Education, Human Services & Social Impact

Northeastern University’s Department of African American Studies mentors intellectual leaders, develops emerging scholars, and trains global citizens who are able to explore the world from diverse perspectives in an ever increasingly global and interdisciplinary world. As a community of international and interdisciplinary scholars, practitioners, and community leaders the department aims to create and translate knowledge to meet global and societal needs.

Africana Studies develops research, critical analysis, and communication skills applicable to careers in education, policy, social services, community organizing, and nonprofit leadership. Use SparkPath to connect your values and interests to specific career paths, build your professional network through LinkedIn, and explore the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network and Bridgespan Group in our resources library.

You can also utilize the Library’s Research Subject Guides homepage for Ethnic Studies and History resources, and more tools like JSTOR for African American studies and history scholarship, Academic Search Ultimate (EBSCOhost) for multidisciplinary coverage of race, identity, and culture, and Ethnic NewsWatch (ProQuest) for newspapers and journals from American ethnic and minority communities.

Resources: SparkPath | LinkedIn | Library Guide

For more information on the Africana Studies concentration, please visit the department website.

Asian Studies at Northeastern is an interdepartmental program that focuses on the histories, cultures, and politics of the most dynamic nation-states in East and South Asia, while also exploring their transnational interactions and their global diasporas, especially to the United States. In so doing, it encourages students to look carefully and critically at the complex ways that people in Asian countries have been involved with one another and with the rest of the world in both the past and the present.

Asian Studies builds cross-cultural fluency, research skills, and global awareness that are valuable in education, international development, policy, and nonprofit work. Use GoinGlobal to explore international career opportunities and understand work authorization requirements, connect with professionals in your target field through LinkedIn, and use our cover letter guide for roles in policy and social impact organizations.

You can also utilize the Library’s International Affairs guide for global and regional research, and more tools like JSTOR for Asian Studies and area studies scholarship, Academic Search Ultimate (EBSCOhost) for multidisciplinary coverage of Asia, and Access World News Research Collection (Newsbank) for international newspapers from across East and South Asia.

Resources: GoinGlobal | LinkedIn | Cover Letter Guide | Library Guide

For more information on Asian studies concentration, please visit the department website.

The School of Criminology and Criminal Justice prepares students for professional and research careers in criminal justice, criminology and related fields by applying multidisciplinary and comparative social science to understand, predict and explain crime and contribute to the development of public policy within urban communities. Through active learning, the School helps students develop intellectually and ethically, and appreciate the complexities of crime and the public and private efforts to make communities safer and ensure justice.

Criminal justice careers span law enforcement, victim services, policy, and community-based roles. Use Big Interview to prepare for agency and government interview processes, use our cover letter guide to craft materials for public sector and nonprofit employers, and search for roles through Handshake and GoinGlobal.

You can also utilize the Library’s Criminal Justice guide for criminology research, court data, and policy analysis, and more tools like the Criminal Justice Database within the Social Sciences Premium Collection for citations and abstracts on crime and policing, Academic Search Ultimate (EBSCOhost) for multidisciplinary criminology coverage, and National Criminal Justice Reference Service Abstracts for federal and state criminal justice research.

Resources: Big Interview | Cover Letter Guide | Handshake | Library Guide

For more information on the Criminal Justice concentration, please visit the department website.

The School of Education offers a wide range of programs for higher education administrators, and adult learning professionals.

In keeping with Northeastern University’s longstanding commitment to experiential learning, School of Education programs are professional and pragmatic. Our courses seamlessly integrate theory and practice, providing you with knowledge and skills that translate immediately to your school or organization.

Degrees:

Doctorate of Education- Seattle

Master of Education, Higher Education Administration

Master of Education, Learning and Instruction

Doctorate in Education-online with residency

Doctorate of Education- Charlotte

Careers in higher education administration, student affairs, and academic advising require interpersonal skills, program management, and an understanding of institutional culture. Use Big Interview to practice competency-based interview questions common in higher education hiring, explore the American Alliance of Museums and other professional associations in our resources library, and use our cover letter guide for administrative and student services roles.

You can also utilize the Library’s Education guide for education scholarship, policy, and best practices, and more tools like ERIC within the Social Sciences Premium Collection for education research on higher ed and student affairs, The Chronicle of Higher Education for current news and trends across the academic workforce, and PsycInfo (EBSCOhost) for research on student development and counseling.

