The Minor in Education allows students to combine Arts subject content with an area of Education through which that content can be more broadly explored and applied.
These investigations through the lens of education can lead to career options involving education theory and pedagogy, both for teaching careers and other professional goals. Additionally, the Minor provides pre-requisites to diploma or graduate-level programs in the Faculty of Education.
Please note: The minor does not qualify students to teach in the K-12 system. However, the different streams of the minor can provide context and exposure to certain specialist areas of teacher education. For more information, visit the Faculty of Education’s Teacher Education Office.
Students who wish to declare the Minor must be eligible for third year standing. The Minor consists of 30 credits, 18 of which are drawn from specified core Education courses and 12 of which are drawn from supportive courses from the Faculty of Arts at the 300-400 level.
Streams
Five different streams are available:
The Special Education stream equips students with the knowledge of provincial practices for the provision of special education and different categories of learners and associated educational needs. The core courses in this stream foster expertise in different professional fields/settings, such as health, medical, social work, infant development and more.
The Interpersonal Development stream gives students a background in theories of counselling, career development, decision making and the personal and social development of the adult. Through coursework in this program, students develop competencies and skills related to educational or helping professions in career and vocational guidance, counselling, social work and business.
The Community, Adult and Higher Education stream provides students with key principles, and different philosophical approaches to the teaching of adults. Students can then apply this knowledge to the planning and delivery of adult learning in diverse contexts such as higher education, workplace and community.
The Early Childhood Education stream trains students to critically examine theoretical frameworks, approaches and issues related to early childhood education. By learning strategies to assess and support the needs of young children and their families, students can engage with opportunities in childhood research, health organizations, social agencies and public school systems.
The Language Learning and Teaching stream supports the academic and career goals of student who intend to pursue a career in teaching English as a second language, or in teaching another language to adults or children. A number of the Language and Literacy Education (LLED) courses in this program are the same as those required for the TESL (Teaching English as a Second Language) certificates.
Specific coursework requirements can be found on the UBC Academic Calendar.
Declaring the minor
Step 1
Carefully review and select one of the five streams.
Step 2
Supportive upper-level Arts courses
Students are then required to research and propose 12 credits of upper-level coursework from the Faculty of Arts that complement and support the student’s learning goals for their minor program. For each selection, students must submit an academic rationale that outlines the linkage between the course and the specific learning outcomes of the Minor. Please note: Students can only double-count a maximum of 6 upper-level credits between courses for the education minor and the departmental requirements of a major.
Common/suggested options of supportive Arts courses for each of the streams:
- PSYC300A: Abnormal Psychology
- ANTH428: Medicine, Technology, Culture and Society
- PSYC308A: Social Psychology
- SOCI352: Organization of Work
- GRSJ305: Social Justice Issues in Community and International Organizing
- PSYC322: Adulthood and Aging
- FMST312: Parent-child Relationships
- ENGL392: Children's Literature
- LING313: Introduction to Linguistic Phonetics and Speech Science
- ENGL321: English Grammar and Usage
The above courses are only suggestions and students are encouraged to research across the many disciplines and course offerings in the faculty to create a unique, interdisciplinary combination.
Step 3
Complete and submit the online Minor in Education Advising Form.
Next Steps
An Arts Academic Advisor will review your minor advising form and provide feedback on your proposed program. Once approved, your proposed courses will be programmed into your Degree Navigator report and you will receive a confirmation e-mail from your Academic Advisor.
Revisions to the supportive courses on your study plan must be discussed with the same Academic Advisor who approved the original advising form. As part of your revision request, you must research and propose a replacement course and provide an academic rationale.