education phd columbia

Doctoral Theses

Academic Commons holds the full text of doctoral theses written since 2011 at Columbia and of theses written for a Doctorate of Education at Teachers College since mid 2018. A selection of dissertations from Union Theological Seminary, and from Columbia before 2011, are also available. You can start exploring theses by selecting one of the doctoral programs below.

• Anthropology (125)
• Anthropology and Education (26)
• Applied Anthropology (27)
• Applied Behavior Analysis (79)
• Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics (131)
• Architecture (36)
• Art History and Archaeology (182)
• Arts and Humanities (125)
• Astronomy (63)
• Behavioral Nutrition (32)
• Biobehavioral Sciences (25)
• Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics (35)
• Biological Sciences (221)
• Biomedical Engineering (228)
• Biomedical Informatics (58)
• Biostatistics (66)
• Business (208)
• Cellular Physiology and Biophysics (20)
• Cellular, Molecular and Biomedical Studies (190)
• Cellular, Molecular, Structural, and Genetic Studies (12)
• Chemical Engineering (117)
• Chemical Physics (35)
• Chemistry (269)
• Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics (119)
• Classical Studies (16)
• Classics (32)
• Clinical Psychology (78)
• Cognitive Studies in Education (92)
• Communication, Media, and Learning Technologies Design (2)
• Communications (44)
• Comparative and International Education (45)
• Computer Science (252)
• Counseling Psychology (65)
• Counseling and Clinical Psychology (4)
• Curriculum and Teaching (89)
• Developmental Psychology (14)
• Earth and Environmental Engineering (89)
• Earth and Environmental Sciences (186)
• East Asian Languages and Cultures (110)
• Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology (65)
• Economics (285)
• Economics and Education (71)
• Education Leadership (17)
• Education Policy (16)
• Electrical Engineering (275)
• English Education (76)
• English and Comparative Literature (181)
• Environmental Health Sciences (47)
• Epidemiology (131)
• French and Romance Philology (50)
• Genetics and Development (66)
• Geological Sciences (1)
• Geology (1)
• Germanic Languages (45)
• Health and Behavior Studies (115)
• History (264)
• History and Education (12)
• Human Development (8)
• Industrial Engineering and Operations Research (131)
• Intellectual Disabilities-Autism (13)
• Interdisciplinary Studies in Education (26)
• International and Transcultural Studies (8)
• Italian (44)
• Kinesiology (14)
• Latin American and Iberian Cultures (58)
• Materials Science and Engineering (34)
• Mathematics (142)
• Mathematics Education (76)
• Mathematics, Science, and Technology (61)
• Measurement and Evaluation (37)
• Mechanical Engineering (151)
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• Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies (73)
• Music (141)
• Neurobiology and Behavior (204)
• Neuroscience (4)
• Nursing (78)
• Nutritional and Metabolic Biology (55)
• Ophthalmology (1)
• Organization and Leadership (136)
• Pathobiology and Molecular Medicine (54)
• Pathology and Cell Biology (6)
• Pharmacology and Molecular Signaling (39)
• Philosophy (78)
• Philosophy and Education (42)
• Physical Disabilities (13)
• Physics (217)
• Political Science (220)
• Politics and Education (25)
• Population and Family Health (21)
• Psychology (149)
• Pure Science (1)
• Religion (69)
• School Psychology (51)
• Science Education (68)
• Slavic Languages (26)
• Slavic Languages and Literatures (19)
• Social Work (180)
• Social-Organizational Psychology (42)
• Sociology (94)
• Sociology and Education (19)
• Sociomedical Sciences (77)
• Speech and Language Pathology (28)
• Statistics (103)
• Sustainable Development (60)
• Teaching of Social Studies (27)
• Theatre (29)
• Union Theological Seminary (5)
• Urban Planning (45)

Doctor of Philosophy in Education

Additional Information

• Download the Doctoral Viewbook
• Admissions & Aid

The Harvard Ph.D. in Education trains cutting-edge researchers who work across disciplines to generate knowledge and translate discoveries into transformative policy and practice.

Offered jointly by the Harvard Graduate School of Education and the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, the Ph.D. in Education provides you with full access to the extraordinary resources of Harvard University and prepares you to assume meaningful roles as university faculty, researchers, senior-level education leaders, and policymakers.

As a Ph.D. candidate, you will collaborate with scholars across all Harvard graduate schools on original interdisciplinary research. In the process, you will help forge new fields of inquiry that will impact the way we teach and learn. The program’s required coursework will develop your knowledge of education and your expertise in a range of quantitative and qualitative methods needed to conduct high-quality research. Guided by the goal of making a transformative impact on education research, policy, and practice, you will focus on independent research in various domains, including human development, learning and teaching, policy analysis and evaluation, institutions and society, and instructional practice.   

Curriculum Information

The Ph.D. in Education requires five years of full-time study to complete. You will choose your individual coursework and design your original research in close consultation with your HGSE faculty adviser and dissertation committee. The requirements listed below include the three Ph.D. concentrations: Culture, Institutions, and Society; Education Policy and Program Evaluation; and Human Development, Learning and Teaching . 

We invite you to review an example course list, which is provided in two formats — one as the full list by course number and one by broad course category . These lists are subject to modification. 

Ph.D. Concentrations and Examples

Summary of Ph.D. Program

Doctoral Colloquia  In year one and two you are required to attend. The colloquia convenes weekly and features presentations of work-in-progress and completed work by Harvard faculty, faculty and researchers from outside Harvard, and Harvard doctoral students. Ph.D. students present once in the colloquia over the course of their career.

Research Apprenticeship The Research Apprenticeship is designed to provide ongoing training and mentoring to develop your research skills throughout the entire program.

Teaching Fellowships The Teaching Fellowship is an opportunity to enhance students' teaching skills, promote learning consolidation, and provide opportunities to collaborate with faculty on pedagogical development.

Comprehensive Exams  The Written Exam (year 2, spring) tests you on both general and concentration-specific knowledge. The Oral Exam (year 3, fall/winter) tests your command of your chosen field of study and your ability to design, develop, and implement an original research project.

Dissertation  Based on your original research, the dissertation process consists of three parts: the Dissertation Proposal, the writing, and an oral defense before the members of your dissertation committee.

Culture, Institutions, and Society (CIS) Concentration

In CIS, you will examine the broader cultural, institutional, organizational, and social contexts relevant to education across the lifespan. What is the value and purpose of education? How do cultural, institutional, and social factors shape educational processes and outcomes? How effective are social movements and community action in education reform? How do we measure stratification and institutional inequality? In CIS, your work will be informed by theories and methods from sociology, history, political science, organizational behavior and management, philosophy, and anthropology. You can examine contexts as diverse as classrooms, families, neighborhoods, schools, colleges and universities, religious institutions, nonprofits, government agencies, and more.

Education Policy and Program Evaluation (EPPE) Concentration

In EPPE, you will research the design, implementation, and evaluation of education policy affecting early childhood, K–12, and postsecondary education in the U.S. and internationally. You will evaluate and assess individual programs and policies related to critical issues like access to education, teacher effectiveness, school finance, testing and accountability systems, school choice, financial aid, college enrollment and persistence, and more. Your work will be informed by theories and methods from economics, political science, public policy, and sociology, history, philosophy, and statistics. This concentration shares some themes with CIS, but your work with EPPE will focus on public policy and large-scale reforms.

Human Development, Learning and Teaching (HDLT) Concentration

In HDLT, you will work to advance the role of scientific research in education policy, reform, and practice. New discoveries in the science of learning and development — the integration of biological, cognitive, and social processes; the relationships between technology and learning; or the factors that influence individual variations in learning — are transforming the practice of teaching and learning in both formal and informal settings. Whether studying behavioral, cognitive, or social-emotional development in children or the design of learning technologies to maximize understanding, you will gain a strong background in human development, the science of learning, and sociocultural factors that explain variation in learning and developmental pathways. Your research will be informed by theories and methods from psychology, cognitive science, sociology and linguistics, philosophy, the biological sciences and mathematics, and organizational behavior.

