Learning & Education Studies: Educational Equality & Cultural Understanding, BS
for the degree of Bachelor of Science Major in Learning & Education Studies, Educational Equality & Cultural Understanding concentration
The Learning & Education Studies, Educational Equality & Cultural Understanding concentration is not currently accepting applications. Suspension of admissions effective Spring 2026.
The Learning & Education Studies, BS with a concentration in Educational Equality & Cultural Understanding will prepare students to better understand the role of education in enabling equality and cultural understanding in domestic and international perspectives. Focusing on equality, diversity, and cultural understanding will give students a unique perspective on the historical place of education in both challenging inequities and helping to justify social divisions. Understanding how education as an institution operates to perpetuate social and economic stratification will give students a perspective on the challenges of creating a more equitable distribution of education. Classes will cover a wide range of disciplinary approaches, including history, social science, educational policy analysis, and theory. Students will understand the contemporary and historical barriers to the distribution of education and examine recent human rights-based demands for extending education to people of all social classes, regions, ethnicity, language groups, and genders.
Knowing how equity, social justice, and cultural understanding are enabled through education requires an in-depth understanding of domestic and international contexts. Introductory courses will cover basic definitions of educational justice and educational equality, survey international minorities in the United States or minorities in other countries in relationship to education, and explore political, economic, and social contexts for education.
Intermediary classes will invite students to apply their basic understanding of such processes to more local and detailed contexts, like shifts in the U.S. that have extended public schooling and higher education opportunities to historically marginalized populations such as people of color, immigrants, women and citizens from low socioeconomic status. Advanced classes will introduce students to the theoretical approaches to studying social justice and difference, including Critical Race Theory, transnational and global theory, and globalized critical pedagogy.
These courses will be designed to appeal to international and domestic students seeking employment in both the United States and international educational settings, including teaching English as a second language. In addition, understanding the role of education in fostering the expansion of universal human rights will enable students interested in international business and NGOs to explore the problems and potentials of policies intent on improving conditions in the United States and abroad. As all areas of study and trade are increasingly situated in transnational networks, the concentration in Educational Equality and Cultural Understanding provides a firm grounding on key issues of rights, obligations, and new institutions that help maintain commitments for educational equity and justice under these new circumstances.
Students are encouraged to pursue a minor or a coherent set of electives from several departments as approved by their adviser. Suggested minors are: English as a Second Language, African-American Studies, Asian American Studies, Global Studies, Latina/Latino Studies, South Asian Studies, Gender and Women's Studies, or LGBT/Queer Studies.
for the degree of Bachelor of Science Major in Learning & Education Studies, Educational Equality & Cultural Understanding concentration
A minimum of 120 semester hours is necessary for graduation in the Learning and Education Studies program. Students will spend much of the first two years with general education courses, achieving a solid preparation in the humanities, social and natural sciences, technology and mathematics. In the final two years of the major, students will take a set of core courses, as well as coursework in one of the concentrations.
Graduation Requirements
Minimum hours required for graduation: 120 hours.
University Requirements
Minimum of 40 hours of upper-division coursework, generally at the 300- or 400-level. These hours can be drawn from all elements of the degree. Students should consult their academic advisor for additional guidance in fulfilling this requirement.
The university and residency requirements can be found in the Student Code (§ 3-801) and in the Academic Catalog.
