Concentrations

Concentrations are intended to embody the content knowledge and learning experiences required for students to achieve necessary levels of proficiency within a field of study. While these levels of proficiency are acquired largely through coursework and other traditional academic activities, in appropriate fields, they may also be based in work experiences, internships, independent studies, and similar activities. Concentrations are the cornerstone of the required program of study for doctoral students in EPS; therefore it is important that students become familiar with the guidelines for their concentration.

Comparative, International, and Global Studies in Education

Study in comparative and international education prepares researchers, teachers, and planners who are interested in education across nations and cultures. Various modes of inquiry and the intellectual orientations of several disciplines are used to investigate, from a comparative and/or cross-cultural perspective, the following aspects of education in one or more geographical regions of the world: educational change and reform, educational policies and practices (e.g., enrollment, retention, assessment, curriculum and pedagogy), the interaction between education and development (social, political, economic), education and inequity, the politics of educational reform, educational planning and institution-building, and the interrelationships of particular aspects of schools, societies, and cultures. 

Upcoming and related comparative and international education activities on campus:

International Comparative Education Research Group (ICERG)

History and Humanities

The study of history helps us understand past educational policies and practices in the context of their times. It also often provides a unique perspective on modern developments. Students in the history of education usually study subjects from interdisciplinary angles, adapting theories and interpretive points of view from the humanities as well as the social sciences in their understanding of the past. In addition, great emphasis is placed in the program on the mastery of core knowledge in the field, the honing of analytical tools, and the improvement of writing skills, all of which are useful in a variety of academic and other settings. Students who choose a concentration in the history of education may specialize in the history of American education, African American Education, the history of European education, comparative history of education, or any combination of these approved by the student’s advisory committee.

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Social Sciences and Education

EPS students choosing to concentrate in Social Sciences and Education will develop a program of study that combines deep exploration of a particular educational problem, theoretical perspective, methodology, or disciplinary approach with broad grounding in social foundations of education and in key substantive fields relevant to educational policy and/or practice. Programs of study will be individually designed (with the support and approval of an EPS advisor) to reflect students’ prior knowledge, skills and experience as well as their current educational goals. Students in this concentration are required to become well-versed in methodological approaches common to social science research, and specifically are required to take a methodology course and two research methods courses.