Resources: Big Interview | Cover Letter Guide | Library Guide

For more information on the Higher Education Professional concentration, please visit the department website.

The School of Education offers a wide range of programs for K-12 teachers and administrators. In keeping with Northeastern University’s longstanding commitment to experiential learning, School of Education programs are professional and pragmatic. Our courses seamlessly integrate theory and practice, providing you with knowledge and skills that translate immediately to your school or organization.

Master’s Degree Programs:

• Master of Arts in Teaching, Elementary Licensure (NU-Boston)
• Master of Arts in Teaching, Secondary Licensure (NU-Boston)
• Master of Education, Learning Experience Design and Technology (NU-Seattle, Anywhere)
• Master of Education, Special Education (Nu-Boston, Anywhere)

Certificate Programs:

• Learning Experience Design and Technology (NU-Anywhere)
• Experiential Teaching and Learning (NU-Anywhere)

Doctoral Programs: 

Doctor of Education (EdD) (NU-Charlotte, Seattle, Anywhere)

Education careers require communication, curriculum design, and the ability to support diverse learners across settings. Use Big Interview to practice teaching philosophy and behavioral interview questions common in education hiring, explore TESOL and ACTFL professional associations in our resources library for specialized career guidance, and search for roles in schools and learning organizations through Handshake. 

You can also utilize the Library’s Education guide for pedagogy research, curriculum studies, and assessment scholarship, and more tools like ERIC within the Social Sciences Premium Collection for K-12 education literature, PsycInfo (EBSCOhost) for child development and educational psychology research, and JSTOR for foundational and historical education scholarship.

Resources: Big Interview | Handshake | Library Guide

For more information on the K-12 Teaching and Administration concentration, please visit the department website.

The Mission of the Department of English is to preserve and produce knowledge about and to engage students with English-language texts (in written and other forms) and the cultures that produce them from Early Modern period to the present day and to involve students in the study and practice of writing and rhetoric in English.

For undergraduates, the department provides a flexible, intellectually challenging liberal arts experience that will serve as the basis for advanced study, for continuing self-development, and for meaningful employment. At the graduate level, the department enables students to engage in independent scholarly inquiry and impart knowledge about the continually evolving terrain of English literary and writing studies, including emerging areas such as new media and digital humanities.

Degrees Offered:

For undergraduates, the department provides a flexible, intellectually challenging liberal arts experience that will serve as a basis for advanced study, for continuing self-development, and for meaningful employment. Our courses span the range of American and English literature and writing studies, with particular expertise in American and transatlantic literatures (early and contemporary), writing studies, and digital humanities.

English develops critical reading, argumentation, and writing skills that transfer across education, publishing, communications, and social impact careers. Use our cover letter guide to craft compelling application materials, use Jobscan to align your resume with specific job descriptions, and connect with the Association of Writers and Writing Programs and other professional associations in our resources library.

You can also utilize the Library’s Research Subject Guides homepage for English and humanities resources, and more tools like JSTOR for literature and humanities scholarship, Academic Search Ultimate (EBSCOhost) for multidisciplinary humanities coverage, and Oxford Reference Online for dictionaries and encyclopedias on literary terms, authors, and traditions.

Resources: Cover Letter Guide | Jobscan | Library Guide

For more information on the English concentration, please visit the department website.

The Human Services major is an academically rigorous program that prepares students for careers in social change. The mission of the Human Services program is to provide students with the theoretical and skill-based background necessary to practice as social professionals in the macro, mezzo, and micro arenas (individuals, communities and policies).

A Human Services student will take courses that are applicable and relevant to the field while honing their skills through our extensive experiential educational opportunities. Through courses, service-learning, co-op and the internship program, students are prepared to work in various capacities including: direct service, counseling, organizational development, political advocacy, community development and nonprofit management.

The human services major prepares students for careers in social change by providing the theoretical and skill-based background necessary for practice and research. Upon completion of the degree, students apply professional skills in counseling roles, nonprofit management, political advocacy, or organizational and community development.

