B.S. American Education Studies
120
Credit Hours
75%
Max Transfer Credit
Class Type
100% online
Next Start Date
Apr 1, 2024
Cost Per Credit

Build the Knowledge to Facilitate Learning with a Bachelor’s in Education Studies

Gain the insight necessary to maximize student learning from PK to grade 12. By studying education and learning theory, you’ll understand how to create situations conducive to student success. Franklin University’s 100% online B.S. American Education Studies exposes you to learning theories and models that are prevalent in today’s PK-12 education settings. 

Program Availability

On Site

Learn from the Best

Benefit from the expertise of seasoned, in-field practitioners.

Online Coursework

Balance earning your degree with other work-life commitments.

Make a Difference

Facilitate learning for children in a variety of settings.

Prep for Grad School

Build a strong foundation for an instructional design master’s program.

Cut Your Costs

Low tuition and no hidden fees save you money.

American Education Studies Program Overview

Impact learners at various stages and in a variety of learning environments

Whether you want to team teach at a childcare center, run your own classroom at a charter or private school or create a foundation for graduate-level studies in instructional design, the bachelor’s degree program in American education studies is a good fit for you. 

You’ll learn to understand the learning challenges children and teens face and how to create strategies to overcome them. With inclusive practices woven throughout the program, you’ll gain insight on how to meet learners where they are in order to help them succeed. 

Identify milestones in student development

You’ll examine human development across the lifespan to understand the biological, psychological, and social influences on development. As a result, you gain insight into prominent theoretical perspectives associated with development in childhood, adolescence, early adulthood, as well as mid- and late life.

Match instructional needs to students’ needs and progress

You’ll explore research and theory on the effectiveness of differentiated classrooms and examine the importance of differentiating instruction for today's diverse student population. You’ll learn to recognize the need to increase variety in teaching, learning and assessment to respond to individual student needs, as well as how to use strategies including assignment tiering, graphic organizers, critical thinking skills, reflection and assessment strategies customized for a mixed-ability classroom. You’ll begin to diagnose student needs and prescribe tasks that create better matches between learning needs and preferences and plan and implement methods appropriate for assessing individual learning needs in a performance-based curriculum.

Create an inclusive classroom culture and help students take ownership of their learning

As a student in Franklin’s American Education Studies major, you’ll create a variety of valid and reliable classroom assessments. You will also explore how to use data to influence classroom decisions, guide and improve teaching skills, and tailor instruction to individual learning needs. You’ll find the connection between constructive evaluation skills such as constructive feedback; helping students monitor their own progress; influencing students’ continuing motivation; and their perceptions of self-efficacy as learners and the positive effect on student learning.  

Earn your bachelor’s in American education studies from a university built for busy adults 

Whether you want to team teach at a childcare center, run your own classroom at a charter or private school or create a foundation for graduate-level studies in instructional design, the bachelor’s degree program in American education studies is a good fit for you. 

You’ll learn to understand the learning challenges children and teens face and how to create strategies to overcome them. With inclusive practices woven throughout the program, you’ll gain insight on how to meet learners where they are in order to help them succeed. 

Read more >

Future Start Dates

Start dates for individual programs may vary and are subject to change. Please request free information & speak with an admission advisor for the latest program start dates.

Spring 2024
April
1
Recommended Register By:
Mar 22
Summer 2024
May
20
Recommended Register By:
May 10
Summer 2024
July
1
Recommended Register By:
Jun 21
Fall 2024
August
19
Recommended Register By:
Aug 9
Fall 2024
September
30
Recommended Register By:
Sep 20
Fall 2024
November
11
Recommended Register By:
Nov 1
Spring 2025
January
6
Recommended Register By:
Dec 27
Spring 2025
February
17
Recommended Register By:
Feb 7
Spring 2025
March
31
Recommended Register By:
Mar 21

Your Best Value B.S. American Education Studies

Choose Franklin's B.S. in American Education Studies and get a high-quality degree that fits your life and budget.     

Keep the Credit You've Earned

90
MAX TRANSFER HOURS

Transfer up to 75% of required credits to finish faster and spend less.

Students must complete a minimum of 30 credit hours at Franklin University to be eligible for a degree.

×

Partner? Pay Less.

