The interdisciplinary major in Educational Studies is designed for students who desire a liberal arts education blended with real-world experience and research methods, whether they aspire to become educators, activists, policymakers, or simply in their role as more informed citizens. Our faculty integrate the theory, policy, and practice of schooling, as well as its broader relationship with society, through collaborative learning with classrooms and communities in the city of Hartford. Our student majors develop their skills and knowledge from our introductory course to doing independent senior thesis research:
Educational Studies unifies our understanding of educational institutions, learning processes, youth development, and the potential for change. In addition to core courses and electives taught by Educational Studies faculty, our majors benefit from a wide array of cross-referenced courses offered by other departments and programs, including American Studies, anthropology, international studies, political science, psychology, public policy, sociology, theater and dance, and others. Listen to alumni interviews to hear how graduates reflect on their liberal arts learning in the Educational Studies Program. Although the interdisciplinary major is not a teacher certification program, we also advise students from across the college on pathways to teaching and youth work.
Learn more about all that you can do within the interdisciplinary Educational Studies major at Trinity.
A lesson plan designed by urban studies major Victoria Asfalg ’23 will help Connecticut educators teach high school students about the history and impacts of zoning policy. The plan was published by Teach It, a Connecticut Humanities program that provides the state’s teachers with instructional resources focusing on local history.
“I get to work with students who—like my first-year self—enjoy the freedom and diversity of creative writing,” Kate Whitman ’23 says of her role as a teaching assistant. “This opportunity allows me to pay back the guidance and help that was given to me by a TA when I was in the course.”
The nonprofit history magazine Connecticut Explored has included Trinity faculty members and projects among its new list of “Game Changers” advancing the study, interpretation, and dissemination of Connecticut history. The honorees include Charles A. Dana Professor of Fine Arts Pablo Delano and a project led by Professor of Educational Studies Jack Dougherty.
