Director: Dr. Drew Gitomer (848-932-0642; email: drew.gitomer@gse.rutgers.edu)
Please visit the website.
Students in the Ph.D. in education program will 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. Interdisciplinary study is
encouraged within this concentration, which 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. Students
can specialize in areas of faculty expertise, with opportunities for research
in interdisciplinary studies and these specializations: early childhood education,
educational psychology, human development, language education, learning
sciences, literacy education, mathematics education, science education, social studies education, special education and statistics
and measurement.
We help our students to
develop the broad base of knowledge and research skills needed to design and
investigate methods of improving learning and teaching in real learning
environments. Students specialize in one area of study but learn about one or
more other areas, allowing them to develop stronger educational interventions
and research designs.
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.
Admissions Requirements
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 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.
Program Requirements
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 at least one course in quantitative research methodologies and at least one course in quantitative research 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, as specified in the program policy on cognate requirements.
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 faculty 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 university-level teaching experience, which is
documented by a portfolio for evaluation by the faculty.
Students
who are admitted to the Ph.D. in education program 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-New Brunswick upon completion of
30 credits (taken at Rutgers and eligible to be counted toward Ph.D.
requirements in the student's concentration). The 30 credits will include 6 credits in the
two proseminars (300:501 and 300:503). 
