Welcome!

The Barnard Education Program is committed to strengthening public education and addressing issues of equity and social justice, particularly in urban schools driven by 5 Guiding Principles:

  1. Teaching is a moral and political act.
  2. Teaching is grounded in an ethic of care.
  3. Learning is an active process requiring engagement.
  4. All students are capable of learning.
  5. Literacy is a civil right. 

We offer three tracks in Education: Urban Teaching - Elementary/Childhood Education, Urban Teaching - Secondary/Adolescent Education, and Education Studies. We also offer the Education Specialization in conjunction with the Urban Studies Program at Barnard. In all four pathways, students develop a critical lens for looking at the issues facing public schooling and consider ways to promote fair and inclusive policies and practices for all children in our public system.

The program is open to all undergraduates at Columbia (BC, CC, GS, SEAS).

The Education Program's three tracks are:

  1. Urban Teaching - Elementary/Childhood Education Track: This Minor/Special Concentration prepares students to become a NYS Certified Teacher in grades 1-6.
  2. Urban Teaching - Secondary/Adolescent Education Track: This Minor/Special Concentration prepares students to become a NYS Certified Teacher in grades 7-12.                        
  3. Education Studies Track: This Minor/Special Concentration prepares students to pursue graduate studies or jobs in public policy, sociology, history, youth studies, philosophy, psychology and other areas where K-12 education is frequently a focus of coursework and scholarship.

The Education Program, in conjunction with the Urban Studies Program at Barnard, offers the Education Specialization. This specialization allows Urban Studies majors to investigate K-12 urban education issues.