BS in Education & Human Development
At BU Wheelock, we are dedicated to transforming systems (educational, social, health-related, legal, and economic) that create equitable outcomes for children and families. The BS in Education & Human Development is designed for students who want to work directly with or on behalf of children and families. Its exploratory design and field-based learning experiences allow students the time and space to immerse themselves in interdisciplinary coursework in education and human development before selecting a specialization prior to their junior year.
Human development is an applied form of developmental psychology focused on how people grow, develop, and adapt to life’s stages from birth through old age. Students will learn about child, adolescent, and adult development by studying and applying theories of cognitive, social, emotional, physical, and cultural development. They will also consider sociological perspectives of human development and the impact of ecological systems on development.
Students will be introduced to a range of potential careers including those as educators, mental health counselors, youth justice advocates, Deaf education support specialists, child policy analysts and researchers, and educational designers and social entrepreneurs. Students interested in pursuing teacher licensure or earning a license in school or mental health counseling are encouraged to speak with their academic advisors early about their interest and pursue a related specialization prior to their junior year and may be eligible for preferred admission into one of our several master’s degree licensure programs.
Learning Outcomes
Students will:
- Develop disciplinary knowledge of historical and contemporary theories, research, and practices in education and applied developmental psychology.
- Apply an ecological model of development to children and families by considering their psychological, social, emotional, physical, cognitive, and cultural needs.
- Develop policy recommendations for complicated, real-world problems facing youth and families in Boston, in neighboring communities, and beyond.
- Design and implement a community-based research project within the city of Boston that has a positive impact on a school, health organization, neighborhood, museum, or community-based organization.
- Build knowledge and develop anti-oppressive practices to disrupt unequal systems of power, privilege, and access for children and families through coursework focused on self (positionality, intersectionality).
- Use design-based thinking and learning principles to help create effective solutions to social problems that affect children and families.
- Represent BU Wheelock’s equity and access mission when working with or on behalf of children and families in field-based learning experiences and research-related internships.
- Study the history, language, education, and culture of the Deaf community in the United States.
Academic Requirements
Students must successfully complete the below series of core courses and signature courses, select a specialization, and fulfill their BU Hub requirements to complete the 128-unit Bachelor of Science in Education & Human Development at BU Wheelock.
All BU undergraduate students, including both entering first-year and transfer students, will pursue coursework in the BU Hub, the University’s general education program that is integrated into the entire undergraduate experience. BU Hub requirements can be satisfied in a number of ways, including coursework in and beyond the major as well as through cocurricular activities. Students majoring in Education & Human Development will ordinarily, through coursework in the major, satisfy some BU Hub requirements in Philosophical, Aesthetic, and Historical Interpretation; Scientific and Social Inquiry; Diversity, Civic Engagement, and Global Citizenship; Communication; and the Intellectual Toolkit. Remaining BU Hub requirements will be satisfied by selecting from a wide range of available courses outside the major or, in some cases, cocurricular experiences.