Search below to see if you could save tuition through an employer or professional organization partnership.

$47,760
Total Tuition
(After Partner Discount)

Student Satisfaction

98%
STUDENT SATISFACTION

98% of graduating students would recommend Franklin to their family, friends and/or colleagues.

Source: Franklin University, Office of Career Development Student Satisfaction Survey (Summer 2023)

×

Tuition Guarantee

Inflation-proof your degree cost by locking-in your tuition rate from day one through graduation.

×

American Education Studies Courses & Curriculum

120 Semester Hours
Fundamental General Education
English Composition
ENG 120 - College Writing (4)

In this course, students acquire the writing competencies necessary for completing analytical and argumentative papers supported by secondary research. A variety of assignments, beginning with personal reflections, build upon one another, as students develop ideas that respond to, critique, and synthesize the positions of others. Students systematize and organize knowledge in ways that will help them in all their courses. The course also emphasizes the elements of critical reading, effective writing style, appropriate grammar and mechanics, clarity of language, and logical and cohesive development. It culminates in submission of an extended, documented research paper.

Mathematics
MATH 215 - Statistical Concepts (4)

This course introduces you to statistics with applications to various areas. The course covers both descriptive and inferential statistics. Topics included are: sampling techniques, data types, experiments; measures of central tendency, measures of dispersion, graphical displays of data, basic probability concepts, binomial and normal probability distributions, sampling distributions and Central Limit Theorem; confidence intervals, hypothesis tests of a mean, or a proportion for one or two populations, and linear regression.

Choose either MATH 140 Introduction to Quantitative Reasoning or MATH 150 Fundamental Algebra as the prerequisite to MATH 215. Course can count as a University Elective.

Social and Behavioral Sciences
PSYC 110 - General Psychology (4)

This course is a survey of the various fields of study comprising modern scientific psychology. We will examine the theories, research findings, and applications in each of the major areas of psychology, with the goal of providing students with practical information they can apply to their personal and professional lives. The topic areas covered in the course include learning and memory, motivation and emotion, human development, theories of personality, psychopathology, and social behavior.

2 credits from the following types of courses:
Choose from the Anthropology, Economics, Geography, History, Political Science, or Sociology disciplines.

Science

6 credits from the following types of courses:
Two courses from the Science discipline. One course must have a lab component.

Arts & Humanities

6 credits from the following types of courses:
Choose from the Art, English Literature, Fine Arts, Humanities, Music, Philosophy, Religion or Theater disciplines.

Additional General Education
PF 121 - Basic Learning Strategies (2)

This course prepares students to be successful lifelong learners both academically and in their chosen careers. Franklin courses require a high level of self-directed learning and focus on the skills required in the workplace and the classroom that are easily transferrable between the two environments. The course includes strategies for time management, goal setting, reading comprehension, and advancing communication skills, including the use of electronic tools to participate in virtual environments.

OR PF 321 - Learning Strategies (2)

This course prepares students to be successful lifelong learners both academically and in their chosen careers. Franklin courses require a high level of self-directed learning and focus on the skills required in the workplace and the classroom that are easily transferable between the two environments. The course includes strategies for advancing communication skills, including the use of electronic tools to participate in virtual environments. The assignments and activities in the course are created to closely simulate teamwork found in the workplace.

COMM 150 - Interpersonal Communication (4)

By using applied critical and creative thinking, students in this course will develop a set of communication skills that will enhance their personal and professional relationships and endeavors. This course will focus on skill development in key areas such as self, perception, listening, verbal messages, conversations, relationships, conflict management, persuasion, and presentation skills.

OR SPCH 100 - Speech Communication (4)

This basic public-speaking course intends to improve the student's ability to think critically and to communicate orally. Theory and practice are provided in various speaking situations. Each student is required to speak before an audience, but class work also involves reading, gathering and organizing information, writing, and listening.

4 credits from the following types of courses:
Any General Education course at the 100 or 200 level

Professional Education Component
PSYC 207 - Lifespan Development (3)

A survey of human development across the lifespan examining the biological, psychological, and social influences on development. Prominent theoretical perspectives associated with development in childhood, adolescence, early adulthood, midlife, and late life will be included.