Program Faculty

The most remarkable thing about the Ph.D. in Education is open access to faculty from all Harvard graduate and professional schools, including the Harvard Graduate School of Education, the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, the Harvard Kennedy School, the Harvard Law School, Harvard Medical School, and the Harvard School of Public Health. Learn about the full Ph.D. Faculty.

Jarvis R. Givens

Jarvis Givens studies the history of American education, African American history, and the relationship between race and power in schools.

Paul L. Harris

Paul Harris is interested in the early development of cognition, emotion, and imagination in children.

Meira Levinson

Meira Levinson is a normative political philosopher who works at the intersection of civic education, youth empowerment, racial justice, and educational ethics. 

Luke W. Miratrix

Luke Miratrix is a statistician who explores how to best use modern statistical methods in applied social science contexts.

Eric Taylor

Eric Taylor studies the economics of education, with a particular interest in employer-employee interactions between schools and teachers — hiring and firing decisions, job design, training, and performance evaluation.

Paola Uccelli

Paola Ucelli studies socio-cultural and individual differences in the language development of multilingual and monolingual students.

View Ph.D. Faculty

Dissertations.

The following is a complete listing of successful Ph.D. in Education dissertations to-date. Dissertations from November 2014 onward are publicly available in the Digital Access to Scholarship at Harvard (DASH) , the online repository for Harvard scholarship.

• 2022 Graduate Dissertations (265 KB pdf)
• 2021 Graduate Dissertations (177 KB pdf)
• 2020 Graduate Dissertations (121 KB pdf)
• 2019 Graduate Dissertations (68.3 KB pdf)

Student Directory

An opt-in listing of current Ph.D. students with information about their interests, research, personal web pages, and contact information:

Doctor of Philosophy in Education Student Directory

Introduce Yourself

Tell us about yourself so that we can tailor our communication to best fit your interests and provide you with relevant information about our programs, events, and other opportunities to connect with us.

Program Highlights

Explore examples of the Doctor of Philosophy in Education experience and the impact its community is making on the field:

Reshaping Teacher Licensure: Lessons from the Pandemic

Olivia Chi, Ed.M.'17, Ph.D.'20, discusses the ongoing efforts to ensure the quality and stability of the teaching workforce

Lost in Translation

New comparative study from Ph.D. candidate Maya Alkateb-Chami finds strong correlation between low literacy outcomes for children and schools teaching in different language from home

M.S. Leading to Ph.D.

This policy applies  only to students who enter the PhD program without a Masters degree recognized by Columbia. Every MS/PhD track student (registration status ETCOMS) must apply for MS graduation in order to receive the MS degree from Columbia University and be awarded advanced standing (two RUs) towards the PhD.

The faculty will approve the MS degree application following successful completion of six (6)  breadth requirement areas completed in the Computer Science Department at Columbia, including all four (4) distribution areas and any two (2) COMS elective areas [departmental requirement].  The student must also satisfactorily complete at least 30 points and at least six graduate lecture courses while enrolled for MS/PhD, not including imports, comp exams, or courses taken while an undergraduate at Columbia or Barnard [SEAS requirement].

[Revised by full faculty vote, 11/6/13, to remove 4701 from the core.  Revised again by full faculty vote, 4/4/14, to abolish the core entirely and institute the distribution requirement.  Students enrolled in Spring 2014 or earlier may choose either four core topics or the four-topic distribution requirement, plus two electives, to fulfill the MS/PhD requirements.  Students enrolled in Fall 2013 or earlier may treat 4701 as core for this purpose.]

Last updated on May 11, 2024.

Find open faculty positions here .

Computer Science at Columbia University

Upcoming events, in the news, press mentions, dean boyce's statement on amicus brief filed by president bollinger.

President Bollinger announced that Columbia University along with many other academic institutions (sixteen, including all Ivy League universities) filed an amicus brief in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York challenging the Executive Order regarding immigrants from seven designated countries and refugees. Among other things, the brief asserts that “safety and security concerns can be addressed in a manner that is consistent with the values America has always stood for, including the free flow of ideas and people across borders and the welcoming of immigrants to our universities.”

This recent action provides a moment for us to collectively reflect on our community within Columbia Engineering and the importance of our commitment to maintaining an open and welcoming community for all students, faculty, researchers and administrative staff. As a School of Engineering and Applied Science, we are fortunate to attract students and faculty from diverse backgrounds, from across the country, and from around the world. It is a great benefit to be able to gather engineers and scientists of so many different perspectives and talents – all with a commitment to learning, a focus on pushing the frontiers of knowledge and discovery, and with a passion for translating our work to impact humanity.

I am proud of our community, and wish to take this opportunity to reinforce our collective commitment to maintaining an open and collegial environment. We are fortunate to have the privilege to learn from one another, and to study, work, and live together in such a dynamic and vibrant place as Columbia.

Mary C. Boyce Dean of Engineering Morris A. and Alma Schapiro Professor

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Doctoral Programs

The Mailman School's public health doctoral degree programs provide tremendous access to renowned researchers and thought leaders. Through their course of study, doctoral students obtain the tools they need to create knowledge in the field and advance the practice of public health.

The School offers two doctoral degrees, the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) and the Doctor of Public Health (DrPH). Both train candidates to create new knowledge and research, apply them to important public health issues, and identify and implement potential solutions. They differ only in emphasis:

• The DrPH programs place greater emphasis on the application of science to public health leadership, practice, and program development.
• The PhD programs place greater emphasis on creating new knowledge, with PhD recipients pursuing research and/or teaching as their career goal.

The DrPH can be obtained in:

• Biostatistics
• Environmental Health Sciences
• Epidemiology
• Population and Family Health

The PhD can be obtained in:

• Sociomedical Sciences

Degree Requirements

Graduates of the DrPH degree complete a minimum of 30 credit hours beyond the course work for the MPH degree or equivalent professional degree in public health.

The PhD degree is conferred by the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences , as are all PhD degrees at Columbia University. Graduates of a Mailman PhD degree program complete a minimum of 60 credit hours that constitute the combined requirements for the MA and PhD degree. Students entering the PhD degree program with MA degrees from other universities may receive up to 30 credits of advanced standing.

To learn more about degree competencies, curriculum plans, and student handbooks, visit our  Academics  page. Academic directors in each department are available to provide additional guidance on which program best fits particular academic and career goals. Applicants are also encouraged to review faculty profiles —including their research interests—to identify common interests with their discipline of choice.

For more information, visit these pages:

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Ph.D. in Economics

The Ph.D. program in the Department of Economics at Columbia University trains students to do cutting edge research in economics.  Students in our program do research in all major areas of economics including microeconomics, macroeconomics, econometrics, international economics, labor economics, public finance, industrial organization, development economics, and urban economics.  Our department provides strong training both in theoretical economics and in applied and empirical economics.  The Ph.D. program is primarily designed for students that are interested in pursuing a career in teaching and research within academia but is also useful for student interested in certain positions within governments, research organizations, or private businesses.

The first two years of our Ph.D. program is largely devoted to rigorous coursework. After the second year, however, students devote most of their time to their own research under the supervision of faculty advisors. Students in our program generally complete their Ph.D. in 5 or 6 years.

Admission to the Ph.D. program is highly selective.  We receive approximately 1,000 applications each year for an incoming class of roughly 25 students.  We place a high value on attracting the very best minds, and recruiting members of groups who will both enhance the diversity of research in the field and contribute to the diversity of the university’s academic and professional community.

