Liberal Studies
The major for future elementary school teachers.
Specializations
Students pursuing the Traditional Program and Middle School Option are required to complete a 12+ unit content specialization. The requirements of each specialization are almost entirely upper division classes, so most students don’t begin completing specialization requirements until the Junior year. In some cases, however, specializations require additional lower division prerequisites (above and beyond the regular preparation for the major), which generally requires students to begin working towards their specialization a little earlier.
Choosing a specialization involves answering one or more of the following questions:
Do you want to teach Special Education?
If so, choose Human Development as your specialization.
Do you want to teach Bilingual Education?
If so, consider choosing Spanish.
Do you want to pursue a Middle School Authorization in a single subject area?
If so, specialize in the subject area you want to teach (Math and Science are especially useful).
If you answer “no” to all of the questions above, think about which content area is most interesting to you and consider specializing in that area. If you’re equally interested in multiple content areas, consider which one(s) might give your resume the biggest boost (Math and Science are the best resume boosters). You can also use this flowchart to help you make the decision that's best for you.
The specific content areas a student can specialize in are grouped below by general content area with a link to a pdf file listing the specific requirements of each specific specialization.
Language Arts
- Literature
- Linguistics
- Spanish [recommended for students interested in Bilingual Education]
Social Science
Math and Science
Visual and Performing Arts
Physical Education and Human Development
- Physical Education [please note that ENS 398 will no longer be offered and has been removed]
- Human Development [recommended for students interested in Special Education]