Undergraduate :: Undergraduate Home Page

Undergraduate Home Page

Welcome, Undergraduates!

The School of Education and Social Policy (SESP) offers a unique undergraduate education. Our faculty and students work together to inquire how learning and development take place throughout the life span and in many different settings. We recognize the power of lifelong learning to teach a child, run a business, make a law and bring a family together.

As the smallest school at Northwestern University, with fewer than 350 undergraduate students, SESP offers students flexibility in building their own program of study within one of four concentrations:

Human Development and Psychological Services
The Human Development and Psychological Services concentration examines the influences of the family, the schools, the community and the workplace on human development. Students in the program are exposed to both systems and individual approaches to the study of human psychopathology, growth and adaptation.

Learning and Organizational Change
The LOC concentration explores how organizations and the individuals within them use knowledge and learning to create and respond to change within their environments. LOC addresses the forces of change including technology, globalization, and changing demographics, and the theories and applications of learning, management, innovation and knowledge sharing. The interdisciplinary program draws upon current research in the fields of learning sciences and organization behavior. It also draws on the disciplines of economics, anthropology, psychology, sociology and computer science to give students robust lenses with which to view, understand and influence change.

Secondary Teaching
The Secondary Teaching Program combines course work in the liberal arts with professional education courses. Students earn a Bachelor of Science in Education and Social Policy (BSEd) from the School of Education and Social Policy (SESP) as well as earning a recommendation for certification through entitlement for Secondary teaching grades 6-12 or K-12 teaching for art and foreign languages.

Social Policy
The Social Policy program explores how policies function as the guiding principles that serve as the foundation for social programs, and analyzes the ways in which social policies and social institutions influence the course of human lives, and the ways in which people can influence social policies. The program provides a strong background in the social sciences and a familiarity with current social policy issues. The interdisciplinary program also draws upon current research in the fields of African American Studies, Anthropology, Communication Studies, Economics, Gender Studies, History, Philosophy, Political Science, Public Health, and Sociology.

I am pleased that you are either a part of our School or considering becoming a part of our community of scholars. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact our office at sespinfo@sesp.northwestern.edu. On behalf of the School of Education and Social Policy (SESP) Student Affairs team, we are commited to helping students succeed, both personally and academically.

Visit our QuickLinks for a collection of our most requested and useful web pages.

Sincerely,
Susan Olson
Assistant Dean

			Human Development and Psychological Services The Human Development and Psychological Services concentration examines the influences of the family, the schools, the community and the workplace on human development. Students in the program are exposed to both systems and individual approaches to the study of human psychopathology, growth and adaptation.

			Learning and Organizational Change The LOC concentration explores how organizations and the individuals within them use knowledge and learning to create and respond to change within their environments. LOC addresses the forces of change including technology, globalization, and changing demographics, and the theories and applications of learning, management, innovation and knowledge sharing. The interdisciplinary program draws upon current research in the fields of learning sciences and organization behavior. It also draws on the disciplines of economics, anthropology, psychology, sociology and computer science to give students robust lenses with which to view, understand and influence change.

			Secondary Teaching The Secondary Teaching Program combines course work in the liberal arts with professional education courses. Students earn a Bachelor of Science in Education and Social Policy (BSEd) from the School of Education and Social Policy (SESP) as well as earning a recommendation for certification through entitlement for Secondary teaching grades 6-12 or K-12 teaching for art and foreign languages.

			Social Policy The Social Policy program explores how policies function as the guiding principles that serve as the foundation for social programs, and analyzes the ways in which social policies and social institutions influence the course of human lives, and the ways in which people can influence social policies. The program provides a strong background in the social sciences and a familiarity with current social policy issues. The interdisciplinary program also draws upon current research in the fields of African American Studies, Anthropology, Communication Studies, Economics, Gender Studies, History, Philosophy, Political Science, Public Health, and Sociology.