Our Tracks

We offer three tracks in Education: Urban Teaching - Elementary/Childhood Education, Urban Teaching - Secondary/Adolescent Education, and Education Studies. We also offer the Urban Teaching Specialization and the Urban Education Specialization in conjunction with the Urban Studies Program at Barnard. In all five 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).

We offer the following minors/special concentrations:

Urban Teaching - Elementary/Childhood Education Track

This Minor/Special Concentration prepares students to become a NYS Certified Teacher in grades 1-6.

Urban Teaching - Secondary/Adolescent Education Track

This Minor/Special Concentration prepares students to become a NYS Certified Teacher in grades 7-12.

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.

Urban Teaching and Urban Education Specializations

The Education Program, in conjunction with the Urban Studies Program at Barnard, offers the Urban Teaching Specialization and the Urban Education Specialization. These specializations allow Urban Studies majors to investigate K-12 urban education issues.

Learn more about our Urban Teaching and Urban Education Specializations