During the development of the Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Educational Studies, for former Dean of the Faculty of Education Ron Owston, the fundamental value the degree had to offer was that “it introduced those interested in education more generally, and not specifically in teaching, to basic philosophies and concepts of teaching and learning.”
Unveiled in the Fall of 2015 and now set for its third intake of students this September, the BA in Educational Studies uniquely relates to a number of different fields outside of K-12 schooling and education—whether it be formal learning in community centers, working and training in the workplace, or just education in a more general context.
Before the implementation of the BA in Education Studies, there was no real option for students who were interested in education other than pursuing K-12 teaching or a Bachelor of Education, Owston says. “I think we have identified a need and students are reacting to it with a good response. Admissions have been strong. The demand is there.”
Sarah Barrett, Associate Dean with the Faculty of Education, confirms as much. “We’ve had ambitions to admit a certain number of people each year and we anticipated that we would reach a strong cohort in a few years,” she says. “Instead, we’ve reached that point we were aiming for just after the second year. It is very popular with our students.”
For Barrett respectively, the ultimate worth of such a program is that it empowers students to contextualize more deeply the ways people learn and helps them understand how to apply what they have learned about education in settings outside of school. “Our purpose is to provide the practicum experience you need to do that,” she says. “That is why this is such a great program for young people coming in out of high school—people who come in not necessarily having experience with community education or teaching in summer camps and things of the like.”
Specifically, the BA in Educational Studies is offered for students who might not wish to pursue a career in a traditional school setting, says Sharon Murphy, Undergraduate Program Director with the Faculty of Education, who spearheaded the program development.
“Increasingly, in society, the value of teaching knowledge is occurring in all jurisdictions,” Murphy says. “There is a yearning and a need for people who have knowledge about education in such sectors. They do not want a classroom teacher with 25 kids, but they do want someone who is able to run workshops and educational programs to meet their client base’s needs—be it in banking, museums, art galleries or recreation.”
Among the courses offered to students include: Situated Learning in Education; Place and Learning; What is Education For?; Apprenticeship Learning and Learning Community; Policy in Public Institutions; Teaching English in International Contexts; Education for Activism; and Community Organizations and Education.
“You can see already these courses are asking big questions in education and look at questions exploring as it happens in society—not necessarily in the classroom,” Murphy says. “Just from the inquiries we have had, there is a need for programs to address those interested in providing education for people who do not wish to work in the school system so they may instead work as policy analysts or corporate trainers, program developers, museum workers, or learning consultants.”
Students take the usual requirement for majors and minors offered at York University and participate in the program for four years, taking a total of 120 credits. While it may not be a program that will leave students with a teacher certification, it is one that provides the expertise and know-how that will enable them to work in non-school sectors—noting they are well-versed in education.
“For there to be a program that is undergraduate-focused where students focus specifically on education as it manifests in communities in non-school contexts… traditional education programs don’t really do this,” Barrett adds. “But with the BA in Educational Studies, we fill that major gap.”
“It has real implications for activism and helping marginalized communities insert themselves into government issues in order to advocate for themselves. And that takes education. That takes educators. We want to lead people to become leaders in such spaces.”
The first graduating class within the BA will enter their third year this September.