Critical and Sociocultural Studies in Education (PhD)

The Critical and Sociocultural Studies in Education (CSSE) doctoral program is a research-intensive program designed for students who want to work in academic or other research and professional development careers. It focuses on the need to create more just, equitable, and inclusive schools.  The program provides a comprehensive approach to educational research that considers the consequences of contemporary educational practices, questions the assumptions underlying educational reform programs, and develops alternative visions for what education can be.

Admission

The program is small—fewer than 10 students are typically admitted every two years. Applications are accepted from early fall through mid-January for admission in odd-numbered years. The next cohort will be admitted for Fall 2027. Application details are available online.

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this program, students will be able to:

  • Demonstrate preparation for positions as higher education faculty members or public and private sector education researchers and leaders with knowledge that enables them to advocate for equality and justice and in educational systems.
  • Conduct high-quality, high-impact quantitative and/or qualitative research in their chosen field.
  • Contribute to scholarship and institutional change initiatives in their field through presentations at national conferences, the publication of articles and books in their area of study, and the writing of grants to support educational change initiatives.
  • Demonstrate learning of and respectful engagement in Indigenous epistemologies, methodologies, and the relation of social inquiry to processes of colonization, decolonization, and Indigenous community survivance.

Doctor of Philosophy in Critical and Sociocultural Studies in Education

The PhD in Critical and Sociocultural Studies in Education (CSSE) requires successful completion of a minimum of 130 graduate credits. Of these, at least 84 credits must be earned after admission to the program. All credits are assumed to be graduate-level courses, unless otherwise specified. Students must complete the course category, credit hour, and specific course requirements shown below in Table 1. These include:
• 48 credits of core courses
• 36 credits of research courses
• 12 credits of cognate courses
• 12 credits of electives
• 22 credits of advancement hours

Core Courses48
Required Core Courses
EDST 662
Curriculum Theory: Contesting Educational Content
EDST 654
Learning and Motivational Sciences
EDST 661
Sociology: From Reproduction to Resistance
EDST 675
Indigenous Methods
EDST 667
Grant Writing: Finding Funders
EDST 666
Thesis Writing
EDST 607
Seminar: [Topic] (Scholarly Development) 1
EDST 601
Research: [Topic] (Research Apprenticeship ) 2
Elective Core Courses 3
Research Courses36
EDUC 616
Philosophical Foundations of Social Science
EDUC 630
Qualitative Methodology I: Interpretivist Inquiry
EDUC 632
Qualitative Methodology II: Postcritical Inquiry
EDUC 612
Social Science and Education Research Design
EDUC 614
Introductory Statistics for Practitioners I
EDUC 640
Introductory Statistics for Practitioners II
Additional Research Methodology Courses 4
Cognate12
A set of thematically organized doctoral-level courses taken outside the Department of Education Studies. These are usually taken all within one department (e.g. Philosophy, Psychology, Anthropology, etc.) 500-level courses may be approved by advisor or program director.
Electives12
This is a minimum, not a maximum, and represents courses chosen with approval of faculty advisor. Some or all of these may be transfer credits.
Advancement22
EDST 605
Reading and Conference: [Topic] (Comprehensive Exam)
EDST 603
Dissertation
Total Credits Required130
1

2 credits per term, 6 credits total

2

2 credits per term, 6 credits total

3

Three additional core courses in CSSE (12 credits), chosen in consultation with advisor. 

4

Courses focused on qualitative, quantitative, or psychometric research methods. These should be chosen in consultation with the advisor and may include courses from other departments outside the department and College of Education.