EDP 401 - Education in Diverse Society (3)

This course explores the profession of education and examines the state, federal, and institutional standards that guide the profession. Students will examine the psychological, sociological, and philosophical foundations of education as they relate to learning. Topics of discussion and analysis include the development of individual differences; atmosphere of respect; understanding students' needs grouping, education of minorities; how the teacher creates instructional opportunities that are equitable and adaptable to diverse learners; exploring the components of individual and group motivation and behavior to create a learning environment that encourages positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self-motivation.

EDP 403 - Nature & Need of Learners With Exceptionalities (3)

This course provides students the opportunity to develop an understanding of the philosophical, historical, and legal foundations of special education as well as an understanding of the characteristics of learners who have special needs; explore and define the concepts of special education in schools and society, and acquire knowledge about the legal and procedural aspects of special education and develop an understanding and respect for individual needs and diversity. Students relate multicultural issues, beliefs, and practices to the needs of the student with mild/moderate disabilities, explore crisis intervention/prevention models and strategies and examine conflict resolution. This course presents students with the opportunity to develop an understanding of the issues relating to developing and encouraging positive social interaction skills, issues relating to the diverse emotional needs of students with mild/moderate disabilities, and issues relating to student behavior.

SED 201 - Cognition, Learning, & Intelligence (3)

This course will provide the opportunity for students to dig deeper into how students acquire and retain knowledge, as well as the factors that affect student learning and motivation. Students will learn the importance of teaching and designing lessons in consideration of the biological functions of the brain. The fundamentals of brain-based learning will be covered as well as how this knowledge can be applied to the classroom environment and instruction. The cause of academic deficits will be explored in light of executive functioning skills and students will learn interventions to address executive functioning difficulties in learners.

EDP 421 - Child & Adolescent Literature (3)

The course explores literature for the early and middle childhood aged student with an emphasis on standards for selection of materials with reference to the interests, needs, and abilities of children at the different levels within these ranges of ages. Attention is given to books and their uses in all subject matters. Special emphasis is placed on activities that will motivate early and middle childhood students to read. The goal of creating life-long readers is stressed.

EDP 405 - Applying Educational Psychology to Instruction (3)

This course provides students the opportunity to develop an understanding of the theories of cognition, intelligence, and learning, especially as it relates to identifying children with special needs. A developmental perspective will be utilized in the examination of the biological, social, psychological, and cultural influences on growth and change during childhood and adolescence. Students begin the process of relating the theories to instruction and assessment processes.

EDUC 230 - The Teaching of Phonics (3)

This course is required for prospective teachers seeking the Resident Educator Early Childhood License, the Resident Educator Middle Childhood License, and the Resident Educator Intervention Specialist License. The focus is the explicit, systematic teaching of phonics: the history, the evidence, and the individual components of this approach. Letter-sound relationships, blending, word building, decoding multisyllable words and fluency are established as effective, evidence-based methods of teaching decoding skills. Application is addressed through explanations, models, and resources provided within the text and additional supplemental resources available through a companion website access.

EDUC 331 - Teaching Early Childhood Reading (3)

This course is required for prospective teachers seeking the Provisional Early Childhood License, the Provisional Middle Childhood License, or the Provisional Intervention Specialist License. The course examines the development of communication skills in early learners, from listening and speaking to reading and writing. It presents frameworks aligned with the science-based principles of early literacy development, encompassing components of Structured Literacy, incorporating evidence-based strategies that promote effective reading and writing instruction.

EDUC 332 - Reading in the Content Areas (3)

This course is required for prospective teachers seeking the Resident Educator Middle Childhood License, the Resident Educator Adolescence to Young Adult License, or the Resident Educator Intervention Specialist License. The course explores the development from learning-to-read to using reading to learn. It investigates the role of vocabulary instruction, comprehension, study skills, and the writing process. It also addresses the assessment of textbooks, the reading process, and student motivation.

EDUC 309 - Technology in the Classroom (3)

This course is designed to emphasize the connectivity of technology to the classroom and the general curriculum. Students will explore programs that will aid them in classroom management, data collection, student-produced work, creating instructional tools, and administration of classroom responsibilities. Students will develop products that can be used to support their teaching and the learning process of their students.

