Education for Empowerment
The Education for Empowerment minor is designed for students interested in examining the critical role of education in building our individual and collective capacity to advance the aims of justice and democracy in society.
Students will explore questions such as the following:
- What is the relationship, historically and today, between education and power?
- How do individuals, communities, organizations, and societies leverage teaching and learning as tools for social change and social movement?
- Beyond schools and classrooms, what are the sites of educational and youth work that offer opportunities to advance justice, in the United States and around the world?
- How might we develop our imagination for humanizing educational spaces—both within and beyond schools—that recognize everyday people’s power in the ongoing struggle for justice?
Highlights
Requirements
Foundation credits
Elective credits
Students choose any three from a single pathway (see below). A course may not be used as both a required foundation and an elective.
We currently offer three pathways from which to choose, but students may petition to create their own individualized strand of coherent coursework, with the support and approval of an advisor.
Internship credits
Students complete EDUC 330 – The Education for Empowerment Internship.
The goal of the Education for Empowerment internship experience is to give students practical field experience in education work, broadly conceived. Although not tightly defined as formal teaching and learning activity, in all cases, the work must have some relevance to education and, specifically, to the student’s selected pathway.
Each student in the Education for Empowerment minor shall register for two credits of internship experience. These two credits can be earned by enrolling in one or more internship experiences. The internship can be taken in a single semester (for 2 credits), or over two semesters (1 credit per semester).
Capstone credits
Students complete EDUC 480 – The Education for Empowerment Capstone.
All students will complete the minor with a one-credit mandatory capstone course. The capstone asks students to consider their learning across all their courses and reflect on how the totality of their experiences informs their thinking about the role of education in the empowerment of children, youth, and/or adults. Students will create and present a multimedia presentation to illustrate their learning about education for empowerment.
Pathways
under construction
AVAILABLE PATHWAYS
Advancing Equity Through Education Policy
For students working at the intersections of public policy and education, this pathway focuses on policy inquiry, design, and implementation that intervene in the problems of educational injustice and social inequities.
Course | Description |
---|---|
MUSED 111** | The Art of Music Teaching |
EDUC 119 | Education Policy in a Multicultural Society |
EDUC 210 | Mathematics and Social Justice |
EDUC 211 | Introduction to Educational Policy, Inquiry and Advocacy |
EDUC 220 | Coaching for Today's Society |
EDUC 240 | Coaching as Leading and Leading as Coaching |
EDUC 275 | Wellness for Learning, Teaching, Coaching, and Leadership |
ECON 325 | Economics of Education |
EDUC 332 | Coaching and Consulting for Social Change |
EDUC 362 | Michigan Student Caucus |
RCSSCI 365 | Excellence, Equity, and the Politics of Education |
EDCURINS 382 | Introduction to Environmental Education for Sustainable Development |
EDUC 390 / ELI 390 / LING 390 / RCSSCI 390 |
Community-Engaged Learning in ESL Teaching Contexts |
SOC 458 | Sociology of Education |
EDUC 460 | Equity in Everyday Practices |
EDUC 490 | Topics in Professional Education - Designing the Future of Undergraduate Education |
Questions?

Frequently Asked Questions

Prospective Students
Connect with Us
If you have any questions or would like to set up an advising appointment, please don't hesitate to contact us.
