Designed for future teachers, educational policymakers, school district partner organization professionals, community organizers, and nonprofit professionals, the Education Policy Studies Minor prepares students with cross-disciplinary, field-informed knowledge of education policy within American and international school systems. This minor is open to all Loyola University Chicago undergraduates.

Loyola's Educational Policy Studies Minor program introduces students to the policies, ideas and decision-making that has created and can create change in our educational system. This program is a great choice for students who want to study, critically analyze, and confront systemic equalities in our education systems. And for those who want to prepare for work in education in a non-classroom setting, this minor is especially useful.

Upon completion of the minor in Educational Policy Studies, graduates will possess knowledge, skills, and professional values necessary to work in non-classroom educational settings, including after-school programs, nonprofit organizations, community-based organizations, or government offices.

Curriculum

This minor includes School of Education CIEP and ELPS courses, an internship (ELPS 265), and field-based learning modules that carry a TLSC prefix.

Course Requirements

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Required Courses
ELPS 302	Philosophy of Education	3
ELPS 219	American Education	3
ELPS 230	Globalization, Education and Childhood (Offered Spring Semester Only)	3
ELPS 240	Urban Education: Policy and Practice (Offered Fall Semester Only)	3
Required Field-Based Internship
ELPS 265	Cultural and Educational Policy Studies Internship	3
Electives
Students are required to complete one course from the following list (or a substitution approved by the Program Director).		3
CIEP 206	Children's Literature
CIEP 315	Language Development and Literacy
CIEP 336	Child Development and Implications for Education
CIEP 350	Adolescent Literature
CIEP 360	Interdisciplinary Workshop: Culture & Identity TLSC 140/150/160 Rome, Italy
COMM 372	Special Topics: Multimedia Journalism
SOCL 245	Sociology of Education
Required TLLSC Sequence 1
This is a 12-week sequence of three consecutive, field-based, introductory teacher education course modules.Registration in TLSC 110 The Profession and Our Program (TLLSC), TLSC 120 Bringing Language, Learning & Development Theory into Practice and TLSC 130 Sequence One: 130 Community Immersion in the same semester is required for this sequence. 1
TLSC 110	The Profession and Our Program (TLLSC)	1
TLSC 120	Bringing Language, Learning & Development Theory into Practice	2
TLSC 130	Sequence One: 130 Community Immersion	1
Total Hours		22

School of Education Requirements

Required Education Policy Studies Internship 

The Education Policy Studies Internship experience helps students integrate and take action upon policy, theoretical and research coursework with a practical field-based experience. The internship requires 120 hours of field work. The internship course will meet periodically (but not weekly) throughout the semester to support students in their internship. Students are encouraged to begin researching internship sites the semester before they plan to take the internship course, and can work with the internship course instructor to identify prospective internship sites and develop a plan along with the site supervisor. Students are given permission to register for this course once they have confirmed an internship site in conversation with the internship course instructor.

It is recommended that students make use of resources available through Loyola’s Office of Experiential Education in locating an internship site. Possible sites for ELPS 265 Cultural and Educational Policy Studies Internship include, but are not limited to, nonprofit organizations, school-based after school programs, community centers, education policy institutes, and religious organizations. Within these sites, student interns could work in the areas of educational programming, international development, humanitarian assistance, fundraising, grant writing, policy formation, program development, program evaluation, and advocacy. Student interns do not primarily work as direct service providers because this internship is intended to provide exposure to various dimensions of education policy work.  Accommodations can be made for students who would like to do their internship while studying abroad.

Suggested Sequence of Classes

Educational Policy Studies minor courses may be taken in any order; we only require that the ELPS 265 Cultural and Educational Policy Studies Internship be taken after a student has completed at least two other courses required for the minor. TLSC modules must be taken together in a single semester.

Undergraduate Policies and Procedures

Please see Undergraduate Policies and Procedures for academic policies that supersede those of academic units within the University.

Learning Outcomes 

• Successful completers will possess a solid framework and understanding of the historical, sociological, cultural, and philosophical issues that bear on contemporary educational policy and practice.
• Successful completers will be able to demonstrate a firm understanding of global and local dimensions of education related questions and problems of practice.
• Successful completers will acquire the knowledge, skills, and field-based experience necessary to access a professional pathway in the field of education to advance social justice and to advocate with and for children and youth.