Our Sociology of Education PhD program provides a strong disciplinary foundation in sociology and offers an opportunity for multi-disciplinary and interdisciplinary study. Our sociological approach to education understands schools as cultural, social, and political institutions. Our program is 48 credits for students with a related MA and 65 credits for students with a BA or an unrelated graduate degree. We welcome both full- and part-time students. Full-time students typically complete the program in 5 to 6 years. Most of our graduates go on to pursue academic careers and/or careers in higher education administration. Others seek out careers in education research and policy.
Core Course Sequence
You will take coursework in sociological theory, sociology of education, and a range of sociological methods across the school, the university, and even other universities around the city, with lots of flexibility in your choice of coursework. We also believe strongly in the disciplinary grounding in sociology, and we aim to give you a strong foundation on which you can build your future research and professional work. You will learn to understand schools as social institutions, and to ask and answer your own sociological questions about schooling using a broad methodological toolkit. There is a lot of opportunity for independent work, but that work is always well-supported by our accessible and engaged faculty.
Specialization Sequence
Our program provides a common grounding in the field of sociology of education with opportunities for specialization through your coursework, advising, and dissertation research. Students who join our program tend to be interested in education for social change, in various capacities, and in understanding the way that schools both have the capacity to reproduce and to interrupt inequality. For instance, you could study the sociology of higher education, suburban schooling, or youth identities in schools – among many other specialization options.
Sample Elective Courses
We encourage our students to take elective courses both in and outside of our Sociology of Education program. Inside the program, your studies could include higher education, race and education, social theory, and gender and education. Outside the program, among many other options, you could study education policy, international education, and educational leadership. Our program is proud to provide a lot of flexibility here, both in coursework and advising, and we will work with you to develop a plan of study that best fits your needs, interests, and commitments.
Culminating Experience
The culmination of our program is a substantial, publishable-quality dissertation, based on original research and analysis, which can take the form of a book-length manuscript or a compilation of three journal articles. You will identify your own dissertation chair and committee and work closely with them to develop and complete this project. There are a number of steps along the way to the dissertation. While completing your coursework, you will be studying for an oral comprehensive exam based on a common, preset reading list and a list that our students compile themselves. Once you pass this exam, you are advanced to candidacy and complete your dissertation proposal. You then launch your dissertation research, which may involve approximately one to two years of data collection and analysis, followed by a write-up and an oral dissertation examination.