Educational Studies

Educational Studies seeks to reform and improve education, particularly urban education, by conducting outstanding research, providing engaged and challenging teaching, and being actively involved in schools and other educational institutions in the community. We envision the study of education across broad foundations that take into account the sociocultural, philosophical, historical, political, and psychological perspectives that combine to influence and shape the educational enterprise.

This mission is reflected in the Division’s educational philosophy and professional commitment to train a small cadre of educational researchers and reflective teachers who are competent and committed to work with diverse student populations and able to envision schools as they might become rather than preserve schools as they presently exist.

In addition to the PhD, the the Division also offers two different Master's degrees: a Master of Arts and a Master of Teaching Arts degrees.

Master of Arts

The Master of Arts (MA) program is designed to develop knowledge and skill in disciplined inquiry appropriate to the advanced student’s selected area of educational concern. The program emphasizes research and scholarly competence. Students take at least two courses in our Research and Evaluation group, and perform a Research and Evaluation Internship as a research apprenticeship early in the student’s program. MA applicants should review the various fields of research in which the DES faculty are engaged. The program generally takes three semesters to complete. A research thesis is required.

Master of Arts in Teaching

The Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) program is designed for students interested in earning a master’s degree while preparing to become classroom teachers. Applicants should have a strong undergraduate record and an undergraduate major appropriate for the anticipated teaching field. Programs are available in middle grades education (Grades 4-8) and in secondary education (Grades 6-12) in the following content areas (english, mathematics, broad field science, chemistry, biology, physics, earth/ space science, history, economics, and political science). Each program provides the experiences necessary for developing reflective professional educators, able to teach diverse student populations and assume roles as educational leaders in their school systems.