Education

Be the change, to see the change.” Not everyone aspires to be a teacher, but we are all educators in one sense or another.

Oxy’s education department invites you to “be the change” by complementing your major with an education minor. Studying education at Oxy will prepare you to become an excellent ‘urban educator’ in the broadest sense of the word. You’ll learn to think clearly and analytically about pedagogy and policy, and gain firsthand experience in a variety of school- and community-based educational settings. You’ll be equipped to advocate for issues of diversity, equity and social justice as these issues play out in the realms of public and private education.

Oxy’s education program is centered on foundational preparation for urban schooling, educational advocacy with community-based organizations, and education policy. We believe an understanding of the urban community and neighborhood is essential to developing the problem-solving skills necessary for effective agency in urban educational settings.

Our interdisciplinary program integrates foundational coursework with urban community engagement via internships and fieldwork to provide a rich, collaborative and informative context for school reform, school improvement and educational activism. Some of these opportunities are facilitated by Oxy’s Center for Community Based Learning, and we also have long-standing relationships with public schools in Northeast Los Angeles, Pasadena and Glendale, plus two area charter schools.

For almost a century, we have produced sought-after educational leaders who are prepared to engage professionally across a number of contexts, including classroom teaching, school and district administration, leadership of community-based organizations, and educational policymaking.

What Our Graduates Are Doing

History teacher, Alexander Hamilton High School

Aviva Alvarez-Zakson
2015

Ph.D. program in Educational Policy Studies, UW Madison

Juan Medina
2008

Senior Manager, Denver Public Schools

Iesha Mitchell
2014

Ph.D. program in Education Policy, University of Virginia

Aliza Husain
2013

Ed.D. program in educational leadership, USC Rossier

Leo Magallon
2008
Contact Education
Booth Hall 101