General Education Requirements
Follows the campus General Education (Gen Ed) requirements. Some Gen Ed requirements may be met by courses required and/or electives in the program.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Composition I | 4-6 | |
| Advanced Composition | 3 | |
| Humanities & the Arts (6 hours) | 6 | |
| Natural Sciences & Technology (6 hours) | 6 | |
| Social & Behavioral Sciences (6 hours) | 6 | |
fulfilled by CI 210 | ||
| Cultural Studies: Non-Western Cultures (1 course) | 3 | |
| Cultural Studies: US Minority Cultures (1 course) | 3 | |
| Cultural Studies: Western/Comparative Cultures (1 course) | 3 | |
| Quantitative Reasoning (2 courses, at least one course must be Quantitative Reasoning I) | 6-10 | |
| Language Requirement (Completion of the third semester or equivalent of a language other than English is required) | 0-15 | |
College of Education Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| EDUC 101 | Education Orientation Seminar | 1 |
| Learning & Education Studies Core | 24-27 | |
| Choose two courses from the following Education Foundations: | 6-7 | |
| Identity and Difference in Education | ||
or EPOL 201 | Foundations of Education | |
or EPOL 202 | Foundations of Education-ACP | |
| Career Development: Exploration, Choice, and Skills | ||
| The Culture of Disability | ||
| Choose six courses from the following, with at least two in each area: | 18-20 | |
Learning & Instruction: | ||
| CI 210 | Introduction to Digital Learning Environments (May count toward both the Core and Concentration requirements) | 3 |
| Language Varieties, Cultures and Learning | ||
| Educational Psychology | ||
| Psychology of Learning in Education | ||
| Child Language and Education | ||
Leadership in a Diverse Global Economy: | ||
| Social Justice, School and Society (May count toward the Core or Concentration requirement only) | ||
| Race and Cultural Diversity | ||
| Asian American Education (May count toward the Core or Concentration requirement only) | ||
| Historical and Social Barriers (May count toward both the Core and Concentration requirements) | ||
| Facilitation Skills (May count toward both the Core and Concentration requirements) | ||
| Diversity in the Workplace (May count toward both the Core and Concentration requirements) | ||
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Educational Equality & Cultural Understanding Concentration | 24 | |
| Choose three courses from the Social Foundations area: | 9 | |
| Social Justice, School and Society | ||
| Education and Social Justice | ||
| History of American Education | ||
| School and Society | ||
| Choose two courses from the following Cultural Understanding area: | 6 | |
| Asian American Education | ||
| Racial and Ethnic Families | ||
| Exploring Cultural Pluralism | ||
| Choose two courses from the following Educational Equality area: | 6 | |
| Historical and Social Barriers | ||
| Critical Thinking in Education | ||
| Sociology of Education | ||
| Politics of Education | ||
| Choose one elective course that begins with one of the following rubrics: AAS, AFRO, AIS, GWS, GLBL, or LLS. | 3 | |
for the degree of Bachelor of Science Major in Learning & Education Studies, Educational Equality & Cultural Understanding concentration
Sample Sequence
This sample sequence is intended to be used only as a guide for degree completion. All students should work individually with their academic advisors to decide the actual course selection and sequence that works best for them based on their academic preparation and goals. Enrichment programming such as study abroad, minors, internships, and so on may impact the structure of this four-year plan. Course availability is not guaranteed during the semester indicated in the sample sequence.
Students must fulfill their Language Other Than English requirement by successfully completing a third level of a language other than English. For more information, see the corresponding section on the Degree and General Education Requirements page.
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours |
| EDUC 101 | 1 | Composition I or General Education course | 4 |
| Composition I or General Education course | 4 | General Education course | 3 |
| Language Other Than English (3rd level) | 4 | General Education course | 3 |
| General Education course | 3 | General Education course | 3 |
| General Education Course | 3 | Elective course | 2 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours |
| Education Foundations course | 3 | Education Foundations course | 3 |
| General Education course | 3 | Leadership in a Diverse Global Economy course | 3 |
| General Education course | 3 | General Education course | 3 |
| General Education course | 3 | General Education course | 3 |
| Elective course (choose from AAS, AFRO, AIS, GLBL, GWS, or LLS) | 3 | General Education course | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours |
| Learning & Instruction course | 3 | Learning & Instruction course | 3 |
| Leadership in a Diverse Global Economy course | 3 | Learning & Instruction or Leadership in a Diverse Global Economy course | 3 |
| Learning & Instruction or Leadership in a Diverse Global Economy course | 3 | Social Foundations course | 3 |
| Elective course | 3 | Elective course | 3 |
| Elective course | 3 | Elective course | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours |
| Social Foundations course | 3 | Social Foundations course | 3 |
| Cultural Understanding course | 3 | Cultural Understanding course | 3 |
| Educational Equality course | 3 | Educational Equality course | 3 |
| Elective course | 3 | Elective course | 3 |
| Elective course | 3 | Elective course | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Total Hours 120 | |||
for the degree of Bachelor of Science Major in Learning & Education Studies, Educational Equality & Cultural Understanding concentration
- Students will acquire deep knowledge of content relevant to the workplace.
- Students will effectively learn the skills and disposition to develop, plan, and implement culturally relevant and responsive outcomes in their respective professions and civic engagements.
- Students will use data to drive decisions and solve problems in their professional careers.
- Students will display the expectations of professionalism related to success in the field of education and beyond (fairness, commitment to collaboration, community, reflective practice, and attention to 21st century skills and practices).
for the degree of Bachelor of Science Major in Learning & Education Studies, Educational Equality & Cultural Understanding concentration
College of Education
Education Building
1310 S. Sixth Street
Champaign, IL 61820
College of Education website
College of Education faculty
Office of Undergraduate Programs
110 Education Building
Student Academic Affairs email: saao@education.illinois.edu
217-333-2800
Admissions & Academics website
Student Academic Affairs website