Core Courses (40 units)
- WED CE 342 Anti-Oppressive Practice: Education & Applied Psychology (4 units)
- WED ED 120 Exploring Professions that Impact Lives I (4 units)
- WED ED 121 Exploring Professions Field Seminar I (2 units)
- WED ED 130 Exploring Professions that Impact Lives II (4 units)
- WED ED 131 Exploring Professions Field Seminar II (2 units)
- WED ED 220 Theme-Based Approaches to Studying Complex Issues of Language in Education and Human Development (4 units)
- WED ED 230 Introduction to Design as Educational Inquiry (4 units)
- WED ED 431 Child Policy (4 units)
- WED HD 120 Life Design 1: Developing Your Personal Brand (2 units)
- WED HD 121 Life Design 2: Launching Your Personal Brand (2 units)
- WED HD 265 Social Science Research for Community Impact (4 units)
- WED HD 306 Introduction to Human Development (4 units)
Signature Courses (16 units)
- WED DE 300 Introduction to the Deaf World (4 units)
- WED ED 200 Introduction to Justice Based Education (4 units)
- WED ED 300 Learning as a Cultural Process (4 units)
- WED YJ 360 Positive Youth Development (4 units)
Specialization Declaration Process
Prior to the start of their junior year, all students must submit the Specialization Declaration Form, processed through Data & Enrollment Management to identify which of the following required specializations they will focus on in their studies:
Specializations:
Youth Development & Justice (24 units)
The specialization in Youth Development & Justice is designed to prepare students to become leaders and professionals ready to work for and with youth in a wide range of settings. Using a positive youth development foundation, students will gain a thorough understanding of the conditions and circumstances that place youth at risk, as well as those that help youth thrive. Students will be prepared to work for and with young people through jobs in fields such as law, policy, politics, education, after-school time, recreation, and sports. Students will explore the challenges facing young people from multiple perspectives, analyzing the role of individuals, families, communities, and broader societal trends. Students will consider the US legal system as it relates to youth and the role of balanced and restorative justice practices in youth-serving systems such as schools and courts. With a firm grounding in adolescent development and the strengths-based practice of positive youth development, the goals of this specialization are to prepare students to: 1) understand and support youth at risk, and 2) cultivate the positive development and growth of all young people.
Required Courses:
- WED YJ 201 Intro to Youth Justice & Delinquency (4 units)
- Choose 2 of:
- WED HD 384 Restorative Justice in Youth-Serving Settings (4 units)
- WED YJ 301 Juvenile Courts and Juvenile Law (4 units)
- WED YJ 380 Youthwork & Advocacy (4 units)
- Field-Based Practicum Experience:
- WED YJ 401 200-Hour Practicum (4 units)
- WED YJ 404 Practice Seminar for Youth Justice & Advocacy (4 units)
- WED YJ 403 Senior Integrative Capstone in YJA (4 units)
Child & Adolescent Mental Health (26 units)
The specialization in Child & Adolescent Mental Health provides students with an understanding of child and adolescent emotional and behavioral health and well-being. Students will gain knowledge in mental health, illness, diagnosis, and evidence-based treatment, as well as biological, psychological, and social factors that affect young people’s well-being. Further, students will critically examine the historical, cultural, and systemic contexts of mental healthcare, through both in-class and field-based courses. As an undergraduate specialization, it does not lead to licensure; however, it is optimal preparation for graduate programs in counseling or clinical psychology, school counseling, school psychology, social work, child life, behavioral health, or related fields.
Required Courses:
- WED CE 500 Introduction to Counseling (4 units)
- WED CF 510 Child & Adolescent Mental Health (4 units)
- WED CL 210 Child & Family Health Systems (4 units)
- WED HD 224 Emotional Development (4 units)
- WED HD 385 Psychological Trauma (4 units)
- Field-Based Practicum Experience:
- WED HD 410 200-Hour Practicum (4 units)
- WED HD 415 Practicum/Capstone Seminar (2 units)
Deaf Studies & Deaf Education (24 units)
The specialization in Deaf Studies offers an immersive cultural and linguistic experience right here in Boston. Students will engage with Deaf communities, develop an appreciation for Deaf culture, and gain an understanding of the histories of Deaf communities around the globe. By embedding themselves in Deaf culture, students will learn how to communicate and build relationships with people who may be different from themselves. Through partnerships with Deaf people, students will gain important skills in communication, advocacy, and allyship. Starting with introductory ASL courses, students will build fluency in ASL during their time in the Deaf Studies program. All of the specialization courses are taught in ASL, with ASL-English interpreters as needed. In their junior year, students will have the opportunity to deepen their cultural immersion by taking a term “abroad” at Gallaudet University—the only university for Deaf students in the world—in Washington, D.C. The Deaf Studies program is a highly interdisciplinary liberal arts program that draws from psychology, linguistics, film and communication, speech language hearing sciences, medicine, and more. It prepares students to work with Deaf people across a broad range of careers including interpreting, research, social work, medicine, law, and more.
