This page is to be used as a planning tool. Your degree audit is the official record of degree requirements. Updated February 2024.

If you have career goals in education or a helping profession but do not wish to pursue classroom teaching, the University of Iowa’s College of Education major in Education Studies and Human Relations (ESHR) might be right for you. The following information will provide you a snapshot of the major.
 

The ESHR undergraduate degree

  • Is a multidisciplinary major in education.
  • Furthers career goals or prepares you for future graduate study in areas of education and helping professions.
  • Enhances your broad liberal arts and sciences education.
  • Develops strong academic preparation including skills in critical thinking and interpersonal communication.
  • Includes courses from across the four academic departments in the UI College of Education.
  • Includes two optional subprograms within the broader ESHR major.
  • Includes multiple Informal Concentration Areas (ICAs) listed on back of this sheet to help you select courses.
     

General Requirements

  • 30 sh in major (27 sh must be unique to the major)
  • CLAS gen eds required
  • Expand on ESHR with additional concentration areas, a minor, or a double major.
  • 120 total sh for BA
  • Requires cumulative UI GPA is ≥ 2.5 and at least 12 sh earned for admission for current UI students
  • To declare the major, complete the change of college application
    • Advising assistance: Kathy Mossman (katherine-mossman@uiowa.edu)
    • Program assistance: Kathy Schuh (kathy-schuh@uiowa.edu)
       

Required Coursework

Informal Concentration Areas

ESHR provides a number of Informal Concentration Areas (ICA). ICAs are meant to be fluid over time to best reflect trends and issues in the field of education and helping professions. In addition, students may create their own concentration focus that will meet their own career trajectory.

Diversity Education

Develop awareness of your own cultural worldview, learn the ways structural oppression can impact marginalized groups, and gain skills for more effectiveley serving a diverse community.
Industry Jobs (with BA): Human resources, public relations, teaching, social work, community leader/activist, social and community service managers and assistants.
Higher Education (with Masters, PhD, JD): Clinical mental health counseling, counselor education, counseling psychology, couple & family therapy, educational leadership or policy, higher education and student affairs, language literacy and culture, school counseling, school psychology, school culture and society, teacher leadership and cultural competency.

Learning, Design, and Media

Understand how people learn and use that understanding to design, implement, and evaluate formal and informal learning environments, using an iterative process.
Industry Jobs (with BA): Technology firms, educational testing firms, learning companies, K-12 and higher education, healthcare, counseling, business, and not-for-profit organizations, human factors engineer, learning and education director, learning strategist, field coach, research and evaluation associate, coordinator of research, director of technology and business development, instructional designer, learning solutions designer, and museum exhibit designer.
Higher Education (with Masters, PhD, JD): Learning sciences, instructional design, educational psychology program, human factors.

Trauma-Informed Advocacy

Understand the challenges that individuals who have experienced trauma may face, learn how to advocate and support people who have had these challenging experiences and promote their success.
Industry Jobs (with BA): Child protective services, family social service programs, foster care case management, mental health and substance abuse centers, child and domestic abuse centers and runaway shelters, and victim rights advocacy.
Higher Education (with Masters, PhD, JD): Community and behavioral health, child life specialist, social work, couple and family therapy, mental health counseling, public

Supporting College Students

Understand how to work with college students and related systems. College and universities of all sizes and varied purposes are fueled by well-trained professionals and policies that support their students and mission.
Industry Jobs (with BA): Admissions counselor, academic coach, residence hall coordinator, multicultural specialist, financial aid officer, TRIO programs specialist.
Higher Education (with Masters, PhD, JD): Higher education and student affairs (HESA), college student personnel, counseling, and educational policy programs.

Learning and Development

Understand the process of learning, how to en-gage in different populations in their development of knowledge, skills and abilities; and learning in different areas such as literary or science.
Industry Jobs (with BA): Early childhood centers, community learning programs, public health environments, museums, recreation services, youth leadership programs, educational administration, instructional design for corporate trainings, curriculum and textbook development.
Higher Education (with Masters, PhD, JD): Clinical mental health counseling, counseling ed, counseling psychology, couple and family therapy, ed leadership and policy, learning science and educational psychology, higher ed and student affairs, school counseling / psychology.

 

Couples and Family

Understand the nature of interpersonal and intimate relationships, the inner workings of family systems, individual and family development, how the family fits into larger society, how to help families under stress or in crisis, how to be an advocate for all families.
Industry Jobs (with BA): Social service programs, childcare centers, pre-school programs, 4-H and youth development programs, mental health and substance abuse centers, child and domestic abuse centers and runaway shelters, family policy analyst/advocate, assisted living, adult day services, and nursing homes.
Higher Education (with Masters, PhD, JD): Human development and family studies, child life, social work, couple and family therapy.

K-12 Student Interventions

Understand the needs that children have as they cope with trauma, loss, family concerns, and common developmental challenges.
Industry Jobs (with BA): Public school para, after school programs, family social service programs, childcare centers, pre-school programs, 4-H and youth centers, mental health and substance abuse centers, child and domestic abuse centers, family policy advocate, at risk student intervention.
Higher Education (with Masters, PhD, JD): School counseling, human development and family studies, child psychology, and community agency work.

Sports, Society, and Inclusion

Understand the social and political elements that shape participation in sport and exclusion from it. Train students to become advocates for equity and inclusion in sports and vocation connected to it.
Industry Jobs (with BA): Athletic coaching, non-profits, and consulting.
Higher Education (with Masters, PhD, JD): Higher education, counseling, and law school.