer internships, practica, or projects during winter term—that connect their pedagogical and conceptual understandings to local and off-campus educational environments. The Education Studies Concentration Committee advises students regarding course sections, internships, graduate schools, and potential employment.

Program Director

Jody Kerchner Professor of Music Education

Educational Opportunities

Oberlin’s Career Development Center and the Bonner Center for Community-Engaged Learning, Teaching, and Research provide information about educational internship and employment opportunities in education and related fields.

Career Development CenterBonner Center
children sitting on floor with student teacher singing.
Children in the SITES program mimic their SITES instructor as they play a game together. Photo credit: Courtesy of Kim Kaber

Spanish in the Elementary Schools

Oberlin College students of any academic major can apply to teach in the Spanish in the Elementary Schools (SITES) program. It‘s designed for children in kindergarten through second grade who attend Oberlin‘s Eastwood Elementary School. To prepare for this work, students are required to take EDUA 301 Language Pedagogy, which includes the SITES practicum.

Explore SITES

Winter Term

Oberlin’s four-week winter term in January encourages students to discover the value of self-directed education. You may pursue individual or group projects that are directly linked to your field of study or explore opportunities unrelated to your major. Complete your project on or off campus.

Student Clubs and Organizations

Student Senate, Chess Club, Solarity, the Oberlin Review—these are among the more than 175 student groups and clubs available to you. From politics to faith and identity, and from special interest to sports, Oberlin has an array of clubs eager for new members, new ideas, and new leadership.

Sample Courses

  • EDUC/PACE 300 - Principles of Education 4 credits
  • PSYC 216 - Developmental Psychology 4 credits
  • EDUA 301 - Language Pedagogy: The Theory & Practice of Teaching and Learning Languages 4 credits
  • RHET 401 - Teaching and Tutoring Writing Across the Disciplines 4 credits
Curriculum and requirements

Education Studies Faculty

Education Studies News

A student poses in the hallway of a large building.

Winter Term: A Plan to Improve Education for Students

September 30, 2020
Bridget Smith ’21, an education and politics major, wants to improve the educational experiences of students with special needs. That's why interning at the Monitoring and State Improvement Planning division of the Office of Special Education Program in Oberlin (OSEP) was a great fit.
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