The Ph.D. program has a long and illustrious history.  Alumni of the program include some of the most distinguished economists of the last century – including Nobel Prize winners Kenneth J. Arrow, Milton Friedman, Simon Smith Kuznets, and William S. Vickrey.

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• 1st Year Students (2023)
• 2nd Year Students (2022)
• 3rd Year Students (2021)
• 4th Year Students (2020)
• 5th Year Students (2019)
• 6th Year Students (2018)
• 7th Year Students (2017)
• Bridge to the Ph.D. Program

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Phd in counselor education and supervision.

60 credit hours

Program Length

as few as 36 months

Accreditation

Regionally Accredited by SACSCOC

Leadership in Counselor Education for the next generation of Integrative Counselors

The Doctor of Philosophy in Counselor Education and Supervision prepares graduates to work as counselor educators, supervisors, researchers, and practitioners in academic and clinical settings with professional excellence and from a contextualized biblical worldview. This advanced degree in counselor education and supervision enables counselors to shift in identity and skill from clinical practitioners to scholar practitioners, learning the philosophy and skills of teaching and supervision while contributing to the field through advocacy, supervision, leadership, research, and educational instruction. Persons graduating with this doctoral degree in counselor education and supervision will be fully equipped to fulfill God’s purposes as ambassadors of the gospel to burgeoning faith-based and secular graduate counseling programs around the world.

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• Undergraduate

Dr. Seth Scott

Why Choose Columbia International University for this degree program

Columbia International University is unique with its intentionally multi-denominational foundation and deliberate mission focus, providing one of the few PhD in CES from a biblical worldview in the southeast. Drawing from an established and excellent clinical counseling program, the PhD in CES will expand and enhance the reach of counseling training through this train-the-trainer approach in doctoral counselor education.

Overall Benefits of the degree — what you can do with the degree

Counseling addresses issues of identity, meaning, purpose, and belonging, all issues that find their reality within the truth of the gospel and a biblical worldview. This program is uniquely suited to fulfill the mission of CIU within this critical need area by training counselor educators from a biblical worldview to impact the world for Christ as counselor educators in both faith-based and secular counseling programs, as supervisors in clinical settings, as researchers and authors providing insights and integration to address the whole person, and as leaders in the field to promote the focus on the whole person as made in the image of God. Counselor educators are needed, both within our own master of arts in counseling programs, and in hundreds of other faith-based and secular graduate counseling programs around the country and the world. This program has the opportunity to address the mission of God as CIU graduates within this niche in a unique way. Counselor educators are prepared for leadership and impact in clinical counseling, supervision, program evaluation and leadership, research, counseling education, and advocacy for effective change. Through practical experience throughout the program and opportunities for professional practice, PhD students in this program model the program philosophy of head, heart, and hands through excellence in knowledge, character, and skill across the five focal areas in counselor education and supervision.

Featured Faculty

Seth L. Scott

Professor of Clinical Counseling

Benjamin Mathew

Glenda Nanna

Director of Graduate Counseling Programs

Ginavra Gibson

Associate Professor of Clinical Counseling

Program Details

A. total number of credit hours required for the program: 57 semester hours.

• PhD Residencies (3–4 semester hours, $1,500–2,000 fees)
• PhD Residency — Year One (Orientation & Integration) — 1 credit, $500 fees
• PhD Residency — Year Two (Teaching, Supervision, & Research) — 1 credit, $500 fees
• PhD Residency — Year Three (Clinical & Research Presentations) — 1 credit, $500 fees
• Optional Fourth Residency (Writing Intensive) — 1 credit, $500 fees

Curricular Requirements (42 semester hours):

• Professional Orientation, Ethics, & Identity (3)
• Research Theory, Designs, & Methods (3)
• Teaching in Counselor Education (3)
• Quantitative Research Methodology (3)
• Advanced Counseling Theories (3)
• Qualitative Research Methodology (3)
• Clinical Supervision and Consultation (3)
• Advanced Methodology (3)
• Teaching Internship (3)
• Program Evaluation, Leadership, and Publications (3)
• Advanced Practicum in Clinical Counseling (3)
• Internship — Across CES Domains (3)
• Advanced Multicultural Issues (3)
• Capstone: Counseling & Christian Thought (3)
• Dissertation (12 semester hours)
• Proposal Development (3)
• Dissertation (3)

The first two years of courses are completed online with one-week residencies required the week after May graduation. Successful completion of the Competency Exam during the third residency and Clinical Supervision and Consultation course during the second year provides for registration in the Advanced Practicum in Clinical Counseling course. Successful completion of four research courses is required to present research during the third residency, enabling advancement to the dissertation proposal in Proposal Development. During the Advanced Research Methodology course, students will seek a qualified faculty mentor as a chair for their dissertation committee and to assist in proceeding toward Proposal Development. When the faculty mentor deems the dissertation to be ready for defense, the candidate defends his/her dissertation before a committee of at least two faculty readers, either internal or external to the university.

b. Additional requirements of the program:

Completion requirements.

• Successful completion of all classes with a grade of B or higher.
• Successful completion of a dissertation proposal prepared under the supervision of a faculty mentor.
• Successful oral defense of a dissertation that is an original work of academic research (at least 80,000 words) before a committee of at least two internal and/or external faculty readers with program director joining the defense when two external readers are present.
• Affirmation of the CIU doctrinal statement.
• Successful completion of all requirements within eight years from matriculation.

Admission Requirements

• Completed application
• Official transcripts from a licensure-track, 48-hour (minimum) master’s degree in counseling or a related field such as psychology or social work. Those with less than 48 hours or non-CACREP accredited degrees may have to take additional coursework as a prerequisite to admission or concurrently with their first year in the program.
• Minimum cumulative 3.5 GPA
• 3 references (1 Professional, 1 Academic, and 1 Church Leader)
• Research proposal
• Have at least one year of experience in a mental health field (highly desirable).
• Master’s thesis or a major research paper (at least 10,000 words) provided from a prior degree or coordinated during the application process
• Interview with admissions committee 
• Students are required to attend 3-one-week residencies each summer throughout their program of study with an optional fourth writing intensive residency the final summer of dissertation

Accreditation and Accolades

What Can I Do With This Degree?

• Counselor educators in doctoral, masters and bachelor degree programs
• Clinical directors and administrators in agencies, hospitals, and nonprofit organizations
• Researchers and authors in counseling and social science fields  
• Clinical supervisors in counseling settings
• Social advocacy and program evaluation in administration or consultation

Yes, admission requirements include holding a licensure-track, 48-hour (minimum) master’s degree in counseling or a significantly related field such as psychology or social work from a regionally accredited institution. Those with less than 48 hours or non-CACREP accredited degrees may have to take additional coursework as a prerequisite to admission or concurrently with their first year in the program.

A license is not required, but is highly recommended along with existing clinical practice experience to increase opportunities for practice and engagement during additional internship hours required throughout the program.

Students are required to attend 3-one-week residencies each summer throughout their program of study with an optional fourth writing intensive residency the final summer of dissertation. The remaining 54 credits of the program are delivered through online instruction.

The program is designed for two classes each semester (six credits) of year-round instruction. The dissertation is intended to be completed within one year, but may take longer than that with students required to maintain enrollment until the dissertation is complete.

Six credits a semester (two classes) is full-time in this program. While the program is intended for professionals working full-time in the field of counseling, students should plan to spend twenty hours a week on average in reading, research, and assignments.

The PhD in CES is a 57-credit program. The program costs $625 per credit hour and a $500 residency fee for each of the three required residencies plus technology fees each semester while enrolled, the total program cost is just under $40,000 when completed in three years.

