Education
Education is a wide-ranging field, with ample opportunities for teaching from preK-12 and in higher education. Though any undergraduate major can prepare someone for a teaching career, psychology’s focus on human cognition, development, and social interactions is particularly well aligned!
Career Pathways
After college, you have lots of options. As highlighted below, there are many ways to get into teaching right after college. There are also opportunities to find a job doing education policy or research if teaching is not your calling, but you are interested in doing work that informs teaching, schools, and school-related policy.
Get into Education Research at Georgetown
Several professors in our psychology department do education-related work! Look at the department lab matching tool to see who is taking students.
- Dr. Kristia Wantchekon (school-based identity development and academic achievement)
- Dr. Adam Green (curiosity in learning)
- Dr. Ian Lyons (math learning processes)
- Dr. Anna Johnson (childhood development via pre-K)
It may also be worth looking at research offerings in the Public Policy, Politics, and Linguistics departments.
Gaining Teaching Experience During College
There are several opportunities to get into teaching and mentoring while you’re in college. See some options through the Center for Social Justice.
Gaining Teaching Experience After College
There are many ways to get into teaching right after school, either as teaching support staff or a full-fledged teacher. These websites offer a comprehensive list:
- Careers in Education (Cawley Career Education Center)
- Education fellowships (Yale University)
- Careers in Education (College Bound Foundation)
Many of these experiences will give you a chance to see how you feel about being in the classroom before you decide to take on a master’s degree. Some of these will actually cover your part-time master’s degree as you gain teaching experience!
In addition to the non-traditional programs above, you can also go directly into a master’s or teacher certification program. Be sure to look into what certifications you will receive and how they align with the kinds of jobs and the types of locations you want to teach in.
Professional Organizations
These organizations have annual or biannual conferences that may have programming for undergraduates interested in education.
- American Educational Research Association
- National Education Association
- Society for Research on Educational Effectiveness
- See this link for additional options
Relevant Courses in Psychology
The psychology department offers several classes that offer insights into how people learn and effective learning and teaching.
- PSYC 2300 Cognition: Info in the Brain
- PSYC 3200 Cognitive Neuroscience
- PSYC 3630 Topics in Educational Psychology
- PSYC 4795 Mind, Brain, and Education
Are you interested in the intersection between education and social justice? Look into the Education, Inquiry, and Justice minor right here at Georgetown! This six-class minor offers several compelling courses relevant to those interested in education.
Want to find out more? Chat with Prof. Kristia Wantchekon.