EDUC 402 - Differentiating Instruction (3)

This course is intended for students seeking an American Education Studies Bachelor?s Degree. This course will provide students with the opportunity to explore research and theory on the effectiveness of differentiated classrooms; examine the importance of differentiating instruction for today's diverse student population; recognize the need to increase variety in teaching, learning, and assessment to respond to individual student needs; utilize strategies including assignment tiering, graphic organizers, critical thinking skills, reflection and assessment strategies customized for a mixed-ability classroom; diagnose student needs and prescribe tasks that create better matches between learning needs and preferences and plan and implement methods appropriate for assessing individual learning needs in a performance-based curriculum.

EDUC 250 - Instructional Planning for PK12 Learners (3)

This course is required for prospective teachers seeking the Resident Educator License. The course examines all aspects of instructional planning and examines the common strategies teachers employ to conduct their lessons. It assumes students have a deep understanding of the content they will teach and an extensive understanding and appreciation of the students with whom they will work. The overriding purpose of the course resides in the transformation of content and behavioral objectives into sequences of instructional activities that make it accessible to students.

EDUC 421 - Classroom Guidance, Family, School, and Community Partners (3)

Presents an overview of classroom organization and management, and systematic behavior change techniques required for the effective teaching and enhanced students learning for all children in Pre-K through 12th grade. This course explores the social and emotional development of school-aged children, investigates the causes of children?s various behaviors, and prepares teacher candidates to support children in developing self-regulation skills needed to support learning and communicating with others. This course will also focus on classroom management practices necessary to build an effective classroom learning community that supports student learning. You will learn to establish and maintain collaborative partnerships that are sensitive to family composition, language, and culture with each student?s family to foster student learning and development in all settings and skills needed to establish relationships with and use resources of the students? communities to support student learning and development.

EDUC 220 - Introduction to Education (3)

This course is required for prospective teachers seeking the Resident Elementary Education License. This course explores the history, philosophy, purposes, and societal needs for elementary education. Appropriate organization and curriculum for PK-5 will be discussed. Readiness for learning will be investigated.

EDUC 369 - Data, Measurement, and Instruction (3)

This course is intended for students seeking an American Education Studies Bachelor?s Degree. This course introduces students to data-based instruction and individualization. Assessment techniques, the analysis of assessment results, and the uses of data are explored. Students will also explore how to use data to influence classroom decisions, guide and improve teaching skills, tailor instruction to individual learning needs, and support decisions regarding student?s inclusion or progress in tiered systems of support.

University Electives

39 credits from the following types of courses:
Any undergraduate courses offered by the University except developmental education courses.

Additional Requirements

All students are required to pass College Writing (ENG 120), and either Basic Learning Strategies (PF 121) or Learning Strategies (PF 321) prior to enrolling in any course at the 200 level or above. Students who enroll at Franklin with 30 or fewer hours of transfer credit are required to pass PF 121 Basic Learning Strategies in place of PF 321 Learning Strategies. Interpersonal Communication (COMM 150) or Speech Communication (SPCH 100) must be taken prior to enrolling in any course at the 300 level or above. Students must also meet the University algebra competency requirement.

Academic Minors

Personalize your degree with a minor. Explore available minors, learn how minors can benefit you, and find out what requirements you must meet to earn a minor.

Learn More

B.S. American Education Studies Program Details

Ready to make a difference in education?

Get a FREE action plan filled with resources and recommendations from those who are already there.

I'm in - Show Me the Guide >

Careers & Jobs

Instructional Aide

Instructional aides assist teachers by preparing materials, locating supplies and perform other classroom-related tasks to support instructional activities. 

Charter School Teacher

Charter school teachers work with students to facilitate learning that aligns with the school’s mission.

Private School Teacher

 Private school teachers provide general or specialized instruction to elementary, middle or high-school aged children. 

Childcare Provider

Childcare providers support the well-being of young children and facilitate learning and development. Childcare providers may work independently or as part of a team.

Get College Credit for What You Already Know

The certificates and training listed below are relevant to this degree program. Search our database to view pre-evaluated credentials and see how a license, certification or professional training saves you time and money toward your degree.

B.S. American Education Studies Frequently Asked Questions

Back to College Blog