CACREP requires programs to graduate one round of students before application for accreditation with accepted CACREP-accreditation retroactively applied to program graduates. With this PhD in CES program launching Fall 2023, application for CACREP can begin Fall 2026. The PhD in CES is accredited with SACSCOC and ABHE.

With over 60 (and growing) CACREP-accredited faith-based graduate schools providing master’s-level training for future counselors, biblically grounded, integrative counselor educators prepared for clinical and academic excellence are in high demand. Clinical counseling programs need faculty with PhD in CES degrees and this degree, as well as this specific program, fills this present and growing critical need.

You may also be interested in

Ph.D. Specialization in Data Science

The ph.d. specialization in data science is an option within the applied mathematics, computer science, electrical engineering, industrial engineering and operations research, and statistics departments..

Only students already enrolled in one of these doctoral programs at Columbia are eligible to participate in this specialization. Students should fulfill the requirements below in addition to those of their respective department's Ph.D. program. Students should discuss this specialization option with their Ph.D. advisor and their department's director for graduate studies.

Applied Mathematics Doctoral Program

Computer Science Doctoral Program

Decision, Risk, and Operations (DRO) Program

Electrical Engineering Doctoral Program

Industrial Engineering and Operations Research Doctoral Program

Statistics Doctoral Program

The specialization consists of either five (5) courses from the lists below, or four (4) courses plus one (1) additional course approved by the curriculum committee. All courses must be taken for a letter grade and students must pass with a B+ or above. At least three (3) of the courses should come from outside the student’s home department. At least one (1) course has to come from each of the three (3) thematic areas listed below.

Specialization Requirements

• COMS 4231 Analysis of Algorithms I
• COMS 6232 Analysis of Algorithms II
• COMS 4111 Introduction to Databases
• COMS 4113 Distributed Systems Fundamentals
• EECS 6720 Bayesian Models for Machine Learning
• COMS 4771 Machine Learning
• COMS 4772 Advanced Machine Learning
• IEOR E6613 Optimization I
• IEOR E6614 Optimization II
• IEOR E6711 Stochastic Modeling I
• EEOR E6616 Convex Optimization
• STAT 6301 Probability Theory I
• STAT 6201 Theoretical Statistics I
• STAT 6101 Applied Statistics I
• STAT 6104 Computational Statistics
• STAT 5224 Bayesian Statistics
• STCS 6701 Foundations of Graphical Models (joint with Computer Science) 

Information Request Form

Ph.d. specialization committee.

• View All People
• Faculty of Arts and Sciences Professor of Statistics
• The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science Professor of Computer Science

Richard A. Davis

• Faculty of Arts and Sciences Howard Levene Professor of Statistics

Vineet Goyal

• The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science Associate Professor of Industrial Engineering and Operations Research

Garud N. Iyengar

• The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science Vice Dean of Research
• Tang Family Professor of Industrial Engineering and Operations Research

Gail Kaiser

Rocco a. servedio, clifford stein.

• Data Science Institute Interim Director
• The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science Wai T. Chang Professor of Industrial Engineering and Operations Research and Professor of Computer Science

John Wright

• The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering
• Data Science Institute Associate Director for Academic Affairs

PhD in Educational Studies

• EdD in Educational Leadership and Policy
• MA in Educational Studies
• MEd : (ALE) Adult Learning and Education
• MEd : (ALGC) Adult Learning and Global Change
• MEd : (CULE) Curriculum and Leadership
• MEd : (EDAL) Educational Administration & Leadership
• MEd : (HIED) Higher Education
• MEd : (SCPE) Society, Culture & Politics in Education
• MEd : Ts’‘Kel Concentration
• Adult Learning and Education Diploma
• ALE Graduate Certificate Program
• HIED Graduate Certificate Program
• ALE Undergraduate Certificate Program
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Graduate admission

• Requirements

The PhD in Educational Studies is a research-oriented doctoral program for students interested in any of the study areas offered in the department.

Students are required to take three doctoral seminars. All other courses in a student’s program are determined in consultation with faculty. Students in the PhD program typically devote two years to coursework, and two to four years to developing and carrying out a research project designed to make an original contribution to knowledge in the study area.

The university allows doctoral students up to six years to complete program requirements. There is no set number of credits required for PhD programs at UBC.

For further facts and figures about the PhD in Educational Studies, please click here .

Admissions Requirements for Graduate Study

All graduate program applicants in the Department of Educational Studies (EDST) must meet the minimum entry requirements established by the Faculty of Graduate Studies, which oversees graduate work at UBC. Applicants who do not meet the minimum requirements will be considered for admission only in exceptional circumstances.

Admission to the PhD program is highly competitive, based on the pool of applicants considered by the Admissions Committee, and subject to university and departmental requirements and departmental capacities for supervision.

More Info: http://www.grad.ubc.ca/prospective-students/graduate-degree-programs/phd-educational-studies

Please note: Applicants with full-funding from scholarships, fellowships, or alike, are still required to complete the PhD application process in the Department of Educational Studies (EDST).  In addition, all applicants will undergo adjudication by the PhD committee to determine admission. To be clear, applicants who bring full-funding with them are not automatically admitted .

General Eligibility

To be eligible for admission to a PhD program at UBC, applicants must hold a master's degree (or equivalent) from an approved institution with clear evidence of research ability or potential; or a bachelor’s degree with one year of study in a master's program with 12 credits of first class average, of which 9 credits must be at the 500-level or above and at least 9 credits must be of first class standing and clear evidence of research ability or potential. (For more detailed admissions requirements, please see the links below).

Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies - Minimum Academic Requirements: Canadian or U.S. Credentials http://www.grad.ubc.ca/prospective-students/application-admission/minimum-academic-requirements-canadian-or-us-credentials

Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies - Minimum Academic Requirements: International Credentials http://www.grad.ubc.ca/prospective-students/application-admission/minimum-academic-requirements-international-credentials

English Requirements

English Proficiency Test Score: Applicants whose degrees are from a university outside Canada in which English is not the primary language of instruction must present evidence of competency to pursue studies in the English language prior to being extended an offer of admission. Acceptable English language proficiency tests for applicants to graduate studies are:

• TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language): Minimum score of 600 (paper version), 250 (computer version), 92 with a minimum of 22 in each component (iTB) is required for admission to all programs in Educational Studies. Visit TOEFL’s website
• IELTS (International English Language Testing Service): Minimum overall band score of 6.5 with no other component score less than 6.0.
• MELAB (Michigan English Language Assessment Battery): Minimum overall score of 81.

The applicants must have an official report of their score on one of these tests sent directly from the testing service to the Graduate Program Assistant, Department of Educational Studies at the address below by the application deadline. Score reports more than two years old will not be accepted.

More Information: http://www.grad.ubc.ca/prospective-students/application-admission/english-proficiency-requirements

Most importantly with regard to a PhD application, please note that among other applicable requirements requested by the Faculty of Graduate Studies and by other UBC competent jurisdictions, as part of such an application you must submit:

• A Statement of Intent (800-1200 words) which clearly shows that your research topic/interest fits within the department in terms of prospective supervisors and areas of interest. Such a statement should also articulate the general research directions you would like to pursue during your program, if admitted. This statement should be 800-1200 words.
• A sample of your writing and engagement with research  (maximum 5,000 words without references). The intent is to demonstrate your ability to communicate your ideas and your interests in a clear way. Writing samples typically take the form of an excerpt from a chapter from a masters thesis, a published article, or a substantial scholarly paper
• Entries on your transcript showing evidence of having taken courses on research methods (quantitative, qualitative, mixed methods, ethnographic or philosophical) and research more generally at the Masters level.

