FAQs

  • The Scholar Intensive Certificate is a selective, cohort pathway culminating in the senior capstone project. Yale students apply to the Scholar Intensive Certificate in the fall of their sophomore after taking EDST 1110 Foundations in Education Studies. Accepted students take three courses together developing their senior capstone project. They are closely mentored over multiple years by Yale Education Studies faculty.
  • The Education Studies Certificate is a flexible course-work based pathway allowing students to develop individualized expertise in Education Studies. It is a good option for students who have other significant curricular commitments (such as a double major) and want to customize an individualized learning experience. 
  • Click to view a comparison of the two certificate pathways.

  • Yale’s Education Studies Program offers two Certificate pathways (similar to a minor at other universities). It does not offer a major.

  • Yale’s Education Studies Program offers Certificate pathways, but they do not include teacher certification. After graduation, a number of Yale alumni pursue careers in teaching  through enrolling in a teacher preparation Master’s Program or an alternative certification program.

  • Graduate students can enroll in Education Studies courses with permission of their division or school. There are no Yale graduate degrees in Education Studies.

  • A total of 2 courses may potentially overlap between your major and an Education Studies Certificate.

  • With the exception of EDST 110, students completing the Certificate may take one of their EDST courses Credit/D/Fail. For students completing the Scholar Intensive Certificate, one of the two elective courses may be taken Credit/D/Fail.

Students in the Scholar Intensive Certificate will complete a field experience: a prolonged work/volunteer experience in education research, policy, or pedagogy. Field experiences are either full-time summer placements (at least 8 weeks) or part-time, full-year placements (several hours per week during the academic year). They can take place before or after acceptance to the Scholar Intensive Certificate. 

Given the interdisciplinary focus of Yale’s Education Studies Program, alumni pursue a wide range of education-related careers after graduation. In the last few years, alumni have gone into teaching in the US or overseas, pursuing graduate study in education law or policy, working for education think tanks or foundations, founding schools, writing children’s books or working in education journalism and technology. 

  • For additional questions, please email Director Mira Debs.