Students who wish to become licensed teachers in Deaf education are highly recommended to also complete the Deaf Education minor and discuss the possibility of pursuing an EdM in Deaf Education with their academic advisor early.
Required Courses:
- Select 4 units from the following advanced ASL courses:
- WED DE 384 ASL IV (4 units)
- WED DE 385 Academic ASL (2 units)
- WED DE 386 Applied ASL (2 units)
- Select 12 units from the following courses:
- WED DE 340 Dynamics of Diversity & Oppression, and Social Justice within Deaf Communities (4 units)
- WED DE 350 History and Culture of the Deaf (4 units)
- WED DE 351 Deaf Literature and Visual Arts (4 units)
- WED DE 372 Social Psychology & the Deaf World (4 units)
- WED DE 472 Sign Language Structure (4 units)
- Field-Based Practicum Experience:
- WED DE 354 Field Experience: Deaf Studies (4 units)
- WED DE 352 Capstone—Deaf Studies (4 units)
Educational Design for Transformative Social Futures (24 units)
The Educational Design for Transformative Social Futures specialization is designed for undergraduates who are interested in becoming creative, innovative designers who collaborate with communities, families, youth, and educators to transform education across a range of settings. Grounded in critical commitments to diversity, equity, and justice, the specialization takes a transdisciplinary approach to learning, integrating critical theory, collective engagement in practices of making and designing, community and field apprenticeships, social media discussion forums, and design-centered research projects. Combining creative and critical modes of inquiry, the specialization prepares students to be designers who think expansively, grapple with complexity, integrate theory and practice, question and disrupt structures of inequality in education and society, and foster justice and dignity. Students will: a) develop knowledge of approaches to design as well as how to build with and beyond existing approaches to address complex challenges in education and social life more broadly, and b) learn to work in ethically responsible relationships of collaboration to cultivate spaces for social connectedness, critical insight, and expansive learning and thriving.
Required Courses:
-
- WED ED 310 Critical Making/Creative Inquiry (4 units)
- WED ED 315 Gamifying Learning (4 units)
- WED ED 320 Critical Media Literacy (4 units)
- Field-Based Practicum Experience:
- WED ED 413 Practicum I (2 units)
- WED ED 414 Seminar I (2 units)
- WED ED 415 Practicum II (2 units)
- WED ED 416 Seminar II (2 units)
- WED ED 417 Practicum III (2 units)
- WED ED 418 Capstone: Designing in Collaboration with Field-Based Sites (2 units)
Teaching & Learning
The Teaching & Learning pathway is designed for students who are interested in developing an understanding of the processes of teaching and learning with a focus on children and youth, the contexts where those processes occur, and the role that education can play in creating and supporting equity in society. Through this specialization, we will prepare potential educators to develop into reflective practitioners who recognize the important work educators in both traditional and nontraditional settings can do to contribute to more than just schooling experiences for children and youth, as well as those interested in how to analyze the policies that have implications for access, equity, and justice in education. Students will select one of the three tracks below: Childhood Education for Diverse & Exceptional Learners, Global Citizenship & Education, and STEM Learning, Action & Impact.
Students interested in pursuing a teaching license are encouraged to speak with their academic advisor early about their interest. While the BS in Education & Human Development does not lead to a license at the undergraduate level, faculty and staff will guide you to determine the best routes to educator licensure at the master’s level appropriate for your interest.
Required Courses:
- WED ED 205 Designing Learning Experiences (4 units)
- WED ED 206 Family and Community Engagement (4 units)
- WED ED 213 Approaches to Learning (4 units)
- WED SE 250 Disability, Education & Public Policy (4 units)
Select among one of three possible tracks:
Teaching & Learning Track Option: Childhood Education for Diverse & Exceptional Learners (26 units)
The Childhood Education for Diverse & Exceptional Learners track builds on students’ knowledge acquired through the core courses and field experiences by focusing on the role that teaching can play in facilitating and maximizing development and learning for all students, including those with disabilities. Central to this track’s mission is a focus on developing educators who are prepared to work in traditional and nontraditional settings where the diversity of students’ ideas and perspectives are valued resources in the construction of meaning.
