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Curriculum

PhD, Teaching and Learning

How to Apply

The ​​48-60 credit PhD in Teaching and Learning is a highly customizable degree that will prepare you for a promising career as a scholar, researcher, and educator. Tailored to your research interests, the degree offers specialized training in one of eight concentrations: early childhood and childhood education; English education; history, social studies, and global education; literacy education; mathematics education; science and environmental education; special education; or urban education.

Core Course Sequence

You’ll take courses in foundations, cognate areas of interest, research methodology, and dissertation research and preparation. You’ll receive extensive faculty mentoring, allowing you to engage in a highly individualized curriculum that gives you both the flexibility and the resources and guidance to pursue a specialized research interest.

Program Requirements

Course Title Credits
Research Independent Study0
Foundations Course6-12
Qualitative Research Methods3
Quantitative Research Methods3
Additional Research Methods9
Dissertation Proposal Seminar3
Specialized Methodology Course3
Specialized Electives15-33
Total Credits60

Additional Program Requirements

In each of the fall and spring semesters of Years 1, 2, and 3 of PhD study, all full-time students are required to enroll in a 0-credit research experience course.

The written candidacy requirement consists of either a qualifying paper or a written exam. The oral candidacy requirement will consist of a comprehensive exam scheduled after coursework has been completed and preferably no later than the Fall semester of the third year.

Once advanced to candidacy, students then form their dissertation committees and proceed to develop a dissertation proposal. Committees will consist of at least three members: a chair from Teaching and Learning and two additional members from within or outside of Teaching and Learning. At least one member should be in the student's program area.

Upon completion of the dissertation and its approval by dissertation committee members, a defense will be held with the student, chair, committee members, and at least two additional faculty members who did not serve on the dissertation committee, one of whom must come from outside the program. The defense serves as the final stage of the doctoral process.

Sample Plan of Study

Students who have completed content requirements prior to enrolling may complete as few as 48 total credits. Foundations and Specialized Elective courses can often be taken in different sequences, based on availability of course offerings and by advisement. Students take between 9 and 12 credits a semester, so their progress across semesters varies from this sample. Students can also use a full time equivalence to remain full-time with fewer than 9 credits in semesters when they are devoting significant time to benchmarks and other research work.

Plan of Study Grid
1st Semester/TermCredits
TCHL-GE 3037 Prosem I Teach/Learn (counts toward Foundations) 3
Quantitative Research Methods 3
Qualitative Research Methods 3
Research Independent Study 0
 Credits9
2nd Semester/Term
Specialized Elective 3
Foundations Course 3
Research Methods 3
Research Independent Study 0
 Credits9
3rd Semester/Term
Research Methods 3
Foundations Course 3
Specialized Elective 3
Research Independent Study 0
 Credits9
4th Semester/Term
Research Methods 3
Specialized Elective 3
Specialized Methodology Course 3
Research Independent Study 0
 Credits9
5th Semester/Term
Specialized Electives 9
Research Independent Study 0
 Credits9
6th Semester/Term
Specialized Electives 9
Research Independent Study 0
 Credits9
7th Semester/Term
Dissertation Proposal Seminar 3
Specialized Electives 3
 Credits6
 Total Credits60

Following completion of the required coursework for the PhD, students are expected to maintain active status at New York University by enrolling in a research/writing course or a Maintain Matriculation (MAINT-GE 4747) course.  All non-course requirements must be fulfilled prior to degree conferral, although the specific timing of completion may vary from student-to-student.

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