Also, while this is not a requirement, it is very important for you to contact at least one faculty member who could be a potential supervisor of your work (has expertise and interest in the area and/or topic you want to focus on) and inquire whether they would be willing to supervise your work ( see list of faculty and areas of expertise at: https://edst.educ.ubc.ca/faculty-staff/faculty ). Even if they do not commit to supervising your work, you could list such a faculty member (one or even two is acceptable) as a potential supervisor when you apply (which would provide further proof of your suitability for the PhD and familiarity with the programmes and areas of expertise of faculty).

In May 2017 the UBC-V Senate approved the establishment of a university-wide minimum funding level for all PhD students. Specifically, all full-time students who begin a UBC-Vancouver PhD program in September 2018 or later will be provided with a minimum funding package equal to $18,000 for each of the first four years of their PhD. The funding package may consist of any combination of internal or external awards, teaching-related work, research assistantships, and graduate academic assistantships.

For more information, see:

https://www.grad.ubc.ca/awards/minimum-funding-policy-phd-students

Doctoral students are also expected to apply for and obtain  funding. Our faculty are very supportive in this regard, and are able to help their supervised students build their applications, as well as supporting them by writing letters of appraisal.

If you do not live in Vancouver at present, you may want to consider the cost of living in Vancouver, and obtain further information from the website of the Faculty of Graduate Studies ( http://www.grad.ubc.ca/prospective-students ).

Program Requirements

Program Worksheets are available here: https://edst.educ.ubc.ca/resources/policies/

Doctoral Seminar and Colloquium

There are three required courses in the PhD program.

The first doctoral seminar (EDST 601A) is designed to help beginning students become familiar with the department, policies and procedures related to doctoral studies, and for an examination of critical theoretical traditions and conceptual problems in the social sciences as applied to education.

The second doctoral seminar (EDST 601B) exposes students to positivist, interpretive, historical, and philosophical methods, and a deep understanding of current methodological issues and debates.

The third doctoral seminar (EDST 602) explores what it means to engage in a doctoral experience with particular focus on scholarly writing, preparing for comprehensive exams, and thesis proposals.

Coursework in Specialization

Students in the PhD program are expected to take courses in their specialization so that they are familiar with current theory and research. Courses are selected in consultation with an adviser or program advisory committee.

Courses in the student’s specialization should be completed in the first year of the program.

Other Coursework

PhD students typically take additional courses to give them the breadth and depth of understanding of contemporary educational theories. Doctoral study is oriented toward the thesis research, but relevant coursework beyond the student’s specialization is recommended.

Research Methods

PhD students are expected to be familiar with the various methods used in contemporary educational research and to master the particular methods relative to their research. Developing proficiency in research methods normally requires enrolling in available courses and reading widely in the research methods literature. Before research proposals are approved, students are expected to demonstrate that they have acquired the knowledge and skills necessary to successfully carry out their research plan.

Comprehensive Examination

All students in the PhD program are required to successfully complete a comprehensive examination after their coursework and before they present their research proposal. The examination is prepared by the student’s program adviser or research supervisory committee. Details about the mechanics of the examination and the options in format of the examination can be obtained from advisers or the department’s Graduate Program Assistant.

The PhD thesis is an original piece of research in the student’s area of specialization. Students develop research proposals which must be approved by a research supervisory committee of a supervisor and at least two other committee members. Research supervisory committees provide direction to the student, read and critique drafts of the thesis, and participate in the final oral examination.

PhD Residency

There is no residency requirement per se, but PhD students are expected to make steady progress through their coursework, comprehensive exams and thesis research. Current policies require PhD students to achieve candidacy by the end of their third year of study. Achieving candidacy involves completing all coursework, passing the comprehensive exam and having an approved research proposal.

Apply Online: http://www.grad.ubc.ca/apply/online/

Admission to the PhD program is on a competitive basis, within the broader context of the pool of applicants considered by the Committee, subject to university and departmental requirements and to departmental capacities for supervision.

Applications should be submitted online at  www.grad.ubc.ca/apply/online . All of the following components of an application must be received by the department’s Graduate Program Assistant before the file can be reviewed by the appropriate admissions committee. Without complete documentation, the application review process cannot begin.

a. Online UBC application form . When you submit an online application at  www.grad.ubc.ca/apply/online , the completed form is automatically forwarded to the Department's Graduate Program Assistant. A non-refundable processing fee payable is to UBC: see the cover of the official UBC application form for the exact amount.

b. Upload digital copies (.pdfs) of official transcripts.  See Digital Copies of Official Transcripts tab for details

c. Three references –  The purpose of the references is to provide a comprehensive portrayal of your relevant background and capacity to complete the PhD. Letters of reference should speak to your ability to pursue research and produce scholarly writing at the doctoral level. Suitable referees include professors, supervisors, principals, or other persons to whom you are, or have been, accountable academically in employment or as a volunteer. Academic references are preferred. If the original letter is in another language, the letter must be accompanied by a certified English translation. There are three possible formats for references:

• Electronic references : In the online application system, applicants are asked to provide an email address for each referee. Once the online application has been submitted, a unique link will be emailed to each referee, allowing her or him to log in to a secure site and submit an online reference or upload a reference document as an attachment.
• Letters of reference (hard copy or email attachment) : Your referee may wish to send a paper letter. Paper letters of reference should be on referee’s official letterhead and must be mailed directly by the referee to the Graduate Program Assistant (see address below) in a sealed and endorsed envelope, or as a .pdf email attachment.
• Reference forms (hard copy or email attachment) : UBC provides a  general reference form . Your referee may fill out this form and mail it directly to the relevant program in a sealed and endorsed envelope, or send it as a .pdf email attachment.
• All references must be sent by referees directly. Reference letters or forms submitted by the applicant will not be accepted .
• The application system and department are unable to accept referee emails from Hotmail, Yahoo, Gmail, MSN or other free email accounts.
• By “sealed, endorsed envelope” we mean that the envelope needs to be sealed and that the signature of the referee be placed over the seal (i.e., partially on the flap and partially on the rest of the envelope).

Note: It is advisable to contact referees and inform them of the Admissions deadline early in your process.

d. Statement of intent.  You need to describe your specific interests in pursuing a PhD and precisely why you are applying to the Department of Educational Studies and to the program or concentration you have selected (800-1200 words). This statement should highlight the following:

• Your engagement with graduate research , which clearly shows that your research topic/interest fits within the department in terms of prospective supervisors and areas of interest.
• The general research directions you would like to pursue during your program, if admitted.
• Name(s) of faculty member(s) with whom you have been in contact and/or who you identify as being suitable as research supervisor

e. Writing Sample (maximum 5,000 words without references)

• The intent is to demonstrate your engagement with research and your ability to communicate your ideas and your interests in a clear way. Writing samples typically take the form of an excerpt from a chapter from a masters thesis, a published article, or a substantial scholarly paper.

f. Curriculum Vitae / Resume

Please provide a CV as evidence of your potential to succeed in EDST at the graduate level.

After submitting your application, it is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that all supporting materials are submitted by the application deadline. The Admissions Committee will only review completed applications. You can check the status of your application and supporting materials through the online application system .

Applicants from outside Canada should be aware of additional requirements that may apply. Please read the following to determine which of these requirements may apply to you.

International Credentials Equivalency

Please see the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies website: http://www.grad.ubc.ca/prospective-students/application-admission/minimum-academic-requirements-international-credentials

International Transcripts and Translation Requirements

See International Transcripts and Translation Requirements tab for details

Entering Canada

To enter Canada, a “Student Authorization” (Student Visa) is required. Apply as soon as possible to the nearest Canadian Consular or Immigration Office since it may take 8–10 weeks for processing. For applicants applying from the People’s Republic of China it may take 3–6 months. Applying for a Student Authorization requires a UBC letter of admission/acceptance; a valid passport; and evidence of adequate funds for tuition, maintenance of the student and, if married, the student’s spouse and children, plus travel funds to and from Canada. Please consult the Immigration Canada website:  http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/index.asp .

