Cultural Studies in Education

Department of Curriculum & Instruction

Designed For

Students interested in exploring current theories and issues in sociocultural studies in education, particularly those who want to understand how social, cultural, political and historical contexts shape learning and educational systems.

Career Objective

This degree prepares graduates for a range of professional paths, including university faculty roles, teacher educator positions and research careers focused on sociocultural foundations of education. It also supports advancement into K–16 leadership positions, curriculum development and influential roles within nonprofits, foundations and community-based organizations.

At a Glance

Program Starts: Fall

Deadline to Apply:
December 31

Length of Program: 48 months minimum

Program Location: On campus

GRE Required? No

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Transform Education Through Culture and Inquiry

The Cultural Studies in Education (CSE) doctoral program prepares future scholars, researchers and educational leaders to critically examine the complex sociocultural forces shaping today’s educational systems. Through advanced coursework, interdisciplinary theory and intensive research training, students gain the expertise needed to analyze and address contemporary issues in multicultural education, equity, identity and social change. The program offers the invaluable opportunity to work closely with distinguished faculty whose scholarship spans a wide range of critical and timely topics, including:

Sociocultural knowledge and teaching.
Critical theory and pedagogy.
Contexts of activism in education.
Identity formation across diverse communities.
African American and Latina/o educational experiences.
Diasporic community knowledge and cultural preservation.
Indigenous knowledge systems and epistemologies.
Globalization and its impact on education.

In addition to rich theoretical grounding, students develop strong methodological expertise. The program emphasizes narrative, qualitative and ethnographic research methods, enabling scholars to investigate issues related to race, ethnicity and cultural diversity with rigor and depth. Graduates leave prepared to produce influential research, inform policy, engage in community advocacy and contribute meaningfully to the field as university faculty, researchers and thought leaders.

Program Area Coordinator
Keffrelyn Brown

Program Area Advisor
Noah De Lissovoy

Graduate Admissions Coordinator
Stephen Flynn

Program Overview

Program Requirements

Faculty

Additional Information

Program Requirements

General Requirements (Minimum 21 credit hours)

Foundation Requirements (9 credit hours required)

EDC 380F Sociocultural Foundations
EDC 381F Introduction to Teaching and Teacher Education
EDC 383F Curriculum Theory

Research Methodology Requirements (Minimum 12 credit hours)

To be taken in sequence:

EDC 381R Introduction to Systems of Human Inquiry
The following two courses (6 hours), in any order:
- EDC 385R Introduction to Quantitative Research
- EDC 386R Introduction to Qualitative Research
One course (3 hours) selected from the following:
- EDC 387R Advanced Quantitative Research
- EDC 388R Advanced Qualitative Research

Directed Research (Minimum 12 credit hours)

EDC 396T Directed Research in Curriculum & Instruction (6 hours minimum)
Please Note: EDC 396T can be taken more than once for credit
Two additional courses (6 hours) that include a substantial research component approved by academic adviser.

Specialization Requirements (Minimum 18 credit hours)

Doctoral students are required to take EDC 385G Cultural Theory in Education, preferably within the first year in the program.

Select a minimum of 9 credit hours from other curriculum and instruction programs to study the topics that are relevant to your work and as approved by your advisor from the following.

EDC 385G Advanced Multicultural Education
EDC 380G Anthropology of Education
EDC 385G Chicana Feminist Theorists
EDC 385G Critical Pedagogy
EDC 385G Cultural Knowledge of Teachers and Teaching
EDC 385G Education in Contemporary Black America
EDC 385G Explorations in the Education of the Mexican American Child
EDC 385G Foundations of Curriculum
EDC 385G Identity, Agency, and Education
EDC 385G Immigration Theory in Education
EDC 385G Race and Ethnic Relations in Schools
EDC 392L Philosophical Foundations of Education

Courses Outside the Department (Minimum 6 credit hours)

Coursework from sections General Requirements, Directed Research and Special Requirements may fulfill this requirement.

CSE students are strongly encouraged to take courses outside the College of Education to fulfill this requirement. Suggested areas of interest include, but are not limited to:

Mexican American Studies
African and African Diaspora Studies
Asian and Asian American Studies
Women and Gender Studies
Anthropology
Sociology
History
Latin American Studies
Cultural Studies
American Studies

Dissertation (Minimum 6 credit hours)

Students are required to continuously register for at least three credits of dissertation once they have advanced to candidacy.

You must register in X99W (399, 699 or 999W) in each semester of candidacy until you graduate.

Please Note: Students receiving fellowships, assistantships, or other financial aid, may be required to take 9 hours of dissertation credit each semester.

Faculty