Education

Our Ph.D. program critically engages students in contemporary issues that impact education research, policy and practice.  Emphasizing collaboration, the program is an interdisciplinary graduate group that draws its faculty from diverse fields of education, humanities, social science, physical and biological sciences, mathematics, and medicine, and engages with key campus centers and programs, such as the M.I.N.D. Institute and the Poverty Center.  To learn more about our faculty, from the left-hand menu click on the Graduate Group Faculty.

Designed to foster scholarly engagement and impact the practice of education, students may select from 5 areas of emphasis:

• Language, Literacy and Culture
• Learning and Mind Sciences
• Mathematics Education
• Science and Agricultural Education
• School Organization and Educational Policy

To learn more about these, click on PhD Program Emphasis Areas from the left-hand menu.

Graduates of our program gain deep knowledge of educational theory and practice related to strengthening schools and other educational settings.   Our close proximity to California’s state capital of Sacramento also affords students a rich set of opportunities and networks for influencing education policy.

Our PhD Program offers 5 Emphasis Areas, listed below, for students to focus their research on.  Alternatively, students with interests across two or more of these emphasis areas may work with their faculty advisors to select an appropriate combination of course work that draws from more than one emphasis.  In addition to Core Courses, all students are required to complete at least 32 units of emphasis area course work. Each student and his or her faculty advisor proceed within the framework of one of the emphases listed below to select 32 units of emphasis area course work and complete other degree requirements.  For a complete listing of Course Requirements, see the posting to the right. 

In addition to the PhD, students have the option to apply for a Designated Emphasis Program that offers an option for further studies in a sub-field of interest.  The post to the right on Designated Emphasis will provide further information.

Language, Literacy & Culture

• 205A – Ethnographic Research in Schools I: Current Theory and Practice (4) (M)
• 205B – Ethnographic Research in Schools II: Field-Based Research Projects (4) (M)
• 206B – Inquiry in Teaching Practice: Intervention & Data Collection (4) (M)
• 229 – Language Policy (4)
• 235 – Critical Pedagogy (4)
• 242 – Research on Text Comprehension (4)
• 243 – Research on the Teaching and Learning of Writing (4)
• 244 – Topical Seminar in Language, Literacy, and Culture (4)
• 245* – Theory and Research in Early Literacy (4)
• 246* – Sociocultural Perspectives on Reading (4)
• 247* – Research on Response to Culturally Diverse Literature, K-12 (4)
• 249 – Discourse Analysis in Educational Settings (4) (M)
• 251 – Research in Bilingual and Second Language Education (3)
• 252 – Multicultural Teaching and Curriculum (3)
• 253 – Language and Literacy in Linguistic Minorities (3)

Learning & Mind Sciences

32 units are required, suggested courses include the following:

Courses in Education

• 210 – The Psychology of School Learning (4)
• 211 – Social & Situative Perspectives on Learning & Cognition (4)
• 213 – Individual Assessment (4)
• 215 – Research on Achievement Motivation in Education (4)

Courses in Psychology

• 212A – Developmental Psychology: Cognitive & Perceptual Development (4)
• 212B – Developmental Psychology: Social, Emotional & Personality Development (4)
• 230 – Cognitive Psychology (4)
• 245 – Social Psychology (4)
• 263 – Topics in Cognitive Psychology (4)
• 264 – Topics in Psycholinguistics (4)

Courses in Human Development

• 200B – Middle Childhood and Adolescence (4)
• 217 – Development of Cortical and Perceptual Laterality (3)
• 234 – Children’s Learning and Thinking (3)
• 238 – The Context of Individual Development (3)

*Any course marked with an asterisk is a proposed course with a tentative course number. Proposed courses are offered as sections of EDU 292, Special Topics in Education, until they have completed the approval process.

Mathematics Education

32 units are required in mathematics and mathematics education.

In addition to the Ph.D. program core courses and methodology requirements, mathematics education students are required to take the following three core mathematics education courses:

• 255 – Curriculum Development and Evaluation in Mathematics (4)
• 256A or 256B – Research in Mathematics Education (4)
• 294* – Special Topics in Science, Agriculture & Mathematics Education (8 units)

Suggested additional courses to fill out the 32-unit emphasis requirement include:

• 257 – Computer Technology in Mathematics Education (4)
• 294* – Special Topics in Science, Agriculture & Mathematics Education (additional units)
• 210 – The Psychology of School Learning (4)
• 211* – Social & Situative Perspectives on Learning & Cognition (4)
• 207 – Concepts of the Curriculum (4)
• 292 – Experiential Learning (4)

