Policy Studies in Urban Education, Ph.D.

degree requirements

Please select a CONCENTRATION that matches your degree interests:

Concentration in Education Organization and Leadership

Students will pursue a program of study that equips them to conduct research from theoretical perspectives that constitute the EOL field, including organizational theory and research, administration and leadership theory, educational policy processes, educational organization and leadership, and educational change.

Field-specific courses (20 hours):

PS 510-Seminar in Urban Education
PS 571-Education Policy Formation, Implementation and Outcomes
PS 579-Organization and Management in Education
PS 587-Topics in Documentary and Field Research in Education (one topic)
PS 589-Educational Administration Theory

Research methods courses (20 hours):

ED 500-Structural Foundations of Educational Research
ED 544-Research Designs for Policy Analysis
ED 503-Introduction to Inferential Statistics
PS 512-Nature and Interpretation of Evidence in Educational Policy Research

Plus one course from among the following: EPSY 546-Educational Measurement EPSY 547-Multiple Regression in Educational Research EPSY 563-Advanced Analysis of Variance EPSY 583-Multivariate Analysis of Educational Data PS 587-Topics in Documentary and Field Research (second topic) ED 502-Essentials of Qualitative Inquiry in Education

Related field courses (9-12 hours):

Three courses taken outside the College of Education in one related discipline or field of study (e.g., business and management, economics, political science, sociology, etc.) to add depth to knowledge and research methods appropriate to concentration

Elective courses (14-16 hours):

Four courses from among the following:

PS 406-Politics of Urban Education
PS 453-Topics in Education Policy
PS 501-School Finance and Policy Analysis
PS 551-Administration Programs in Urban Schools
PS 568-Education and the Law
PS 570-Education Policy: Historical and Philosophical Analysis
PS 574-The Impact of College on Students
PS 575-Higher Education Organization and Administration
PS 576-History of Higher Education
PS 577-American Academic Profession
PS 578-Theoretical Frameworks of Educational Politics
PS 581-Collective Bargaining in Education
PS 582-Cultural Pluralism and Education Policy
PS 594-Special Topics in Education Policy (up to 8 hrs)
CIE 532-Staff Development and School Improvement
CIE 545-Educational Evaluation
CIE 574-Foundations of Curriculum Design
ED 543-Research on Teaching

Dissertation (16 hours):

PS599-Thesis Research

Concentration in Social Foundations of Education

Students will pursue a program of study that focuses on the social, cultural, political, economic, and global contexts of education, particularly for urban schools. Students will have the opportunity to engage in critical, activist scholarship on diversity, equity, and social justice in education. Coursework and research will equip students to conduct research in theoretical perspectives that constitute the SF field.

Field-specific courses (20 hours):

PS 510-Seminar in Urban Education
Four courses taken from among the following:

PS 566-Cultural Studies in Education
PS 567-Economics in Education
PS 570-Educational Policy: Historical and Philosophical Analysis
PS 571-Education Policy Formation, Implementation, Outcomes
PS 572-Sociology of Education
PS 582-Cultural Pluralism and Educational Policy
PS 583-Women in Education
PS 588-Critical Race Theory in Education

Research methods courses (20 hours):

ED 500-Structural Foundations of Educational Research
ED 544-Research Designs for Policy Analysis
PS 512-Nature and Interpretation of Evidence in Educational Policy Research
Plus two research methods courses from within or outside College of Education

Related field courses (9-12 hours):

Three courses taken outside the College of Education in one related discipline or field of study (e.g., economics, history, philosophy, sociology, gender studies, African American studies, Latino studies, disability studies, etc.) to add depth to knowledge and research methods appropriate to concentration

Elective courses (14-16 hours):

Four courses related to specialty within Social Foundations concentration (e.g. history of education, sociology of education, philosophy of education, etc.)

Dissertation (16 hours):

PS599-Thesis Research

Additional Items for Both Concentrations

A. Annual Reviews

To monitor student progress effectively, and to provide a vehicle through which students and their advisors will reflect on student progress in a structured way, each student will prepare and submit a formal Annual Review. Each student's Annual Review will follow a program-wide template and each student's progress will be reported to and discussed by the Area faculty on an annual basis. One element on which students will be assessed will be their engagement in the scholarly community beyond coursework for the program. Students are encouraged to take advantage of opportunities for professional growth such as colloquia, conferences, and preparing papers for publication. The Annual Review provides a structured occasion to examine each student's participation in such professional activities.

B. Comprehensive Qualifying Examination

Near to or upon completion of required coursework, all students will be administered a comprehensive written exam as part of the requirement for qualification for the dissertation stage of the program. This examination will help students organize and focus their coursework toward dissertation proposal development and research. The comprehensive exam is individually designed for each student by the student's program advisor and three faculty members who compose a comprehensive exam committee. The committee members will together compose and approve questions for the student to answer. The questions will address the student's general knowledge of the field of concentration, specialized knowledge within that field, and the student's use of the methods of inquiry appropriate to research in that field.

C. Oral Preliminary Examination

After successful completion of the written compehensive examination and coursework, a five-member faculty committee shall be constituted to advise the student on the development of a dissertation proposal. At least two members of this committee must be full members of the Graduate College. One member must be from outside the student's chosen area of specialization. This committee is appointed by the Dean of the Graduate College on the recommendation of the Director of Graduate Studies. When the dissertation proposal is completed, an oral preliminary examination is administered by this faculty committee. The examination focuses on the substantive area of the student's dissertation proposal as well as the proposal itself. The committee may require a written component to this exam.

D. Dissertation and Oral Defense

A dissertation of original research is required to complete the program. It must be defended before a faculty committee appointed by the Dean of the Graduate College on the recommendation of the Director of Graduate Studies. The committee shall have at least five members, of whom at least two must be full members of the Graduate College. One member must be from outside the student's chosen area of specialization. This committee may be the same as the committee constituted for the preliminary examination.