STEM Education Minor
The UCI STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) Higher Education Research minor will be an interdisciplinary program that enables current STEM majors to explore education research questions in a higher education setting. STEM education research as a field requires researchers to have an understanding of the disciplinary context of study (i.e. biology, physics, engineering, etc.) along with the research background of a social scientist.
Requirements for the Minor in STEM Education
The minor requires completion of a minimum of seven courses (five core courses and two elective courses) totaling 28 units. At least two courses must be upper-division. Students must also complete the three quarter Capstone sequence to pursue mentored independent research with a designated advisor. No more than two non-Education courses (up to 8 units) from the student’s major area of study may be used to satisfy the minor requirements. A maximum of 8 units may be used to satisfy minor requirements with any repeatable course.
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Introductory Education Courses
Select one from the list below:
- EDUC 25 – Intro to Education
- EDUC 30 – 21st Century Literacies
- EDUC 40 – Theories of Devel. & Learning Applied to Ed
- SOCIOL 63 – Race and Society
- SOCIOL 68A – Ethnic and Immigrant America
Upper-Division Education Course
Select two from the list below:
- EDUC 131 – Educational Technology
- EDUC 143 – Controversies in the College Landscape
- EDUC 146 – Education, Learning and Culture
- EDUC 147 – Poverty, Education, and Social Change
- EDUC 145 – Theories and Pedagogies of Race in Education
- EDUC 156 – Introduction to Field Methods in Education
- EDUC 157 – Educational Research and Evaluation
- EDUC 159 – Experimental Research Methods
- EDUC 179W: Advanced Writing for Education Science
- SOCIOL 110 – Research Methods
- SOCIOL 157A, 157AW – Sociology of Education
- SOCIOL 167A – Race and Ethnic Relations in the United States
Methods
Select one from the list below:
- EDUC 10 – Education Research Design
- EDUC 15 or equivalent – Statistics for Education Research
Introduction to STEM Higher Education Research (one quarter)
Description: The Introduction to STEM Education Research course explores topics in STEM education research studied in postsecondary settings. Students will learn about research design and theoretical frameworks that often guide STEM education research questions. During this learning process, students will be asked to engage in deep exploration and think critically about: 1. Teaching and learning in STEM; 2. Inclusion, diversity, equity, and anti-racism in STEM education; and 3. Different ways to measure learning outcomes relevant to STEM courses.
STEM Upper-Division Electives
Select two upper division courses from the following programs:
Biological Sciences, Informatics and Computer Sciences, Engineering, Physical Sciences
Capstone sequence
Three quarters of mentored independent research (199 Units) with a faculty advisor affiliated with the STEM Higher Education Research minor program
*Additional courses will be considered on a case by case basis
Residence Requirement: At least four upper-division courses must be successfully completed at UCI.
GPA Requirement. For certification in the minor, a student must obtain a minimum overall grade point average of at least C (2.0) in all courses required for the minor program. A maximum of 8 units of Pass/No Pass courses may be taken for the minor.
Minor and Major. Students may not receive both the minor in STEM Education and the major in Education Sciences.
Undergraduate Programs for Future Teachers Offered by Other Departments. Undergraduates who are completing a minor in Education and who are considering a teaching career may also be interested in the following programs offered by other departments.