If you are interested in a career in education or a helping profession but you do not wish to pursue classroom teaching, a degree in Education Studies and Human Relations may be right for you.
The multidisciplinary Education Studies and Human Relations (ESHR) major in the College of Education provides a number of opportunities for students who are interested in a career in education or counseling-related fields but do not wish to pursue K-12 classroom teaching.
The ESHR program provides strong academic preparation, including critical-thinking and interpersonal-communication skills, for a wide variety of education-related careers or graduate study.
As a College of Education student, you will join an engaged community dedicated to advancing education in the 21st century. The college offers a unique mix of faculty expertise across four academic departments and multiple programs in diverse disciplines.
With a 10:1 student to faculty ratio, our students enjoy a Big Ten research university experience with small classes and individual attention at Iowa's top-ranked college of education. Iowa's undergraduate and graduate education programs are consistently ranked among the best in the state and the nation.
Our graduates become world-class leaders, scholars, and innovators in many facets of education from design of learning technologies and educational solutions, educational administration, and counseling to student development, higher education, measurement and testing, and more.
Students may be admitted to the Education Studies and Human Relations major through Direct Admission, Regular Admission, or Transfer Admission.
Direct Admission is designed for first-year students applying to Iowa for the fall semester. Applicants who present an ACT composite score of 21 or higher and a final high school GPA of at least 3.0 are eligible for Direct Admission into the Education Studies and Human Relations major. First-year students who do not meet requirements for admission to the major may declare Education Studies and Human Relations Interest in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and apply later for Regular Admission to the major.
Regular Admission is available to students who have completed a minimum of 12 s.h. of graded course work at the University of Iowa and who have a UI cumulative GPA of at least 2.50.
Transfer Admission is available to students who have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.50 on a minimum of 24 s.h. of acceptable graded credit earned after high school graduation.
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Iowa graduates have a 95 percent job/grad school placement rate within six months of graduation. Our Pomerantz Career Center offers multiple resources to help students find internships and jobs.
There is a growing need for trained education and human relations professionals. ESHR provides solid preparation for careers in educational administration, health education, medical and health services, probation and correction treatment services, regulatory affairs, social and community service, social and human services, instructional technology media support, and related fields.
In addition to more than 500 Student Organizations, Iowa students choose from more than 100 Study Abroad Programs and multiple Undergraduate Research Opportunities.
The University of Iowa provides a variety of scholarships to eligible undergraduate students through the Iowa Scholarship Portal. Scholarships are available to first-year, transfer, and currently enrolled students. For additional details on scholarships for your program of study, check directly with the department or college.
The Office of Admissions and the Office of Student Financial Aid are great resources for students seeking scholarships.
The Education Studies and Human Relations BA program requires a minimum of 120 s.h., including at least 30 s.h. of work in the major. Students must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00 in all college course work as well as in all University of Iowa course work. Students also must complete the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences GE CLAS Core Program. All courses must be taken on a graded basis unless a course is only offered as nongraded.
See Education Studies and Human Relations in the UI General Catalog to learn more about course requirements for this major.
Students may choose one of the following subprograms within ESHR to help them meet their educational and career goals:
The Education Studies subprogram is for students who want to work in fields such as learning technologies, education policy, assessment and evaluation, education programming and management, organizational learning, or school district support roles. It is excellent preparation for graduate study in fields such as educational measurement, education policy, learning sciences, educational psychology, higher education, and student affairs.
The Human Relations subprogram trains students for careers in helping fields that rely on interpersonal communication and solving personal problems (addiction, case management), as well as for graduate study in community leadership, professional counseling, health-service psychology, couple and family therapy, and related fields.
Informal Concentration Areas provide a useful resource for students, in consultation with their advisers, in choosing meaningful electives that will ensure a cohesive program of study and develop skills that will enhance their future careers or graduate work. These are meant to be fluid over time to best reflect trends and issues in education and the helping professions.
Informal Concentration Areas include:
- Couple and Family
- Diversity Education
- K-12 Student Interventions
- Learning, Design, and Media
- Learning and Development
- Sports, Society, and Inclusion
- Supporting College Students
- Trauma Informed Advocacy
Visit Education Studies and Human Relations on the College of Education website for more information.