This course examines how education is shaped by cultural traditions, histories, and community life in local communities and across the United States. Students explore how educational practices develop in different settings. The course emphasizes analysis, application, and hands-on projects to build research and collaboration skills while deepening understanding of American education and society.

This course addresses the history, organization, finance, governance, leadership and symbolism of athletics as a key part of the political economy of the contemporary university. With student athletes as a primary unit of analysis we will review the history of intercollegiate athletic competition, the symbolic role of athletics in society and the future of athletics on post-secondary campuses.

This course will focus on the social and psychological factors related to participation in sport and physical activity over the life span. Personal factors that influence sport & exercise behavior (e.g., personality, self-perceptions, age, gender, race), situational factors (e.g., observational learning, motivational climate, socioeconomic level), and psychological methods for enhancing sport and exercise behavior will be reviewed.

This course is designed to examine how race/ethnicity, diversity, & identity matter in the lives of youth with a focus on educational settings. We will use theory and research to question stereotypes about youth achievement and will explore how individual, interpersonal, and structural factors help to explain associations between group membership & educational outcomes. Students should have previously taken an intro level social science course.

This course explores the history of hip-hop as an educational and social movement in the United States. The course explores the intellectual linkages between hip-hop and education; hip-hop as a tool for knowledge dissemination on a multiplicity of social issues; hip-hop as literacy, and hip-hop as a pedagogy of critical consciousness.

In this course, students will use course texts and classroom discussions to explore the how schools have been integral to teaching what the role and responsibilities of citizens in a US-style democracy, as well as how schools also reveal the boundaries of this form of citizenship. The course will start from the formation of the common schools in the US and span the twentieth century, and will feature readings that employ a transnational lens.

Provides a historical overview of major social problems in the U.S. and the contexts, policies, and programs developed in response. Topics include social welfare, education, housing, health care, employment, child welfare, immigration, and criminal justice, with attention to how institutions respond to complex human needs and social change, especially for marginalized and socially disadvantaged groups.

Will civil discourse save democracy or deepen oppression? Why does speech matter so much to political struggles? What does it mean for political dialogue to be successful? This course integrates theory with practice as students engage in political dialogue, then draw on their experiences, primary source research, the popular press and political theory to analyze the relationship between political dialogue and democracy.

Topical offerings in educational leadership.

Parenting has a huge impact on the development of children and youth. New knowledge in this field is full of surprising discoveries. Students will gain a deep understanding of diverse parenting contexts through the lens of psychological and developmental theories, while examining relevant research and policy. The course also emphasizes practical skills, preparing students to support parents to optimize the development of their children.