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 103 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:
• 24 credits of core courses
• 4 credits of scholarly grant writing
• 6 credits scholarly development seminar
• 35 credits of research courses
• 12 credits of cognate courses
• 22 credits of advancement hours
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses (16 credits) | ||
| EDST 662 | Curriculum Theory: Contesting Educational Content | 4 |
| EDST 654 | Learning and Motivational Sciences | 4 |
| EDST 661 | Sociology: From Reproduction to Resistance | 4 |
| EDST 675 | Indigenous Methods | 4 |
| Elective Core Courses 1 | 8 | |
| Writing Course (4 credits) | ||
| EDST 667 | Grant Writing: Finding Funders (Writing Course) | 4 |
| Scholarly Development Seminar (6 credits) | ||
| EDST 607 | Seminar: [Topic] (Scholarly Development Seminar) 2 | 6 |
| Research Apprenticeship (6 credits) | ||
| EDST 601 | Research: [Topic] (Research Apprenticeship ) 3 | 6 |
| Research Courses (29 credits) | ||
| EDUC 616 | Philosophical Foundations of Social Science | 4 |
| EDUC 630 | Qualitative Methodology I: Interpretivist Inquiry | 4 |
| EDUC 612 | Social Science and Education Research Design | 3 |
| EDUC 614 | Introductory Statistics for Practitioners I | 3 |
| Additional Research Methodology Courses 4 | 15 | |
| Cognate | 12 | |
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. | ||
| Advancement | 22 | |
| Reading and Conference: [Topic] (Comprehensive Exam) | ||
| Dissertation | ||
| Total Credits | 103 | |
- 1
Two additional core courses in CSSE (8 credits), chosen in consultation with advisor.
- 2
2 credits per term, 6 credits total
- 3
2 credits per term, 6 credits total
- 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.