Human services careers center on empathy, crisis intervention, and connecting people to the resources they need. Use our cover letter guide to craft application materials that speak to nonprofit and government employers, explore the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network and Bridgespan Group in our resources library, and use GoinGlobal to find domestic and international human services roles. 

You can also utilize the Library’s Human Services guide for counseling, social work, and nonprofit management resources, and more tools like Social Services Abstracts (ProQuest) for social work research on family, mental health, and community development, PsycInfo (EBSCOhost) for clinical and counseling psychology literature, and Sociological Abstracts (ProQuest) for research on poverty, homelessness, and social welfare.

Resources: Cover Letter Guide | GoinGlobal | Library Guide

For more information on the Human Services concentration, please visit the department website.

We believe that the ability to gather, analyze and present stories and information is at the core of the journalism and public relations professions, and we continue to emphasize reporting and writing skills in all courses. We also offer classes that keep pace with the changing way that news is delivered and received in the digital age. Students can study multimedia journalism, study visual communication, photojournalism, broadcast news writing, documentary production, and acquire public relations theory and skills.

As part of Northeastern’s College of Arts, Media and Design, journalism students also are part of a unique interdisciplinary and creative community. Our core curriculum is supplemented by electives that take advantage of course offerings from within our college and from other colleges in the university.

Degrees Offered:

The School of Journalism at CAMD combines traditional journalistic values—asking fundamental questions, seeking truths, holding institutions accountable—with new media techniques of digital, video, and data storytelling. Our undergraduate programs emphasize the reporting and writing skills students need to gather, investigate, analyze, present, and share information.

Journalism careers require strong reporting instincts, multimedia storytelling, and the ability to work quickly under deadline. Use our cover letter guide to craft compelling clips-based applications, explore journalism and media professional associations including the Editorial Freelancers Association in our resources library, and connect with media professionals through LinkedIn.

You can also utilize the Library’s Journalism guide for newsroom research and media scholarship, and more tools like Access World News Research Collection (Newsbank) for worldwide newspapers and wire services, Communications & Mass Media Complete (EBSCOhost) for journalism and media research, and Factiva for the Wall Street Journal, Barron’s, and hundreds of international newspapers.

Resources: Cover Letter Guide | LinkedIn | Library Guide

For more information on the Journalism concentration, please visit the department website.

We begin with the recognition that cultures do not exist in isolation but are, in some measure, shaped as a reaction or response to other cultures and forces in the world. Thus the study of the interconnectivity of cultures is of paramount import to our major. Our curriculum steers away from the purely instrumental study of language, that is, the idea that language is simply a tool to study other subjects, and instead stresses that language acquisition ought to be conceived in a more integrative way, that language and its cultural products are deeply related, and therefore must be studied together.

In that vein, we recommend that no essential distinction be made between a language itself and the full extent of its culture: these two aspects need to be studied concurrently and constantly.

Because of our belief in integrative competence, we have moved from the more traditional reliance on the study of language leading to the analysis of literature to one encompassing a much broader mandate of cultural and inter-cultural studies, including popular culture. These cultural and inter-cultural studies are by definition inter-disciplinary, and thus reach across many departmental and programmatic boundaries!

Majors: Spanish and ASL/English Interpreting

Language and cultural studies develop cross-cultural communication, translation, and research skills valued in education, international development, diplomacy, and nonprofit work. Use GoinGlobal to explore international career opportunities and work authorization requirements, practice articulating your language and cultural expertise with Big Interview, and connect with ACTFL and TESOL professional associations in our resources library.

You can also utilize the Library’s Research Subject Guides homepage for Language, Linguistics and Interpreting resources, and more tools like JSTOR for literature and linguistics scholarship, Academic Search Ultimate (EBSCOhost) for multidisciplinary coverage of languages and cultures, and Ethnic NewsWatch (ProQuest) for bilingual (English and Spanish) full-text content.

Resources: GoinGlobal | Big Interview | Library Guide

For more information on the Languages, Literatures and Cultures concentration, please visit the department website.

Philosophy is a basic field of inquiry. Its range encompasses ideas and issues in every domain of human experience; and its methods apply to problems of an unlimited variety. The major in philosophy can develop not only philosophical skill and sophistication but also critical thinking and writing abilities that are readily applicable to pursuits in other academic areas, useful in careers far removed from philosophy, and valuable in everyday social and personal life. The study of philosophy can profoundly affect both the thinking one does and the kind of person one is. We offer three approaches to the philosophy major, a minor, and specific graduate courses.

