STEM Higher Education Research
Minor Interdisciplinary Studies · UC Irvine · 2026-2027 Catalog
The field of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) higher education research has emerged over the last several decades. The emergence of this area of research is in part due to a lower than optimal degree of success for students aiming to pursue a STEM degree and the increasing evidence that there are significant disparities in this success for minoritzed student populations. The minor program enables STEM students to pursue coursework in the education and social sciences while leveraging their disciplinary knowledge to improve teaching and learning in STEM higher education settings.
Students who complete the minor requirements are capable of designing an education research study in a STEM higher education context, identifying the appropriate theory and methodologies to conduct this study, conducting the study, and communicating their findings to the field at large. Students also learn about social and behavioral research ethics requirements and complete relevant training and certification.
Requirements
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| A. Select one from the following | ||
| Introductory Education Courses | ||
| EDUC 25 | Introduction to Education: Disciplinary Perspectives | |
| EDUC 30 | 21st Century Literacies | |
| EDUC 40 | Theories of Development and Learning Applied to Education | |
| SOCIOL 63 | Race and Ethnicity | |
| SOCIOL 68A | Ethnic and Immigrant America | |
| B. Select two from the following: | ||
| Upper-Division Education | ||
| EDUC 131 | Educational Technology | |
| EDUC 143 | Controversies in College | |
| EDUC 146 | Education, Learning, and Culture | |
| EDUC 147 | Poverty, Education, and Social Change | |
| EDUC 145 | Theories and Pedagogies of Race in Education | |
| EDUC 156 | Introduction to Field Methods in Education | |
| EDUC 157 | Public Policy and Evaluation | |
| EDUC 159 | Experimental Research Methods | |
| EDUC 179W | Advanced Writing for Education Sciences | |
| SOCIOL 110 | Research Methods | |
| SOCIOL 157A | Sociology of Education | |
| SOCIOL 167A | Racial and Ethnic Relations in the United States | |
| C. Select one from the following: | ||
| Methods | ||
| EDUC 10 | Educational Research Design | |
| EDUC 15 | Statistics for Education Research | |
| D. Complete: | ||
| ENGR 113/BIO SCI 105 | Introduction to STEM Education Research | |
| E. Select two upper-division STEM courses from the following programs: Biological Sciences, Information and Computer Sciences, Engineering, Physical Sciences | ||
| F. Capstone sequence: Complete three quarters of mentored independent research (199 units) with a faculty advisor affiliated with the STEM Higher Education Research minor program | ||