Education

Students sitting together in class working on a project

Create a welcoming and engaging learning environment

Simmons University’s education minor provides the skills you need to meet the needs of all students in your classroom. Our program focuses on evidence-based best practices and covers math and reading methods, psychological science, special education, liberal arts, and more.

Join a community committed to transforming lives, educating learners of all ability levels, and reaching students at a young age to set them on a pathway to success.

Our students are innovators, dedicated researchers, and promoters of social justice.

Minor Requirements

Electives (12 required credits)

Choose 3 courses (12 credits) from the following courses in consultation with the Education Minor Advisor. The three must be spread across Content, Context, and Pedagogy. Students may substitute Colleges of the Fenway (COF) courses with approval of their Education Minor Advisor.

Content

CHL313	Survey of Literature for Children and Young Adults	4
HIST100	World History I	4
HIST101	World History II	4
HIST140	Early American History	4
HIST210	African American Experience	4
POLS101	Introduction to American Politics	4

ART: A course in Art selected with the approval of the Education Minor Advisor.

ENGLISH: A course in literature selected with the approval of the Education Minor Advisor.

Or a content course with the approval of the Education Minor Advisor.

Context

EDUC344	Special Education Laws and Regulations for Teachers and Administrators	2
EDUC345	Individualized Educational Program: Strategies for Development, Interpretation, and Implementation	2
EDUC346	Learners With Special Needs	4
PSYC101	Introduction to Psychological Science	4
SOCI249	Inequalities	4

AFRICANA STUDIES: A course in Africana Studies selected with the approval of the Education Minor Advisor.

Or a course approved by the Education Minor Advisor.

Pedagogy

EDUC341	Creating A Caring Classroom Community	4
EDUC364*	Reading Methods	4
EDUC367*	Math Methods	4

Or a course selected with guidance from the Education Minor Advisor, perhaps via COF.

* Note: EDUC 341, EDUC 364, and EDUC 367 require fieldwork in schools.

Foundation 8 credits required

EDUC156	Schools in an Era of Change	4
	AND
EDUC350	Independent Study	4
	OR
EDUC388	Fieldwork in Education	0

Note: EDUC 156 requires fieldwork in schools.

Our Faculty

Daren Graves

Professor

Spotlight on Education Students and Alums

View All News

Six Students Selected for the 2025 Senior Scholar Award

Ginjer Doherty ’25, Aviva Foster ’25, CJ Haggard ’25, Theo Hatfield ’25, Lili Malatinszky ’25, and Grace Walters ’25 have been selected for the prestigious Senior Scholar Award at Simmons University. Sponsored by the Provost’s Office and the Office of Research and Fellowships, the Senior Scholar Award recognizes outstanding scholarly research across different disciplinary fields.

Dr. Beryl Irene Bailey's Punctuation Posse Patrol: cartoon images

Dr. Beryl Irene Bailey ’81 Champions Content-Based Literacy in Educational Leadership Magazine

In a new article published in Educational Leadership, Dr. Beryl Irene Bailey identifies the reason for flailing literacy among elementary school students and proposes an innovative solution.

Adunni Slackman Anderson and President Wooten

Adunni Slackman Anderson '73 on the Influence of Strong Leaders

Dr. Adunni Slackman Anderson '73 has spent her career as a leader in education. For over 20 years, she served as Principal for the Montclair Public Schools, and for 10 years as the Lower School Head/Primary School Director for Kent Place School, a private, independent school for girls. We spoke to Slackman Anderson about how Simmons shaped her career, and her advice for future leaders.

Sara Slager '23 Researches History of Reproductive Activism in Boston

When Roe v. Wade was overturned on June 24, 2022, student Sara Slager — a double major in Education and Women's and Gender Studies — was in the middle of a research project on local reproductive rights activism. She spoke...