Education Minor
The undergraduate minor in education is appropriate for undergraduate students interested in furthering their knowledge of education as a means of career development or to enhance their understanding of current schooling, community, and policy directions.
To declare a minor in education, you must see an advisor by appointment. During the declaration appointment, the advisor will review with you the requirements for the minor and determine if you can complete the program within the eight-semester limit.
If you intend to declare a minor in education and have already declared (or intend to declare) a major in human development and family science (HDFS) or human and organizational leadership development (HOLD), only six (6) credit hours can overlap between the education minor and the HDFS and HOLD majors.
Students who enrolled in the education minor in Fall 2025 or earlier complete a capstone course (EDUC 697) as a part of the minor. Students are eligible to take the capstone when at least three of the other four requirements have been completed. Students on Fall 2025 curriculum and earlier may move to the Fall 2026 curriculum with their academic advisor's assistance.
More information is available on the School of Education's website.
Requirements
In addition to the program requirements listed below, students must:
- take at least nine hours of their minor "core" requirements at UNC–Chapel Hill
- earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.000 in the minor core requirements. Some programs may require higher standards for minor or specific courses.
For more information, please consult the degree requirements section of the catalog.
The minor consists of five courses.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Requirements | ||
| EDUC 240 |  Introduction to Educational Studies | 3 |
| Select one of the following courses related to learning and development: | 3 | |
| The Science of Learning | ||
| Childhood Development: Prenatal Birth to Age 12 | ||
| Exceptionality Across the Life Span | ||
| Human Development and Learning | ||
| Select one of the following courses related to culture, curriculum, and teacher education: | 3 | |
| Equity, Leadership, and You | ||
| Education in American Society | ||
| Social Justice in Education | ||
| Select one of the following courses related to educational policy and organizational leadership: | 3 | |
| Inquiry and Data Applications | ||
| Politics, Policymaking, and America's Schools | ||
| History of American Higher Education | ||
| One additional 3-credit EDUC course numbered 100 to 699 | 3 | |
| Total Hours | 15 | |
Further questions about major requirements, including requests for substitutions can be directed to the SOE Student Affairs Office (soestudentaffairs@unc.edu) and are subject to approval by the program director of the Education Minor.
Department Programs
Major
- Elementary Education Major, B.A.Ed.
- Human Development and Family Science Major, B.A.Ed.
- Human and Organizational Leadership Development Major, B.A.
Minor
Courses
Dean
Jill Hamm
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Director of Graduate Studies
Thurston Domina
