The Learning Sciences & Human Development (LSHD) master's program focuses on research, theory and professional knowledge about learning environments. Areas of study include K–12 schools, community settings, museums and the variety of contexts that young people navigate in their everyday lives, including digital media and gaming. Although we have a primary focus on children and youth, several faculty members also study processes of teacher learning.
The program is structured in ways that emphasize the bridging of theory and practice, lending primary emphasis to academic study and research. The program is designed to provide an academic and practical foundation that prepares students for a variety of career pathways. These include, but are not limited to, work in K–12 education, youth-serving community organizations, educational research firms or in the private sector. Faculty advisors and students build programs of study that meet program goals and the student's interests.
Prior Experience
To make the most of the LSHD MA program, it is helpful—though not required—for students to have taken coursework focused on learning and human development. For example, courses that address topics such as how people learn, cognition and the social and cultural contexts of development, including the study of culture, race, ethnicity, gender or linguistics would be relevant. Commensurate professional or paraprofessional experience in educational settings—in and out of school and with youth and adults—is also a valued prior experience.