An emphasis will be placed on developing students’ understanding of how racism, sexism, ableism, and other systems of discrimination and oppression interfere with the development and learning of children in early childhood, elementary, and special education settings. The program emphasizes the importance of developing and implementing an inclusive curriculum, as well as using antiracist teaching approaches that promote equity.
Students will learn through coursework and field experiences in area schools where they can observe high-quality teaching in action. Additionally, students will complete a capstone project designed in consultation with their academic advisor. Students can tailor this project to their professional interests. We hope to create leaders in the field who strive to make changes in their communities.
Students will pursue a course sequence in consultation with their faculty advisor that is either exploratory or that leads to licensure at the master’s degree level in early childhood, elementary, or special education. In some cases, it may be possible to pursue more than one licensure.
Required Courses:
- Choose 1 of:
- WED EC 507 Role of Play in Early Childhood Education (4 units)
- WED LR 551 Reading Development, Assessment, and Instruction (4 units)
- Field-Based Experience (Choose 1 of):
- WED ED 470 Field Experience in Early Childhood Education (4 units)
- WED ED 471 Field Experience in Elementary Education (4 units)
- WED ED 472 Field Experience in Special Education (4 units)
- WED ED 490 Capstone in Childhood Education (2 units)
Teaching & Learning Focus Option: Global Citizenship & Education (28 units)
The Global Citizenship & Education pathway is designed for students interested in exploring what it means to be a global citizen. Its curriculum focuses on the teaching of social studies, world languages, English, and English as second language. Through this program, prospective educators will learn to become reflective practitioners who are committed to working in urban, rural, and suburban schools and with diverse student populations. Our program emphasizes teaching through inquiry, designing and implementing an inclusive curriculum, and teaching for equity. Students will have the opportunity to work in area schools and classrooms and be required to complete a capstone project that demonstrates their competency in curriculum design and pedagogy, as well as their general knowledge of social studies education, and global language engagement. This focus is designed to create leaders in the field who strive to make positive change in their communities.
Required Courses:
- WED ED 507 Global Citizenship in Education (4 units)
- WED SO 520 Project Citizen: Promoting Civic Engagement (2 units)
- Field-Based Experience (Choose 1 of):
- WED ED 473 Field Experience in Social Studies Education (4 units)
- WED ED 474 Field Experience in World Language Education (4 units)
- WED ED 475 Field Experience in English Education (4 units)
- WED ED 476 Field Experience in English as Second Language (4 units)
- WED ED 491 Capstone in Global Citizenship in Education (2 units)
Teaching & Learning Track Option: STEM Learning, Action & Impact (26 units)
In this track, students will understand how the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) play a role in individual lives, communities, and careers. This area of focus emphasizes sense-making through the STEM fields with a particular focus on recognizing the role of mathematical and scientific sense-making in the human lifespan and in our engagement in the world. Students will engage in critical thinking with and about science, engineering, and mathematical practices and develop skills in problem-solving, sense-making, and understanding data. They will develop the dispositions of attending to and supporting the sense-making of others. Students will have the opportunity to learn about what STEM has to offer by exploring different fields and potential careers through collaborations with partners inside and outside of BU Wheelock. Students will be expected to complete a capstone portfolio that demonstrates their competency in these areas.
Required Courses:
- WED ED 350 Sense-Making in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (4 units)
- Field-Based Experience (Choose 1 of):
- WED ED 477 Field Experience in Mathematics Education (4 units)
- WED ED 478 Field Experience in Science Education (4 units)
- WED ED 492 Capstone in STEM Education (2 units)