If the application for a visa is approved, the UBC letter of admission/acceptance will be returned to the student and must be retained for presentation to the Immigration Officer at the Canadian point of entry.

Canadian Transcripts

UBC has changed its application document requirements.

If you are applying to begin study in 2016 or beyond, you will normally scan and upload digital copies (.pdfs) of official required documents in the application system. These are considered "unofficial documents". These uploaded copies of your official documents will be used for initial evaluation of the applicant.

Conditional admission offers may be made based on documents uploaded to the application system. However, admission offers will not be finalized and applicants will not be allowed to register in a graduate program until one set of all required official academic records are received and validated by the University.

UPLOADING UNOFFICIAL COPIES OF TRANSCRIPTS IN THE APPLICATION SYSTEM

Applicants with Canadian transcripts (other than UBC) must obtain an official paper transcript for every post-secondary institution they have attended.  UBC transcripts are not required.

Each transcript should be scanned as an individual .pdf file and then uploaded to the application system as indicated. They should be named: "Applicant Full Name-Document Description.extension"

Kelly Smith-University of Waterloo Transcript.pdf Kelly Smith-CV.pdf Kelly Smith-Journal of Neurosciences Paper.pdf

Transcripts must be scanned front and back. All pages of one transcript, front and back, should be uploaded as a single file (rather than a separate file for each page).

OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPTS

To be considered official, academic records must either be received in official university envelopes, sealed and endorsed by the issuing institution, or be sent via secure electronic delivery by the issuing institution.

If you have been offered admission conditional upon receipt of official documentation, you must provide UBC with one set of official transcripts for every postsecondary institution you have attended for the equivalent of one year or more of full-time study. UBC reserves the right to also require any individual applicant to provide official transcripts for study of less than one year duration. Do not send official transcripts before receiving an offer of admission unless you have received special instructions from the graduate program to which you have applied.

Documents being provided to meet conditions of admission should be sent directly to:

Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies University of British Columbia 6371 Crescent Rd Vancouver, BC CANADA  V6T 1Z2

CURRENT AND FORMER UBC STUDENTS

You do not need to submit UBC transcripts as part of your graduate application, as this data is already available through the student database system. However, be aware that you are still responsible for submitting transcripts from all other post-secondary institutions that you have attended (e.g., exchange year, transfer year, etc.).

International Transcripts and Translations

UPLOADING UNOFFICIAL COPIES OF REQUIRED DOCUMENTS IN THE APPLICATION SYSTEM

Applicants with transcripts from non-Canadian post-secondary institutions must obtain an official paper transcript for every post-secondary institution they have attended.

Each transcripts should be scanned as an individual .pdf file and then uploaded to the application system as indicated. Otherwise, they should be named: "Applicant Full Name-Document Description.extension"

Peng Zhang-Peking University Transcript.pdf Peng Zhang-Peking University Transcript English Translation.pdf Peng Zhang-CV.pdf Peng Zhang-Journal of Neurosciences Paper.pdf

If you have transcripts that are issued in a language other than English, then in addition to uploading digital copies of the documents in their original language, you must also upload a certified literal English translation of your transcripts from your home university's translation service or certified English translator.

Please consult the document scanning and uploading instructions provided within the online application for detailed instructions.

OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS

After being offered admission: If you have been offered admission conditional upon receipt of official documentation, you must provide UBC with one set of official transcripts for every postsecondary institution you have attended for the equivalent of one year or more of full-time study. UBC reserves the right to also require any individual applicant to provide official transcripts for study of less than one year duration.

If an official transcript does not indicate the degree name and the degree conferral date, then an official copy of the degree certificate must also be submitted

If your university issues only one original copy of transcripts/degree certificates:

Make photocopies of your original academic records and send them to your home university. Ask your home university to:

• verify that the photocopies are consistent with their records.
• attest that the copies are true photocopies and stamp them with an official university stamp.
• put the attested, stamped photocopies in sealed envelopes endorsed by the Registrar.
• mail the sealed, endorsed envelopes directly to Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies.

If your transcripts are issued in a language other than English:

• arrange to have a set of all official transcripts issued in their original language.
• obtain a certified literal English translation of your transcripts from your home university's translation service.
• send both the original transcripts and the literal English translation to UBC Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies.

If your home university does not provide English translations of transcripts:

• make a photocopy of your copy of your transcripts. Do not open a sealed, endorsed envelope containing transcripts intended for submission to your program.
• take the copy to a certified English translator and ask them to provide a complete, word-by-word, literal English translation.
• tell the translator to put both the original language photocopy and the English translation into a sealed envelope, and endorse the envelope by signing across the seal.
• send the sealed, endorsed envelopes from the translator to UBC Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies.
• send your original transcripts in the original language to UBC Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies.

Note: Academic records must be translated in their entirety, including any information that appears on the reverse side of any document.

UBC does not accept the following:

• photocopies that have not been stamped, attested and endorsed by the Registrar at your home university
• documents in envelopes that have been opened
• documents that do not arrive in sealed envelopes endorsed by the issuing institution or certified translator
• documents that arrive without the official seal of the university
• photocopies notarized by a notary public
• photocopies endorsed by a lawyer, professor, judge etc.
• unofficial translations
• non-literal translations

Do not send academic records that are not in sealed and endorsed envelopes. It will only delay the processing of your application.

Documents being provided to meet conditions of admission  should be sent directly to:

Tuition for PhD and EdD Programs

Tuition fees for PhD and EdD Programs are found on the UBC Calendar  website .

Note that fees are subject to change by the University.

Deadlines for applications

Deadlines for the EDST PhD program can be found on the EDST website .

Quick links:

Graduate Program Assistant Email:  [email protected] Tel: 604.822.6647

Department of Educational Studies Faculty of Education The University of British Columbia 6445 University Boulevard, V6T1Z2

Dr. P   Taylor   Webb , PhD Management Chair Email: [email protected] Tel: 604–822–6381

Meet our Alumni

These 2024 TC Education Grads Are Uplifting Their Communities

Meet a handful of standout education graduates who are creating room for diverse voices through their scholarship.

Enacting true change through research and practice is a core part of what ties Teachers College graduates together. As education scholars prepare for Convocation on May 14 and 15, they will embark on the next step of their lives, from continuing in higher education to making a difference through research or in the classroom. We sat down with just six of TC’s impressive education graduates to learn about their motivations, how they impact their communities and what’s next. 

Meet Cam Arnzen (Ph.D. ’24, Politics and Education )

Hometown: New Plymouth, Idaho

How He Makes an Impact: A recipient of the Carole Sleeper EPSA Endowed Scholarship as well as the Weinberg Fellowship and David T. Kearns Fellowship, Arnzen is committed to showcasing how “we need democracy and we need politics to shape better schools and better opportunity for everyone,” with a particular interest in rural communities like the one he grew up in. While at TC, Arnzen held leadership roles on the Student Senate, Columbia’s Ph.D. Council and the Rural Education and Healthcare Coalition. Pursuing a career in academia, his passion to “help students find out what they're interested in and make their own paths” is at the heart of Arnzen’s work.

What Matters: Exploring how education influences political engagement and understanding, especially in communities that are often overlooked in policy discussions. For Arnzen this work is “essential for our time right now … with everything going on in American politics, but it also has a lot of implications in terms of how we structure our institutions.” 

What’s Next: Arnzen will continue to explore the intersection of policy, politics and schooling as a post-doctoral research associate at Brown University.

