Director: Dr. Keith Weber (732-932-7496, ext. 8123; email: keith.weber@gse.rutgers.edu)
Please visit the website.
The doctor of philosophy (Ph.D.)
degree in education prepares individuals for faculty and research
positions in academia, government, and the private sector. Students are
expected to choose one of two concentrations:
The Ph.D. in Education Concentration in Learning, Cognition, Instruction, and Development (L-CID)
prepares students to carry out research with implications for learning
and teaching in classrooms and other settings. Areas of study include
assessment and measurement, early childhood and elementary education,
educational psychology, human development, language education, learning
sciences, literacy, mathematics education, science education, statistics
and measurement, and social studies with opportunities for research in
other specialties and interdisciplinary studies. The concentration
focuses on how people think, how knowledge is conveyed, how
understanding is acquired, how human beings develop in learning
environments, and the ingredients of effective teaching.
The Ph.D. in Education Concentration in Theory, Organization, and Policy (TOP) is
designed to prepare researchers who will study organizational
leadership, policy, international and comparative education, and the
social science and humanities disciplines of education. The
concentration focuses on the interplay between larger social, political,
economic, historical contexts and educational policies, practices, and
outcomes.
Only applicants
who have demonstrated the potential for outstanding research are
selected for the program. Among the factors considered for admission are
a bachelor's degree in a relevant area; an undergraduate cumulative
grade-point average (GPA) of at least 3.0; a graduate cumulative GPA of
at least 3.5 (if applicable); and a strong performance on the Graduate
Record Examination. In the personal statement, the applicant should
discuss the issues he or she is interested in studying, describe reasons
for those interests, and if possible, identify Rutgers faculty with
whom he or she would be interested in working. Applicants should also
provide three letters of recommendation from former professors or
employers. In addition, foreign applicants must provide a TOEFL score
indicative of proficiency in English. Additional criteria may be set by
each concentration.
Students must complete at least 48 credits of coursework, which are distributed as follows:
- 6 credits in the education core (Proseminars I and II);
- at least 12 credits in research methods, including courses in quantitative and qualitative methodologies;
- 6 credits in prethesis research in the education concentration (L-CID or TOP);
- at least 18 credits in a concentration; and
- at least 6 credits in the appropriate cognate disciplines--that is, outside the education department.
An additional 24 credits of
dissertation research are required. Students must maintain a cumulative
GPA of at least 3.25 in their doctoral coursework. Students may petition
the faculty of the Ph.D. in education to transfer up to 24 graduate
credits from coursework taken elsewhere toward these requirements.
Each
Ph.D. student is assigned a research adviser. Students must complete at
least two research projects before they are admitted to dissertation
candidacy, and they must pass a qualifying examination that is evaluated
by a faculty committee in the area of concentration. Students are
admitted to dissertation candidacy by the faculty after they have
completed successfully the above requirements. In addition, students
must provide evidence of successful teaching experience, which is
documented by a portfolio for evaluation by the faculty.
Students
who are admitted to the Ph.D. program in education will be eligible to
earn a master of arts (M.A.) degree while working toward the Ph.D.
degree. Only students admitted to the Ph.D. program will be eligible for
the M.A. degree. Applications by prospective students seeking only an
M.A. degree will be rejected without review.
Students will be
eligible to receive an M.A. from the graduate school upon completion of
30 credits taken at Rutgers and eligible to be counted toward Ph.D.
requirements in the student's concentration. These credits will be
accumulated while pursuing the requirements of the Ph.D. program in
education and will adhere to the guidelines related to transfer of
credits, undergraduate courses, and other policies for M.A. degrees as
described in this catalog. The 30 credits will include 6 credits in the
two proseminars (300:501 and 300:503).
To earn an M.A., students
must complete an M.A. comprehensive examination prepared by the faculty
of each concentration. This examination will cover the content of the
two proseminars and other relevant content, as specified by the
concentration faculty. The examination will be administered and
evaluated by concentration faculty members. The M.A. comprehensive
examination may be administered as one component of a concentration's
Ph.D. qualifying examination; a student who fails other parts of the
qualifying examination but passes this part will have passed the
comprehensive examination for the M.A. At least three members of the
Ph.D. in education faculty will be on the comprehensive examination
committee.
Students who have passed the Ph.D. qualifying
examination in their concentration but who have not taken the M.A.
comprehensive examination can use the Ph.D. qualifying examination as a
substitute for the M.A. comprehensive examination with the permission of
their advisers and the graduate program director.
All Ph.D. students are encouraged to take the examination and earn an M.A. as they work toward their Ph.D. degrees.
Additional information on requirements is available in the Ph.D. in Education Handbook, which can be found on the Graduate School of Education website.
