Elective Options

In many cases, students may need a certain number of elective courses in order to fulfill the requirement of meeting 180 quarter hours to graduate. Students can take a wide variety of elective courses provided that they have met any prerequisites needed to take the courses.

Note: Depending on how many quarter hours are remaining for you to meet the 180 threshold, consider declaring a Concentration for your program or pursuing an eligible
Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) experience.

Speak to your advisor about adding elective courses, declaring a concentration, and/or pursuing a CPL experience.

Tip: Your advisor may indicate that you need an elective course by leaving a yellow textbox titled "Elective Course" with a similar note above.

Recommended Elective Courses for Education Students

The following courses derive from the Applied Educational Studies (AES) major. These courses are great electives to take as they apply to any educational field.

HSM 101: Introduction to Human Services (5qh)
HSM 306 Legal Issues in Human Services (5qh)
- Pre-requisite(s): HSM 101 and HSM 102
PSY 311: Introduction to Community Psychology (5qh)
- Pre-requisite(s): PSY 101
PSY 348: Cross-Cultural Communications (5qh)
- Pre-requisite(s): PSY 101
PSY 352: Children and Families under Stress (5qh)
- Pre-requisite(s): PSY 101
PSY 450 Human Sexuality (5qh)
- Pre-requisite(s): One previous psychology course.

Humanities/Social Sciences Electives

The following are courses that belong to various humanities and social science subjects but are not directly related to an educational field. Not every course is offered each term, so please plan ahead if there is a course you would like to take to ensure it is factored into your degree plan accordingly. All the courses listed are offered asynchronously online.

Note: Many of these courses may already be required for you to take to fulfill any remaining General Education requirements needed for your program.

Art

Communications

COM 104: Evolution of Mass Media (5qh)
COM 105: Introduction to Communication: Storytelling (5qh)
- Pre-requisite(s): ENG 101 and ENG 201 with a grade of a C or better or equivalent as determined by advisor.

All courses have the following pre-requisites: COM 104, COM 105, or permission of Program Chair or designate.

English

All courses have the following pre-requisites: ENG 101, ENG 201

ENG 300: American Literature to 1865 (5qh)
ENG 301: Advanced English Composition (5qh)
ENG 310: American Literature 1865 to Present (5qh)
ENG 320: Latinx Literature (5qh)
ENG 330: British Literature (5qh)
ENG 340: Literature of the Black Diaspora (5qh)

GenEd/RES

GEN 201: Foundations of AI Literacy (2qh)
GEN 204: Make Your Point: Essential Skills for Academic Writing & Research (2qh)
RES 300: Research Foundations: Building the Literature Review (2qh)
- Good for students thinking about grad school!

History

Humanities

HUM 306: A People's History of Chicago (5qh)
- Pre-requisite(s): ENG 101 or equivalent, HIS 103 or equivalent; or with approval by the Department Chair.
HUM 309: Grind, Hustle, and Flow: The Ways We Work (5qh)
- Pre-requisite(s): ENG 101 equivalent or with approval by the Department Chair.
HUM 311: In Search of Meaning of Life (5qh)
- Pre-requisite(s): ENG 101, equivalent or with approval by the Department Chair.

Psychology

PSY 101: Introduction to Psychology (5qh)

All 300-level PSY courses require PSY 101

PSY 302: Psychology of Negotiations (5qh)
PSY 305: Memory and Cognition (5qh)
PSY 306: Theories of Personality (5qh)
PSY 307: Abnormal Psychology/Psychopathology (5qh)
PSY 308: Personality Theorists (5qh)
PSY 309: Applied Social Psychology (5qh)
PSY 310: Introduction to Industrial and Organizational Psychology (5qh)
PSY 315: Lifespan Development (5qh)
PSY 317: The Psychology of Happiness (5qh)
PSY 325: Psychology of Play and Therapeutic Applications (5qh)
PSY 330: Social Psychology (5qh)
PSY 350: Culture and Self (5qh)
PSY 401: Psychology of Learning (5qh)
- Pre-requisite: One previous psychology course.

Philosophy

PHIL 107: Ethics, Logic and Critical Inquiry (5qh)

Sociology

SOC 101: Foundational Sociology (5qh)

STEM & Business Electives

The following are courses that belong to various STEM and business subjects but are not directly related to an educational field. Not every course is offered each term, so please plan ahead if there is a course you would like to take to ensure it is factored into your degree plan accordingly. All the courses listed are offered asynchronously online.

Note: Many of these courses may already be required for you to take to fulfill any remaining General Education requirements needed for your program.

Business

BUS 101: Principles of Business (5qh)

Human Service Management

HSM 102: Principles and Practices of Group Process (5qh)

All 200- and 300-level HSM courses require the completion of HSM 101 and HSM 102 first.

Math

MTH 105: Math for Educators I (5qh)
MTH 115: Math for Educators II (5qh)
- Pre-requisite(s): MTH 105 or equivalent
Ask about additional math options, if interested.

Science

SCI 105: Environmental Biology with Lab (5qh)

STEM

STEM 300: Inquiry and Thinking in STEM for Teachers (5qh)
- Pre-requisite(s): MTH 105, MTH 115, SCI 101 & SCI 105.