Degree Program Offered: Doctor of Philosophy
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 (LCID)
The Ph.D. in Education Concentration in Learning, Cognition,
Instruction, and Development (LCID) prepares students to carry out research on
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-world 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) prepares students for research in higher
education, policy organizations, and governmental/nongovernmental organizations
concerned with education, broadly defined.
Over the past three decades, political leaders have
increasingly recognized the critical importance of education to economic,
political, social, and cultural improvement. Their decisions have implications
for the well-being of families, communities, and the United States' place in
the world. Unfortunately, decision makers often pursue educational goals
without a clear understanding of their own philosophical assumptions, the needs
for change, the possible results of change, or the social forces that affect
actions that legislatures and governments take. This program prepares scholars
who can help find answers to these questions and, in the process, inform
policy makers, educators, and the public about the progress and challenges of
education.
Our faculty conduct research in organizational leadership,
policy, and international and comparative education as well as in the social
science and humanities disciplines of education. Our students specialize in one
area of study but learn about others, allowing them to develop stronger
educational analyses and research designs. Following an apprenticeship model
and working closely with their academic adviser, students design their own
course of study, taking courses offered at the GSE and across Rutgers.
Admissions Requirements
All prospective students must apply to the Ph.D. in education program by December 1 through the
Graduate Admissions website. The following items are required for a complete application package:
Admissions decisions are typically made by mid-March. The GSE Ph.D. in education program notifies applicants of their admittance to the program (in an informal capacity) via email. Graduate Admissions then emails the official acceptance letter. Admitted applicants should contact their assigned faculty adviser or the director of the Ph.D. in education program if there are any questions or concerns while making the final decision about accepting the offer of admission to the Ph.D. in education program at Rutgers.
Program Requirements
The Ph.D. in education program
requires a combination of coursework, examinations, and research, eventually
leading to a dissertation that is an original piece of research. A student
must devote a minimum of three years of full-time study beyond the bachelor's
degree for the Ph.D. If any of the work is conducted on a part-time basis, the
minimum time required will be longer.
For this purpose, one year of study is
represented by 24 credits of coursework or research. Therefore, the minimum
requirement for the Ph.D. degree is 72 credits: at least 48 credits of
coursework and at least 24 credits of dissertation-related research. Students
must maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.25.
Two areas of study (learning sciences and statistics and measurement) within the LCID concentration have additional course requirements.
For learning sciences, the 18 credits for area of study must include the
following two courses
(see course descriptions in this catalog):
16:300:582 Cognition and Instruction
15:262:610 Design-based Research
The Ph.D. in education program is arranged in two phases. The preliminary phase, which generally involves formal courses of study, is completed when the student passes the qualifying examination. In the second phase, the student usually writes their dissertation. This phase concludes when the dissertation is accepted and the defense of it is approved. Between admission to the Rutgers School of Graduate Studies (SGS) and the conferral of the Ph.D. degree, the student must:
1. satisfy the course and other preliminary requirements of the particular concentration/area of study in which the student is enrolled;
2. pass the qualifying examination;
3. present the results of the unique, original research in an acceptable dissertation; and
4. pass a final, oral dissertation defense.
The student becomes a formal candidate for the doctorate only after completing the qualifying examination.
As the Ph.D. in education policy on the requirements/guidelines for university-level teaching experience states, Ph.D. students must demonstrate competency in teaching. All students must submit a teaching portfolio in order to complete the program.
Minimum requirements of the teaching portfolio include:
- a teaching statement;
- student evaluations (if you were responsible for a course);
- a faculty observation of at least one lesson with a written summary by the observer; and
- a sample of instructional artifacts or documentation to illustrate key aspects of your teaching (e.g., lesson plans, assessments, assignments);
In addition, students are encouraged to participate in the intellectual life of the educational research community by presenting their research and attending colloquia at the Graduate School of Education and in their professional research community (e.g., Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association).
Students who are admitted to the Ph.D. in education program will be eligible to earn a master of arts (M.A.) degree from SGS while working toward the Ph.D. degree. These credits are eligible to be counted toward Ph.D. requirements in the student's concentration, will be accumulated while pursuing the requirements of the Ph.D. in education program, and will adhere to the guidelines related to transfer of credits, undergraduate courses, and other policies for M.A. degrees as described in the Ph.D. Handbook.
Students should periodically refer to the SGS website and the Ph.D. handbook for policy updates and further information. 
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Programs 
