About the Program

Students pursuing an PhD in Urban Education, Leadership, and Policy Studies will be particularly suited to careers in the faculty at higher education institutions; research appointments at educational institutions, research institutes, government agencies, and non-government organizations; policy analysis in governmental, non-governmental, and educational institutions; and policy, research, and faculty position in international organizations, universities, and global governance institutions. PhD candidates may choose a concentration in research and evaluation or comparative and international education. Dissertation topics in the PhD program may focus more on theoretical and empirical problems that inform national and/or international educational policy and leadership. Research projects for the PhD are larger in scale than for the EdD.

EdD and PhD students in urban education share a common learning experience in a rigorous core curriculum that reflects the state-of-the-art in the field of K-12 urban education, leadership and policy studies. All students will develop advanced research skills and discipline-based theoretical knowledge through a set of concentration courses and electives that they customize to meet their individual learning needs. Coursework for the Urban Education Program begins in the summer and consists of 3 summers and 4 academic years. During the first two summer sessions, students attend two courses (one in the morning, one in the afternoon), Monday through Thursday for three weeks. These courses are typically scheduled for mid-July to early August. During the academic year, for the first two years, students typically attend two evening classes in the spring and fall, and one integrative seminar each fall. The integrative seminars meet 4 Saturdays out of the semester. In the remaining two years, students enroll in various seminars designed to assist them with designing and conducting their dissertation research.