Contact
Location
610 E. University Avenue
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1259
Academic advising
Class Schedule
Class | Term Sort descending | ID # | Type | Credits | Instructor | Days | Start | End | Location | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
EDUC 330-101 ED Empwrmt Internshp |
Spring 2023 | 52771 | LAB | 1-2 | Kendra Hearn | ARR |
ARR |
|||
EDUC 460-101 Equity Evryday Pract |
Spring 2023 | 53324 | SEM | 3.00 | Deborah Ball | M W |
9:00 AM |
12:00 PM |
SEB 2340 |
Meets with EDUC 560 |
EDUC 118-001 Intr Ed:Sch Mcul Soc |
Fall 2023 | 17035 | REC | 3 | TBD | M/W |
10:00 AM |
11:30 AM |
SEB 1315 |
|
EDUC 200-001 Learn for Social Chg |
Fall 2023 | 25656 | REC | 3 | TBD | W |
1:00 PM |
4:00 PM |
SEB 2320 |
|
EDUC 211-001 Intro Ed Policy, Inquiry and Advocacy |
Fall 2023 | 35886 | REC | 3 | Michaela O'Neill | T Th |
1:00 PM |
2:30 PM |
SSWB2752 |
|
EDUC 225-001 Ed & Soc Dev of SOC |
Fall 2023 | 31181 | LEC | 4 | Jamaal Matthews | T |
2:00 PM |
4:00 PM |
SEB 2346 |
A brief interview and instructor permission are required to complete course registration, Please email kboomhow@umich.edu to arrange a brief 20 min interview. Will include Field Work at Scarlett Middle School, Ann Arbor, MI |
EDUC 225-002 Ed&SD Of SoC |
Fall 2023 | 31276 | LAB | 4 | Jamaal Matthews | Th |
2:15 PM |
4:30 PM |
ARR |
Register for section 002, will be auto enrolled in section 001 |
EDUC 240-001 Coaching as Leading |
Fall 2023 | 25791 | REC | 3 | Gregory Dooley | T/Th |
11:30 AM |
1:00 PM |
SEB 1315 |
|
EDUC 330-001 ED Empwrmt Internshp |
Fall 2023 | 25076 | LAB | 1-2 | Kendra Hearn | ARR |
ARR |
|||
EDUC 332-001 Coach Soc Chg |
Fall 2023 | 26517 | REC | 3 | Michael Weiskopf | Th |
5:30 PM |
8:30 PM |
SEB 2340 |
|
EDUC 333-001 Video Games&Learning |
Fall 2023 | 22471 | LEC | 3 | Christopher Quintana | T/Th |
10:30 AM |
12:00 PM |
SEB 2202 |
Meets with DIGITAL 333. |
EDUC 462-001 Lrn Character Play |
Fall 2023 | 14001 | LAB | 3 | Jeffrey Stanzler | T/Th |
1:00 PM |
2:30 PM |
SEB 2320 |
Web-Based Mentorship: Learning Through Character Play Crosslisted with MENAS 462-001. |
EDUC 480-001 ED Empwrmt Capstone |
Fall 2023 | 25574 | SEM | 1 | Kendra Hearn | M |
3:00 PM |
5:00 PM |
SEB 1211 |
For student in Education Minor or Major only |
Connect with Us
If you have any questions or would like to set up an advising appointment, please don't hesitate to contact us.
Contact
Location
610 E. University Avenue
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1259
Academic advising
Apply to the Minor
In order to declare the Education for Empowerment minor each student must:
- Meet with an academic advisor at the Marsal School
- Have a declared major
- Receive a grade of C or better in a selected foundation course
- Submit the online declaration form
Current Policies
Effective Winter 2022
Each student who is interested in completing the Education for Empowerment minor must develop a plan and receive approval in consultation with academic advisors in the Marsal School.
- No course may be shared between the requirements of a minor and a supplemental studies program.
- A maximum of one course may be shared between the requirements of a minor and a major.
- A maximum of one non-EDUC course can be counted towards requirements.
- A student must earn an overall GPA of at least 2.0 (C) in the minor and within each course.
- A student with a declared major may not enroll in EDUC 330 until the minor has been declared.
- A student may select one foundation course and three elective courses from the full listing of approved pathway courses for the Design Your Own pathway option.
- A student may propose an internship for approval by contacting soe.minor@umich.edu with details about the organization and the anticipated scope of responsibilities.
- A student may not add, complete or declare a minor after graduation.
- A student may not transfer courses from a different institution to count towards the minor.
- A student may not use a course for the minor that is not on the approved course list.
- A student must submit a request to change their pathway.
- A student must submit a request to change approved courses in a customized pathway.
- No course may be shared between the requirements of more than one minor.
Connect with Us
If you have any questions or would like to set up an advising appointment, please don't hesitate to contact us.
Contact
Location
610 E. University Avenue
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1259