Program Overview

Liberal Studies in Education (LSE) Program

The Liberal Studies in Education (LSE) program is designed to engage students in critical reflection, commentary, and evaluation of education, informed by theoretical as well as aesthetic considerations.

Course Descriptions

The following courses are offered as part of the LSE program:

• LSE 201: Diverse Values and Voices in Education (4 quarter hours, Undergraduate)
  • This course explores the interaction of societies and their education efforts/designs within a multicultural context.
• LSE 210: Multiculturalism and Education (4 quarter hours, Undergraduate)
  • This course examines issues of diversity and multiculturalism within educational contexts in the United States.
• LSE 300: Education and Literature (4 quarter hours, Undergraduate)
  • This course is designed to engage students in critical reflection, commentary, and evaluation of literature, informed by theoretical as well as aesthetic considerations.
• LSE 310: Contemporary Issues in Education (4 quarter hours, Undergraduate)
  • This is a variable topics course that examines the way current, significant issues affect, and are affected by education.
• LSE 353: The Politics of Education (4 quarter hours, Undergraduate)
  • This course examines school and other educational sites as political institutions.
• LSE 354: Culture, Context, and Learning (4 quarter hours, Undergraduate)
  • This course is based on the premise that learning is situated in the context of dynamic interpersonal relationships.
• LSE 355: International Studies in Education (4 quarter hours, Undergraduate)
  • This course focuses on a variety of key educational issues in countries or regions outside of the United States.
• LSE 358: Education and Social Justice (4 quarter hours, Undergraduate)
  • This course is designed to examine education within a philosophical framework that focuses upon the relatively great potential of education as an agent for social justice and change.
• LSE 362: Identity and Education (4 quarter hours, Undergraduate)
  • This variable topics course will focus on how individuals and groups take on identities and how education and schooling affect the process.
• LSE 380: Philosophical Studies in Pedagogy, Culture, and Globalization (4 quarter hours, Undergraduate)
  • This course is a philosophical inquiry into the relationship of pedagogy to culture and globalization.
• LSE 404: Child Rearing Across Cultures (4 quarter hours, Graduate)
  • Study of child-rearing practices, the effects of culture on cognitive development, and the implications for teaching strategies.
• LSE 420: Comparative Education (4 quarter hours, Graduate)
  • This course is devoted to the study of historical and contemporary issues related to comparative education.
• LSE 430: Education and Social Justice (4 quarter hours, Graduate)
  • A variable-topics course designed to examine education within a philosophical framework that focuses upon the relatively great potential of education as an agent for social justice and change.
• LSE 438: Gender and Education (4 quarter hours, Graduate)
  • A variable-topics course designed to actively engage students in examination of the literature and issues related to gender and education.
• LSE 450: Dynamics of African-American Culture (4 quarter hours, Graduate)
  • This course is intended for those interested in cultural and human relations in order to examine the contributions of the black person to American Culture.
• LSE 460: International Studies in Education (4 quarter hours, Graduate)
  • This variable-topics course will focus upon educational issues in a particular country or region outside of the United States.
• LSE 461: International Studies in Teaching and Learning (4 quarter hours, Graduate)
  • This variable-topics course will focus upon aspects of curriculum, teaching, and learning in a particular country or region outside of the United States.
• LSE 462: International Field Experiences in Education (2-8 quarter hours, Graduate)
  • Through clinical experience outside of the United States, students will observe, participate in, and reflect upon teaching and learning in cultural settings that differ from their own.

Program Overview

The Liberal Studies in Education program offers a comprehensive and interdisciplinary approach to the study of education, focusing on the social, cultural, and philosophical contexts of teaching and learning. The program is designed to prepare students for careers in education, as well as for further study in graduate or professional programs.