Educational Psychology Minor
The Educational Psychology minor places students at the intersection of psychology and education, allowing them to gain the knowledge needed to improve learning, behavior and mental health. You can choose from a wide range of both education and psychology courses in this program, including children’s learning and development, theories of learning, careers in human services and foundations in education.
It is designed for students entering careers in education, counseling, early intervention, academic advising, research, and social services. Additionally, it provides support for graduate training in several fields including clinical or counseling psychology, social work or therapy, educational psychology, instructional psychology, school psychology, school counseling, speech and language therapy.
Minor Requirements
The Educational Psychology Minor should be planned with an advisor. To connect with an advisor, contact the Behavioral Sciences Division Office at 503-838-8344 or behavioralsciences@wou.edu.
The minor consists of 27 credits, of which at least 15 hours must be upper division. Students complete a required core, and then choose from elective options. Electives must include at least 6 hours of ED or SPED courses.
For a full description of each of the courses listed below, visit the course descriptions page.
Required Core Classes: 14 Credits
| PSY 201 | General Psychology | 4 |
| PSY 360 OR PSY 390 | Cognitive Psychology OR Theories of Learning | 4 |
| ED 200 OR ED 220 OR SPED 200 | Foundations of Ed OR Intro Early Childhood Education OR Careers in Human Services | 3 |
| ED 481 | Intro to ESOL & Bilingual ED | 3 |
Electives: Minimum 13 Credits
Must include at least 6 hours of ED or SPED coursework.
| ED 224 | Creative Arts in Early Childhood Settings (birth-4th grade) | 3 |
| ED 230 | Children’s Literature in Diverse Classrooms | 3 |
| ED 231 | Typical & Atypical Dev | 3 |
| ED 232 | Health and Safety Practices in the Early Childhood Environment (birth-4th grade) | 3 |
| ED 233 | Applied Adolescent Learning & Dev | 3 |
| ED 240 | Young Adult Literature in Diverse Classrooms | 3 |
| ED 242 | Applied Child Learning & Dev | 3 |
| ED 245 | Designing Early Childhood Environments (birth-4th grade) | 3 |
| ED 248 | Developmentally Appropriate Practices | 3 |
| ED 250 | Inclusive Practices in Early Childhood Settings | 3 |
| ED 259 | Special Education and Inclusive Communities | 3 |
| ED 280 | Infant & Toddler Dev. | 3 |
| ED 322 | Early Child Motor Dev. and Movement Ed. | 3 |
| ED 343 | Purposes of Play in Learning | 3 |
| ED 369 | Critical Issues in Early Child | 3 |
| ED 383 | Intro – Infant Mental Health | 3 |
| ED 385 | Infant & Toddler Observation & Assessment | 3 |
| ED 419 | Poverty, Young Children & Families | 3 |
| ED 420 | Global Perspectives Early Childhood Ed. | 3 |
| ED 472 | Trauma Informed Practices | 3 |
| PSY 310 | Building Resilience in Children | 4 |
| PSY 311 | Developmental Psychology | 4 |
| PSY 349 | Intro to Behavior Modification | 4 |
| PSY 410 | Mentoring I | 4 |
| PSY 411 | Mentoring II | 4 |
| PSY 435 | Theories of Personality | 4 |
| PSY 449 | Psychology of Creativity | 4 |
| PSY 458 | Language Development | 4 |
| PSY 463 | Childhood Psychopathology | 4 |
| PSY 465 | Motivation | 4 |
| PSY 480 | Infancy and Childhood | 4 |
| PSY 482 | Adolescence | 4 |
| SPED 418 | Survey of Special Ed | 3 |
| SPED 447 | Partnerships in Special Ed | 3 |
Resources for Students Interested in Educational Psychology
The American Psychological Association (APA ) Division 15 Educational Psychology Webpage: APA Division 15 | Bringing Educational Psychology to The World (apadiv15.org)
The American Psychological Association (APA) Division 15 Psychology in Action Educational Psychologist: Educational Psychology Promotes Teaching and Learning (apa.org)
APA Division 15 Educational Psychology Podcast Series: Podcast Series | APA Division 15 (apadiv15.org)
Psychology Today Educational Psychology Division 15 Blog: PsychEd | Psychology Today
Interview with Educational Psychologist Dr. Ellen Mandinach: Dr. Ellen Mandinach, Educational Psychologist (apa.org)
FAQs
Is a practicum or internship required for this minor?
No, a practicum is not required but it is encouraged as a great way to get real-world job experience and make connections in the field. Some courses within the minor include applied internship experiences (i.e., PSY 310 Building Resilience in Children; PSY 410 Mentoring I; PSY 411 Mentoring II). See your advisor for more information.
How would a minor in Educational Psychology help me?
The Educational Psychology minor provide students the ability to develop skills that are in demand across a range of settings working with diverse learners (Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2016). A list of possible employment opportunities is listed above.
My major is psychology. Can I minor in educational psychology?
Yes, any major can be combined with a minor in the educational psychology program. However, if a class is used for the minor (e.g., PSY 201) it can’t also be used for the major. In other words, students cannot “double-dip” or use the same course for your major and minor. Course substitutions are required for such classes. See your advisor for more information.
Do any of these classes have prerequisites?
Yes, some courses have prerequisites. There are prerequisites for most of the psychology courses which can be satisfied with taking PSY 201. Some psychology courses also require PSY 202. Some of the Education courses have prerequisites. See your advisor for more information.