Meet Jacqueline Cofield (Ed.D. ’24, Curriculum and Teaching )

Hometown: Rochester, New York

How She Makes an Impact: Cofield’s scholarship focuses on transdisciplinary, multimodal, and culturally-relevant approaches to curriculum and curriculum research. She is especially interested in creating learning experiences that center joy and connection while “bridging the domains of Black studies, art history, and curriculum studies to foster a more inclusive and expansive understanding of cultural narratives and identities,” says Cofield, a recipient of the Dr. Anne R. Gayles-Felton and Dorothy L. Dorman Endowed Scholarships as well as a TC Doctoral Fellowship.

Through her role as project manager for Columbia’s Afro-Francospheres working group — formed through a partnership between the African American and African Diaspora Studies department (AAADS) and the Society of Fellows in the Humanities — Cofield has helped broaden the field of Black studies. Working with Dr. A. Véronique Charles, Cofield was integral in the development of a core AAADS course that emphasizes the diverse narratives within the global African diaspora. She also produced a panel in Paris based on her dissertation research which fostered critical discussion on the importance of Black aesthetics, outside “white-Eurocentric notions of beauty.”

What Matters: Striving for a safer, more inclusive and loving world, especially for children. Her perspective is informed by extensive international travel experience, where Cofield made deep connections with people and places around the world. To achieve her goal of bridging divisions among people through learning and understanding, Cofield applies a multimodal approach to explore diverse forms of artistic expression. “If I can play a part in fostering understanding and unity through my work, I will consider it a profound achievement,” she says.

What’s Next: Cofield is pursuing opportunities related to her academic and social justice interests. She first plans to celebrate graduation by traveling with her six-year-old daughter, though she’ll also be working on a documentary about Black artists abroad and releasing a podcast in partnership with Columbia University Libraries, Beyond Beauty , where Cofield interviews women artists from the diasporic Global South.

Meet Amanda Earl (Ph.D. ’24, International and Comparative Education )

Hometown: Ardmore, Pennsylvania

How She Makes an Impact: Earl’s scholarship is rooted in her background and experiences as a teacher. “My philosophy is that we need to listen to students and their families, as they know best what they need in their classrooms,” she says. Working under Professor Regina Cortina, Earl’s dissertation explored how curriculum developed by a university in Veracruz, Mexico, promoted Indigenous languages and intergenerational learning among rural students and their communities.

Another formative experience at TC was working as a graduate editorial assistant for the Teachers College Record , where Earl helped diversify the kinds of research published by the journal. “English-language journals are dominated by voices of the global North. So the fact that the Record is prioritizing the expertise of international scholars is crucial,” says Earl. She’s also applying the knowledge gained at TC to her role on the board of directors for Dreamline , a nonprofit empowering students to take collective action toward their dreams.

What Matters: Diversifying perspectives and learning constantly. Growing up in Philadelphia and seeing the difference between her educational options and those of her family in West Virginia was a foundational experience for Earl. “From an early age, I was cognizant of how geography shapes not only educational trajectories, but also career and life trajectory,” she says. Her experience working with a Brooklyn-based college access program led Earl to graduate school in order to address the homogeneity of thought in higher education. Her work is “rooted in the idea that educational equity is dependent not on making individuals adapt to the academic institution, but adapting institutions to the needs and aspirations of the students and communities they serve.”

What’s Next: Earl plans to pursue a career in teaching and research and she continues to work as an editorial assistant at the Record .

Meet Yuruo (Lisa) Lei (Ed.M. ’24, Communication, Media, and Learning Technologies Design )

Hometown: Guiyang, Guizhou, China

How She Makes an Impact: Leveraging technology to promote educational equity for students growing up in rural regions. “I’m hoping that through advanced technology, children like me who grew up in Guiyang can also have the same quality of education and learning opportunities,” says Lei, who worked closely with numerous faculty during her time at TC. She was inspired to do this work when she was studying abroad in California during high school and met Chinese students from large cities who had access to far more resources than rural students. “That experience really shocked me in a way,” says Lei, “knowing that even though you're both Chinese, there's not much similarity in terms of education equity resource distribution.”

What Matters: Giving voice to unheard communities. In addition to ensuring educational equity through technology, Lei is interested in showcasing the individual diversity and complexity amongst groups that are often generalized. She’s especially proud of a paper she co-wrote with TC’s Ioana Literat and six of her peers that explores how Chinese youth engage with sensitive subjects, like politics, on Douyin, the Chinese equivalent of TikTok. “In China there's no formal media literacy education, but still the youth figured it out on their own and they are actively practicing it [media literacy] on a daily basis, there's just nobody to hear their voices. Having them share their stories and practices on social media with me, that's surely something I feel grateful for,” says Lei. The paper was accepted at the International Communication Association conference and Lei is eager to share the findings with a larger audience.

What’s Next: Lei will be joining Vanderbilt University as an instructional designer.

Meet Raaghav Pandya (Ph.D. ’24, Science Education )

Hometown: Old Bridge, New Jersey

How He Makes an Impact: Believing that effective scholarship requires engagement with grassroots movements, Pandya’s goal is to implement true change through his work. He is especially proud of his research that explores the use of “contemplative practices” — inspired by philosophies like yoga, Vedanta, and Buddhism — in K-12 schools as well as his research with TC’s Chris Emdin incorporating hip-hop, creativity, and spirituality into science education . “Doing qualitative research and transforming that into teaching has informed me as a researcher and a scholar, where now I implement these paradigms around critical inquiry and empathy  with learners and other educators,” says Pandya.

What Matters: Continuing the work of his ancestors “in the most authentic yet radically transformative way for our modern era.” He credits this calling to his professors, teachers, and revolutionary, 20th century educationalists and reformers like Pandurang Shastri Athavale. He’s particularly inspired by his grandmother, who was one of the first women in post-colonial India to receive a Ph.D. in education. Spending time with her when he was a child motivated Pandya to pursue higher education and make a positive impact on young learners.

What’s Next: In addition to lecturing at TC, Pandya will be working as a resident scholar at STEAM, DREAM & IdeaLab also called the Schupf IdeaLab. As a resident scholar, Pandya will be designing research, workshops, and curriculum as well as crafting interdisciplinary STEM experiences that emphasize the importance of creativity, mindfulness, a connection between the self and the world, and nature in classrooms.

Meet Sofia Rosario (M.A. ’24, English Education )

Hometown: New Rochelle, New York

How She Makes an Impact: As a first-generation American and a child of new immigrants, Rosario often felt like an outsider and unrepresented in school curriculum. The desire for her identity to be seen and recognized in schools fueled her to become a teacher and make a positive impact on students like herself. Connecting with students of color, especially first-generation students, is central to Rosario’s scholarship. “I'm inspired by finding those students and helping them reconcile with the American identity,” she says.

During her first year at TC, Rosario interned at a Harlem high school as a member of the Teacher Opportunity Corps (TOC), a program designed to increase the number of NYC teachers from underrepresented groups. Her time working at the school gave Rosario teaching experience as well as influenced her scholarship. “I loved my time there, it was a place for me to get my footing as a teacher but now that I think back on it, it brought my attention to how and why our  communities need a lot more resources than others,” she says. 

What Matters: Recognizing the value of diverse voices and uplifting her community. For Rosario, building connections with her students and fostering a community at schools is the most important aspect of her work. Throughout her tenure at TC, Rosario’s focus expanded to include “accepting the American identity and [giving students] the confidence to navigate society,” she says. 

What’s Next: Teaching in classrooms wherever she can make a positive difference.

