For the Education Sciences Major, students are expected to complete an Education Capstone course their senior year. This can be accomplished via 2 pathways:
Capstone Option 1: EDUC W144 Practicum in Education / Capstone Project
This course, offered for 1-3 units, teaches students to become better practitioners by learning to think like researchers. Alongside their fieldwork, students develop an inquiry project to address a puzzle or phenomenon they identify in their fieldwork site. Through scaffolded assignments, students develop habits of inquiry and learn to engage in a cycle of action, reflection, and learning.
A wide variety of education-related fieldwork is possible through this course, including tutoring, coaching, providing classroom support, and working with a community organization. Students need to contact the course instructor to discuss possible placements in advance of the start of the semester.
A list of practicum sites currently partnering with EDUC W144, along with the hours required per unit, is available here: EDUC W144 Approved Sites. Students are also able to propose their own site subject to the approval of the course instructor. For more information about w144, please email educw144@berkeley.edu.
Capstone Option 2: EDUC 187A Teachers of Color in the United States
As the United States becomes more ethnoracially diverse, calls from researchers, policy makers, and practitioners to recruit, support, and retain teachers of color have become commonplace in educational discourse for addressing teacher quality and student achievement. These calls highlighting the importance of diversifying the ethnoracial composition of the teacher workforce are based on a growing body of evidence of the added value of teachers of color.
EDUC 187A involves 2 hours of fieldwork per week.
FAQ
If I’m an Educational Sciences Major, can I count other fieldwork units towards my capstone requirement, such as 197 units?
No. Students can only take EDUC W144 or EDUC 187A to fulfill their capstone requirement. These two courses offer a pedagogical scaffolding to the 7.5 hours of weekly fieldwork required for these capstone courses.
Can I fulfill my fieldwork requirement through study abroad?
Do other EDUC Courses have a fieldwork component?
Yes. Below is a list of BSE course offerings that integrate fieldwork:
- EDUC 140AC/W140A - Language and Literacy in a Global World
- EDUC 130 - Knowing and Learning in Mathematics and Science
- EDUC C181- Race, Identity, and Culture in Urban Schools
- EDUC 187A - Teachers of Color In the United States
- EDUC W190A / 190AC - Critical Studies in Education
Notes:
1. Beginning Fall 2026, EDUC 197 units cannot count toward the Education Sciences major.