The program in Religion offers students the opportunity to acquire an understanding of religious experience within its social, historical, literary, and political context. Students study specific religious traditions such as Judaism, Islam, and Hinduism and using a comparative approach they explore themes across faith traditions. Through the major, a student will have the opportunity to study a range of religions and a variety of methods of understanding the key dimensions of religious life.

Philosophy and religion develop ethical reasoning, critical thinking, and communication skills applicable to education, policy, community development, and social impact careers. Use SparkPath to connect your values and interests to specific career paths, practice articulating your analytical background with Big Interview, and explore professional associations in our resources library.

You can also utilize the Library’s Research Subject Guides homepage for Philosophy and Religious Studies resources, and more tools like JSTOR for philosophy and religious studies scholarship, PhilPapers for a comprehensive index of philosophy literature, and Oxford Reference Online for dictionaries and encyclopedias on philosophical traditions and religious history.

Resources: SparkPath | Big Interview | Library Guide

For more information on the Philosophy and Religion concentration, please visit the department website.

Sociology is the scientific study of society; it begins with the premise that individuals are affected by the social structures, institutions, and cultural milieus surrounding them. Sociology provides students with the conceptual tools to understand how various features of society affect its members as well as how people create and maintain those same features.

The undergraduate sociology program at Northeastern University prepares students to rigorously analyze the social, political, and economic spheres of society at the local and global levels. Given the varied interests and areas of specialization among Northeastern’s sociology faculty, our program affords students the opportunity to acquire a multicultural and comparative perspective on social life. Our undergraduate offerings cover everything from gender and family violence, to law and criminality, human services, race and ethnicity, social movements, and urban social problems.

Although many of our majors go on to law or professional school, sociology also prepares students for occupations in human services and related health careers; business (sales, marketing, management); criminal justice; the non-profit and government sectors; lobbying, consulting, and citizen advocacy; and education.

Sociology and anthropology prepare students for careers in research, policy, community development, and social services. Use SparkPath to connect your interests and values to specific career paths, practice articulating your research and analytical skills with Big Interview, and explore the American Anthropological Association and Society for Applied Anthropology in our resources library. 

You can also utilize the Library’s Research Subject Guides homepage for Sociology and Anthropology resources, and more tools like Sociological Abstracts (ProQuest) for a comprehensive sociology database from 1952 to present, JSTOR for foundational sociology and anthropology scholarship, and Social Services Abstracts (ProQuest) for applied research on community and welfare programs.

Resources: SparkPath | Big Interview | Library Guide

For more information on the Sociology and Anthropology concentration, please visit the department website.

The multicultural world in which we live requires increased communication among varied and often divergent cultures. Learning a new language and its culture enables students to cross cultural barriers and to achieve a more cosmopolitan, open-minded, and sensitive view of the world.

The major seeks to ensure that students become as fluent as possible and introduces them to relevant cultures. For this reason, students take a number of language classes as well as literature, cinema, and general civilization courses. In addition, students are required to participate in study abroad and are urged to consider participating in international co-op, which prepares students to function on an everyday level in a foreign country.

A major in Spanish can form the basis for careers in teaching at the elementary, secondary, or college level; international business relations; government service; journalism; library science; international affairs; travel; and community service, especially in Spanish-speaking areas.

Spanish language skills open doors across education, social services, healthcare, international business, and government. Use GoinGlobal to explore roles in Spanish-speaking markets and understand international work authorization, connect with ACTFL for language education career guidance, and use our cover letter guide to craft materials for bilingual and international roles.

You can also utilize the Library’s Research Subject Guides homepage for Language, Linguistics and Interpreting resources, and more tools like Ethnic NewsWatch (ProQuest) for bilingual (English and Spanish) newspapers and journals from Latinx and Hispanic communities, JSTOR for Latin American and Iberian studies scholarship, and Academic Search Ultimate (EBSCOhost) for multidisciplinary coverage including Spanish-language content.

Resources: GoinGlobal | Cover Letter Guide | Library Guide

For more information on the Economics concentration, please visit the department website.