Up to 12 units of appropriate mathematics coursework may be counted toward the 32-unit emphasis area requirement, and a maximum of eight of these units in mathematics may be from graduate work (e.g., the MA or MAT) completed prior to enrollment in the PhD Program in Education. Transcripts should be submitted to the emphasis area faculty for assessment. Students may choose mathematics courses from upper division and graduate offerings in consultation with their faculty advisor. Particularly encouraged are courses in the field of mathematics most closely related to the student’s research plans. Relevant upper division courses include the following:

Mathematics Closest to Dissertation Research

• Arithmetic: Math 115A, 115B, 115C Geometry: Math 114, 116, 141
• Algebra: Math 108, 150A, 150B, 167 Probability: Math 131, 132A, 132B
• Calculus: Math 108, 127A, 127B Statistics: Statistics 108, 130A, 130B

Electives Students in the Mathematics Education emphasis are expected to take a minimum of 6 units (2 courses) of additional coursework in areas relevant to their research interests. These courses, determined in consultation with the faculty advisor, are intended to add breadth and/or depth to the student’s program of study.

*Any course marked with an asterisk is a proposed course with a tentative course number. Proposed courses are offered as sections of EDU 292, Special Topics in Education, until they have completed the approval process.

School Organization & Education Policy

In addition to the Ph.D. program core courses and research methodology requirements, SOEP students complete 32 units of coursework in the SOEP emphasis area. As part of these 32 units, SOEP students are required to take the following three core SOEP courses:

• 220* – Concepts & Methods of Policy Analysis (4)
• 223 – Education & Social Policy (4)
• 227* – Program Evaluation & Education (4)
• Suggested additional courses to fill out the 32-unit emphasis requirement include:
• 221 – Culture & Social Organization of Schools (4)
• 222 – School Change & Educational Reform (4)
• 232* – Urban Education Policy (4)
• 224A* – Economics of Education (4)
• 224B* – Education Finance Policy (4)
• 225* – Education Policy & the Law (4)
• 226 – Culture & Social Organization of Higher Education (4)
• 228* – Politics & Governance of Education (4)
• 229* – Language Policy (4)
• 230* – Special Topics in Education Policy (4)
• 295* – Advanced Topics in Methodology (4)

Students (in consultation with their advisors) are encouraged to have two of their SOEP emphasis courses taken outside of Education, in disciplines such as Sociology, Political Science, History, Psychology, Law, or others.

Science and Agricultural Education

In addition to the Ph.D. program general core courses and research methodology requirements, science and agriculture education students complete 32 units of intensive course work in education and content domains. The core of the curriculum comprises 16 units of required course work (3 courses from the list below and the SAM seminar for 4 units).

Three courses selected from this list:

• 260 – The Modern History of Science Education (4)
• 262A or 262B – Research Topics in Science Education (4)
• 264 – Science Literacy and Science Education Reform (4)
• 292 – Experiential Learning (4)
• 292 – History of Agriculture Education (4)

Science/Agriculture/Math (SAM) Seminar: EDU 294*

This is a variable unit course that is offered at least twice each academic year. Each quarter it will be taught by a different faculty member, and the topic of study will be determined by that faculty member and the interests of the current cohort of science, agriculture, and math graduate students. Science and Agriculture education graduate students are required to take this course for the full 4 units at least once and are expected to enroll in the course an additional 3 times during their program (these can be for fewer units however).

Requirements

• Completion of Graduate Studies Admissions application
• Minimum 3.0 GPA
• Statement of Purpose and Personal History
• 3 Three Letters of Recommendation
• Writing Sample
• Satisfactory Graduate Record Examination scores (last 5 years)
• Satisfactory TOEFL score (International applicants only)
• Transcripts from all institutions attended

Want to improve your English level for admission?

Prepare for the program requirements with English Online by the British Council.

• ✔️ Flexible study schedule
• ✔️ Experienced teachers
• ✔️ Certificate upon completion

📘 Recommended for students with an IELTS level of 6.0 or below.

Enroll in the course

Scholarships

UC Davis offers various types of graduate student support. Both need-based and merit-based funds are available. Eligibility criteria may vary and graduate student academic employment, such as teaching or research assistantships, are administered by individual departments.

Financial Assistance including loans, grants, and workstudy employment is administered by the Financial Aid Office on the basis of demonstrated financial need. Students must file a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) to determine eligibility. Applications are available after December 1 and should be filed by early March. For more information, visit the campus’s financial aid Web site athttp://financialaid.ucdavis.edu