Undergraduate Minor in Education
Education shapes lives, builds communities and drives progress in every corner of society. By minoring in education, you’ll explore how people learn, develop essential teaching skills and gain the tools to inspire and educate others—whether in classrooms, workplaces or diverse settings.
Discover Teaching Potential
The undergraduate minor in education equips students with the foundational knowledge and skills needed for careers in teaching or related professions that involve education and learning. Through engaging coursework and practical experiences, students gain a comprehensive understanding of the roles and responsibilities of educators and develop the ability to analyze and navigate the intricate dynamics of teaching and learning environments. This program is ideal for individuals passionate about understanding how people learn and sharing knowledge in diverse contexts.
Why Minor in Education?
The Education Minor provides a comprehensive introduction to the pivotal role of educators in society, fostering an understanding of the complex relationships that shape teaching and learning. Students gain foundational skills in lesson planning and teaching, making it an excellent starting point for those considering a career in education. Additionally, the minor offers up to 12 credit hours toward a master’s degree and teaching certification, paving the way for future growth and advancement in New York State public schools.
Program Overview
| Academic minor granted | Education |
|---|---|
| Credits required for completion | 18 |
| Time to completion | 3 to 4 semesters |
| Course delivery | On campus, online or hybrid |
Course descriptions can be found in the UB Undergraduate Catalog.
Required Courses (7 credits)
- LAI 350 Introduction to Education (4 credits)
Choose one of the following:
- CEP 400 Educational Psychology (3 credits)
- ELP 405 Sociology of Education (3 credits)
Electives (11 or more credits, at least 6 credits must be at the 300 or 400 level)
- CEP 400 Educational Psychology (3 credits, if not taken as a required course)
- CEP 401 Introduction to Counseling (3 credits)
- ELP 405 Sociology of Education (3 credits, if not taken as a required course)
- ELP 407 Language, Culture, and Education in a Global Society (3 credits)
- LAI 205 Introduction to Child Development & Learning (3 credits)
- LAI 254 Woodwind Techniques (with advisor approval) (2 credits)
- LAI 256 Brass Techniques (with advisor approval) (2 credits)
- LAI 414 Writing across the Curriculum (3 credits)
- LAI 416 Early Childhood Education Theory & Practice (3 credits)
- LAI 419 Introduction to Teaching (3 credits)
- LAI 433 Technology and Curriculum Integration (3 credits)
- LAI 434 Assessment of Student Performance & Understanding (3 credits)
- LAI 435 Intercultural Interactions in the Multicultural Classroom (3 credits)
- LAI 474 Teaching the Exceptional Learner (3 credits)
- LAI 490 Seminar and Practicum in Early Childhood (3 credits)
- LIN 496 Linguistics Teaching Internship (3 credits)
Course Substitution
- Generally, course substitutions are not permitted.
- For transfer students who may have already successfully completed equivalent courses at other institutions, course substitutions will be considered on a case-by-case basis. In order for the Department of Learning and Instruction (LAI) to review requests for course substitutions, you must have been admitted to the education minor and must submit relevant course information to LAI, such as the course syllabus and official transcript from the other institution.
- Course substitutions will not be permitted for current University at Buffalo students who wish to concurrently complete courses at other institutions.
- Students should expect that decisions regarding course substitutions will be rendered in no less than 30 days from the date that LAI receives the request and all relevant course information.
If you intend to apply to a graduate-level program leading to initial teacher certification, be sure to plan your undergraduate coursework to meet admissions requirements as related to the undergraduate major and content-area distribution, as well as the general education core in liberal arts and sciences. Visit our Teacher Education Institute website for more information on these requirements.
Because the education minor functions as an introduction to the education profession, students enrolled in this program must begin to consider the meaning of, as well as demonstrate adherence to, professionalism, especially as related to fieldwork in schools and educational organizations and in university-based coursework.
Professionalism comprises a variety of matters and although it is often difficult to comprehensively define, teach, and assess, the following offers some concrete descriptions that set a minimum standard of expected professional conduct.
When going to schools/organizations, students are expected to demonstrate basic professional competencies as would be expected of practicing teachers, including the following: arrive in a timely manner; present themselves in a professional manner as related to their dress, personal appearance, and hygiene; and maintain a courteous and respectful relationship with school/organization personnel, students, parents/guardians, etc. Failure to consistently demonstrate these competencies constitutes a lack of appropriate professional conduct.
Throughout their experiences in schools/organizations, students are reminded that the Graduate School of Education is committed to preparing teachers to teach all students in the public school system throughout the state of New York. As such, students must approach their fieldwork and coursework with a commitment toward this goal and must act in a manner that is consistent with this goal.
Throughout their undergraduate career, students are expected to interact with and represent UB faculty, staff, and students in a professional manner consistent with UB policies and in line with the above expectations of professional conduct within schools/organizations.
- As a UB student, you must have an overall GPA of at least 2.5. As a transfer student, your GPA must include at least one semester of UB courses as a full-time, matriculated student.
- All prerequisite courses should be completed or in-progress when you apply for this minor.
Application Process:
- Complete the online application and submit it electronically.
- The department reviews your application and makes a determination regarding admission.
- The department notifies you of the admission decision by email.
Enrollment and Conferral: Enrollment in this minor will be verified via email from the department. In order to include this minor as part of your undergraduate degree, you:
- Must have been admitted to this minor prior to your application for degree.
- Must include this minor in your application for degree (for questions regarding the application for degree, you should consult your undergraduate advisor).
- Must successfully meet the requirements of this minor, which includes successful completion (grade of C or better) of the required and elective courses, as well as maintenance of an overall UB GPA of 2.5 or better.
Completing this minor better prepares you for an education career in:
- Early Childhood: Birth–Grade 2 (with or without bilingual extension)
- Childhood: Grades 1–6 (with or without bilingual extension)
- Early Childhood/Childhood: (Birth–Grade 2 and Grades 1–6)
- Adolescence: Grades 7–12 (with or without grades 5–6 extension) in
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Earth Science
- English
- Languages other than English (LOTE)
- Math
- Physics
- Social Studies
- All Grades:
- English for speakers of other languages (ESOL)
- Music