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Education Studies Department

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The Education Studies Department involves students in the study of educational processes and institutions as well as the cultural factors that affect them. Close student-faculty relationships through peer group learning, field supervision, and individualized advising are integral to this dynamic major that focuses on putting the educational needs of children first.

Guilford develops educators who are grounded in the liberal arts and are self-confident, inquisitive, and thoughtful in their practice.

The program emphasizes practical field experience that incorporates deep knowledge of educational theories and foundations as well as critical, personal, and professional reflection. Study of philosophy, psychology, and the history of education, as well as an intensive cross-cultural internship and extensive teaching internships in classrooms and other educational environments prior to student teaching, create a solid foundation for becoming a 21st-century teacher.

Guilford College Education Studies majors have an excellent reputation with the educators, school administrators, and students with whom they work in schools across the country and the world. This puts our graduates in high demand. More than 95 percent of our students are hired to teach within one semester after graduation and licensure completion, and 100 percent have gotten into the graduate programs of their choice. Students in local public schools grow close to Guilford’s student teachers as they help children from diverse cultural, economic, and social backgrounds and circumstances reach their potential.

More information can be found via the N.C. Department of Public Instruction.

Please note: Education Studies courses are not available in the evenings. Given this situation, we're not able to offer a Residency Program. Guilford's licensure-only program is conditionally available if day-time attendance is possible.


College Catalog

For more information about courses for the Education Studies Department, visit the online, searchable College Catalog. The Undergraduate Catalog also includes academic department and major information, academic regulations and resources, admission standards and requirements, and tuition, fees, and financial aid information.

Majors and Minors

"Volunteering in the elementary schools and at Ashton Woods apartment complex has made me more sure about the paths I'd like to take in the future."

Jeannine Harrell '17
Double major, Education Studies and Psychology
  • Education Studies Major and Minor: Education Studies is for students interested in studying educational processes and institutions. It requires a second disciplinary major for all licensure tracks except elementary education.
  • Licensure-only Option: Individuals who hold a bachelor’s degree from a four-year, regionally accredited college or university may complete teaching licenses in each of the licensure tracks: elementary licensure; secondary licensure in English; and secondary licensure in social studies.

To determine if the education licensure program for which you enroll at Guilford meets licensure requirements in your state of residence, please review this Licensure Program Information.

Education Studies Department News and Events

Schooled the Guilford Way
Schooled the Guilford Way

Katlin Crooks ’18 is a fast learner – and teacher. The Education Studies major was hired as a ninth-grade English teacher at Grimsley High School directly from her student teaching position there.

Education Studies Celebrates edTPA Accomplishments
Education Studies Celebrates edTPA Accomplishments

The Education Studies Department is celebrating a 100 percent pass rate for students taking the edTPA, a required, performance-based, subject-specific assessment used to measure and support the skills and knowledge that all teachers need in the classroom.

Life-changing Lessons
Life-changing Lessons

Guilford helped Education Studies and History double major Nazmul Sattar ’18 find his passion and inspired him to make a positive impact by molding the minds of his students at Southwest Guilford Middle School.

Wrestling With the Future
Wrestling With the Future

Born and raised in Austell, Ga., later moving to North Carolina, Garrett Griffith ’20 says, “I knew about Guilford, but I hadn’t considered going here until a football coach came to talk to me.”

A Higher Calling
A Higher Calling

Carmen Curtis ’21 found her path while at Guilford thanks to her experience with campus activities — but not before she took a couple of turns. She ultimately changed her major from Psychology to Education Studies.

Seeds of Success
Seeds of Success

Everything’s coming up roses — and tomatoes, carrots, and beans — for Ky’lexius Gwynn ’23, an Education Studies major and Sustainable Food Systems and Community Studies double minor.

Why Guilford? Grace Christensen '24 [VIDEO]
Why Guilford? Grace Christensen '24 [VIDEO]

Video Produced and Directed by Deon McFarland '24 Meet Honors student Grace Christensen '24, an Education Studies and Psychology double major from Manhattan,…

Finding Her True North
Finding Her True North

Education Studies and English and Media Studies double major Alesha Garcia ’22 has set her sights on making a difference in the U.S. educational system. Find out how Guilford helped her get accepted into a program at the University of Pennsylvania.

Why Guilford? Tucker Gamble '22 [VIDEO]
Why Guilford? Tucker Gamble '22 [VIDEO]

Meet Tucker Gamble '22, a double major in Music and Education Studies. In this video, Tucker, an Honors student, talks about the organizations he's involved in…

My Guilford Story: Levi and David [VIDEO]
My Guilford Story: Levi and David [VIDEO]

"Sometimes I think David Hildreth has had more of an influence on me after my time at Guilford than while I was a student," says Levi Bruff '17, a science…

Contact Us

David Hildreth
David Hildreth

Lincoln Financial Professor of Education Studies

Anna Pennell
Anna Pennell

Associate Professor for Education Studies