— Sherri Gardner

Tags: Student Profiles At The College Education Policy Higher Education K-12 Education

Programs: Communication, Media, and Learning Technologies Design Comparative and International Education Curriculum and Teaching English Education Politics and Education Science Education

Departments: Arts & Humanities Curriculum & Teaching Education Policy & Social Analysis International & Transcultural Studies Mathematics, Science & Technology

Published Wednesday, May 8, 2024

Teachers College Newsroom

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Ph.D. in Architecture

• dissertations

The PHD in Architecture addresses the development of modern architectural form and ideas as they have been affected by social, economic, and technological change. In broad terms, it encompasses the relations between the profession, practice, civil institutions, and the society at large.

As a doctoral program, it is oriented toward the training of scholars in the field of architectural history and theory. Its structure reflects a dual understanding of the scholar’s role in the discipline at large: as a teacher and as a researcher making an original contribution to the field, with an emphasis on expanding and reinterpreting disciplinary knowledge in a broad intellectual arena. Course requirements are therefore designed to give entering students a solid foundation in historical knowledge and theoretical discourse, with sufficient flexibility to spark and support individual research agendas. The program’s focus is on the history and theory of modern and contemporary architecture and urbanism in an international and cross-cultural context, from the mid-eighteenth century to the present. Within this, a wide range of research is supported through the varied expertise of the faculty and through strong relationships with other departments throughout the university and beyond.

The Ph.D. in Architecture is a program within the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation (GSAPP) while the actual degree is granted by the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS).

Admission for 2024

• The application deadline for 2024 admissions was January 4, 2024 and is now closed.
• For additional information on the application process and requirements, please see the GSAS website.

Lucia Allais Barry Bergdoll (Art History) Ateya Khorakiwala Reinhold Martin Mary McLeod Felicity Scott Mark Wigley Mabel Wilson

Affiliated Faculty

Zeynep Celik Alexander Anooradha Iyer Siddiqi

All students entering the PhD program in Architecture receive two Residence Units of Advanced Standing, having entered with a master’s degree in architecture, architectural history, or a related field. As such, students must complete the M.Phil. degree within three years from initial registration and the Ph.D. within eight years from initial registration.

Year 1: Students begin required coursework, including language proficiencies Year 2: Students complete required coursework and language proficiencies; begin required teaching apprenticeship Year 3: Students complete required teaching apprenticeship; complete M.Phil. Examination (by mid-February); and defend the Dissertation Prospectus (by early May) Year 4+: Students research, write, and defend the doctoral dissertation

At least once each semester, students should meet individually with the director of the program or with their program or dissertation adviser. Students are assigned a program advisor in the first year, the duties of which are assumed by their dissertation advisor in the third year. Students must have acquired a dissertation advisor by the seventh week of their sixth semester. Students are allowed to change both their program and dissertation advisers during the course of their studies.

All students are expected to meet the requirements of Satisfactory Academic Progress as stipulated by the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences. Renewal of student funding packages each year is dependent upon their maintaining good academic and administrative standing .

Students are required to spend four semesters in residence during which time they are expected to take thirteen courses (39 credit points), of which at least eight must be taken for a letter grade. The remaining five courses can be taken for R credit. The required academic course work breaks down into the four sections described below. In addition to the doctoral colloquia and doctoral seminars, five further classes should be seminars (not lecture courses). At least six of the thirteen courses should be taken with faculty from the Ph.D. in Architecture committee. It is assumed that these thirteen courses will be spread out approximately evenly over the first four semesters of study, although students can complete a larger number of courses in the first year to accommodate teaching requirements in the second year.

For any course in which a student receives an incomplete, the student must complete all outstanding coursework before the beginning of the next academic year. To remain in good standing with the program, students cannot hold more than one incomplete at any time. Students must complete all incomplete coursework prior to taking their M.Phil. examination.

Section 1: Doctoral Colloquia All students are required to take two doctoral colloquia in the fall semester and at least two doctoral seminars in the spring semester over the four-semester sequence. Three of these must be taken for a letter grade.

Section 2: Architectural History/Theory To complete distribution requirements, students will be required to take graduate-level courses from the following areas of study:

• One pre-1750 (Western or non-Western)
• Two courses either in Eighteenth-Century Architecture and Theory or Nineteenth-Century Architecture and Theory

At least half of the syllabus must address these time frames for a course to satisfy the requirement. At the discretion of the program director, these requirements may be modified for students who have had previous, relevant graduate-level courses.

Section 3: Social and Critical Studies Students should take at least one course outside of Architecture and Art History. Representative departments in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences with an emphasis on comparative historical and critical studies include: African American and African Diaspora Studies, Anthropology, East Asian Languages and Cultures, English and Comparative Literature, Germanic Language and Literature, History, Latin American and Iberian Cultures, Middle Eastern, South Asian and African Studies, Philosophy, and Political Science, or within relevant University Centers and Institutes. The specific topic and the choice of faculty will be decided in consultation with the student’s program adviser or the director of the program.

Section 4: Electives Remaining coursework is completed through elective courses in students’ areas of interest, the selection of which should be decided in consultation with the student’s program adviser or the director of the program.

The four-semester program has been designed to give doctoral candidates sufficient training for the M.Phil. examination, with a special emphasis on the ability to teach classes in modern architectural and urban development and its relationship to parallel developments in material history and contemporary thought. Students must complete their M.Phil. (generals) examination no later than their sixth semester in the program.

The M.Phil. qualifying examination is divided into three interrelated sections:

Three revised coursework papers, chosen to reflect the student’s research interests and abilities

Two essays written in response to specific questions formulated by the examining committee, one essay pertaining to the major field and one to the minor field. Students will receive two questions pertaining to the major field but only answer one of them.

The oral examination

The qualifying exam will be divided into major and minor fields. These fields are to be determined in consultation with the program faculty supervising the exam. The major field should be fairly broad and involve cross-cultural comparisons and/or cover at least a century in time. The minor field should focus on another topic, historical or theoretical in character, distinct from the major field. Students must consult the relevant supervising faculty in deciding on their major and minor fields.

The examining committee will be comprised of three members, two covering the major field and one covering the minor field. At least two members of the examining committee should be drawn from the Ph.D. committee or from the program’s associated faculty. Each student prepares the two bibliographies in consultation with these faculty and distributes final versions of the bibliographies one month prior to the oral examination. Each member of the committee will be responsible for one question, which the student receives a week after submitting the bibliographies. The papers are to be completed in a two-week period and submitted at least one week prior to the oral examination. The oral exam consists of discussion of the submitted essays, the coursework papers, and the bibliographies.

To receive the degree of M.Phil. students must complete the required coursework, the M.Phil. exam, the required four semesters of teacher training, and must have demonstrated proficiency in two languages other than English.

After successfully completing the qualifying examination, each student defends his or her dissertation proposal before a faculty committee, composed of the student’s dissertation adviser, who must be on the list of approved Architecture Doctoral Dissertation Advisors , and two other readers, at least one of whom should be from the list of Architecture dissertation advisors or associated faculty. Defense of the dissertation prospectus must take place before the end of the sixth semester.

The student will then be free to pursue the research topic independently, in ongoing consultation with the dissertation adviser. It is expected that the dissertation be completed approximately two to three years after approval of the topic. Since all students come into the program with Advanced Standing, students must complete the dissertation within eight years of entering the program, approved Leaves of Absence notwithstanding.

The dissertation must be submitted four weeks before the dissertation defense. A copy is to be provided for each member of the examining committee. This committee consists of five people, at least three of whom are approved as a dissertation advisor in Architecture or the associated faculty. At least one member of the committee must be from outside GSAPP. The student is granted the Ph.D. upon defending the dissertation successfully and depositing the final copy in accordance with University regulations.

For more information on the Ph.D. dissertation, refer to the GSAS Dissertation Toolkit .

• For information on Ph.D. student employee compensation and benefits, click here .
• For information on available resources for parents, click here .
• For more information on the GSAPP PhD Travel, Conference, and Exhibition Participation Support program, click here .

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