Educational Studies

Doctoral

Why study Educational Studies?

The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Educational Studies at the University of Cincinnati is designed to equip students with the knowledge and skills needed to excel in the world of academia and education. Our doctoral degree is specifically tailored to cultivate highly skilled educators who are poised to make a lasting impact in one or more high-demand areas of specialization such as educational policy or instructional design and technology.

Our comprehensive PhD in Educational Studies places a strong emphasis on rigorous scholarship, preparing you to conduct and disseminate cutting-edge research or improve school policy and curriculum. The program's courses offer critical training, enabling you to pursue advanced knowledge in educational, social, and behavioral sciences. 

Graduates will be prepared to research and make impactful change in whichever concentration they choose. 

Areas of concentration include:

 

Admission Requirements

Minimum admission criteria for all areas of concentration are consistent; however, additional concentration level criteria may be applied. The program is selective. There will be limits on the number of students a faculty member can mentor at one time.

Degrees. Earned Bachelor’s degree or Master’s degree in areas of concentration or closely related area from an accredited college or university. Students with bachelor’s or master’s degrees in unrelated areas, but with clear evidence of experiences and/or credentials appropriate to the degree and a specific area of concentration may be accepted. 

Minimum Grade Point Average (GPA). Successful applicants must have at least a cumulative GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) from their undergraduate coursework and 3.2 (on a 4.0 scale) from previous graduate work.

Graduate Record Examination (GRE).  Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is optional. It can be submitted as part of the holistic review of your application, but is not required.

Applicants: The program will be using the university's holistic review process for all areas of the PhD. The holistic review involves written responses to selected questions. The questions do not require specific content background or knowledge, but assess preparedness for the writing, analysis, and critical thinking required of a doctoral degree. An admissions committee reviews each application using pre-determined criteria. Applicants should expect a follow up interview with an admissions committee member to complete their application.

Speakers of English as Second Language. If an applicant’s first language is not English, he or she must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or another comparable test unless he/she has previous degrees from higher education institutions in the United States. The recommended test scores are: 92-93 for Internet-based TOEFL; 237 for Computer-based TOEFL; 580 Paper-based TOEFL; 6.5 for IELTS; and 62-63 for PTE. The test must be taken within two years prior to application to the program.

Letters of Recommendation. Applicants must have a minimum of three current letters of recommendation that address their academic background and accomplishments submitted by college or university faculty, graduate advisors, or other individuals who can address applicants’ accomplishments or potential as educational researchers.

Writing Sample Prompt.  The purpose of the Writing Sample is to demonstrate the quality of your academic writing skills, your ability to think critically, your ability to construct an argument, and your ability to analyze educational issues and/or data. There are two ways that you may choose to do this:

1.     Provide a prewritten sample, perhaps something you composed for a prior course, that is 2,000 words or less and contains at least three references (an excerpt of a longer paper is acceptable).

OR

2.     Compose an essay where you discuss your position on an issue in your field of interest within education and how you hope to address that issue during your studies. Your essay should be 2,000 words or less and contain at least three references.

Goal Statement Prompt. The purpose of the Goal Statement is to determine how your research interests align with the Educational Studies program, your area of concentration, and the faculty within it. You are encouraged to consult the university website to learn more about the areas of focus for the program, concentrations, and faculty.  This information will also help the program select the best faculty advisor aligned with your interests.  In your Goal Statement of 1,500 words or less, you should describe:

a) your previous teaching or research experiences;

b) topics or issues that you hope to learn more about during your time in the program;

c) how your interests align with your intended area of concentration; and

d) your professional short-term and long-range aspirations.

Curriculum Vitae/Resume. A copy of a curriculum vitae or resume that indicates the applicant’s name, address, phone number, e-mail address, colleges attended with degrees and dates, employment history, professional experiences, any publications, or conference presentations, and names of references who will be sending letters.

Application Deadlines

Prospective students should complete the online application for the EDST Ph.D. degree by December 1st, at which time they will select a concentration from among the options available. Please note that incomplete applications will not be processed or reviewed. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that all required materials and support documents are successfully submitted. Applicants will be notified of acceptance or rejection by February 15th.

Graduates of this program will be prepared for the careers listed below. All opportunities may not be listed.

The information provided is sourced from a third party, Lightcast. Their product, called Career Coach, combines extensive labor market data from Lightcast and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. It provides insights on industry, occupation, compensation, and projected growth for each profession. Economic and workforce information is available for various geographic regions. Some careers may require additional training or education.

Upon admittance to the program, each student is assigned a mentor with Graduate Faculty Status based on fit of research interests. Candidates should initiate contact with their assigned mentor as soon as possible once the admission letter is received. During the first semester of study, the student and mentor will meet to begin working on the process of planning the program of study. It is the student’s responsibility to confer regularly with his or her mentor and make sure the mentor has approved the course choices throughout the graduate program. During the first year of their study, students should actively get to know faculty members’ research and teaching so as to select a committee to advise their studies.

Doctoral students may elect to add graduate certificates to their area of concentration.  Options include:

  • Adult/International TESL
  • Assessment and Evaluation
  • Autism Spectrum Disorders
  • Developmental and Learning Sciences
  • Jewish Education
  • Post Secondary Literacy Instruction
  • Teacher Leader
  • TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages)

Other graduate certificates may be available.  Please contact your Faculty Advisor.

Full and part-time graduate students in Educational Studies may apply for financial aid.

Minimum Required GPA: To be eligible for graduation, the student must maintain a minimum of 3.25 grade point average.

Maintaining Active Status: In order to maintain active status in the graduate program, the student must register for at least 1 graduate credit in any semester during every academic year. If a student fails to maintain active status, he or she must complete a Graduate College Petition for Reinstatement. This request must be received in the Office of Research and Advanced Studies no later than three weeks prior to graduation in order for the candidate to be certified for graduation in that semester. Students who have not been enrolled in classes for more than three years are not eligible for reinstatement and must reapply for readmission to the University. Reapplication does not change the candidate’s original entry date. Time to degree will be calculated from his or her first entry date. To reapply, the candidate must submit a completed Application for Readmission to Graduate College Form.

Graduation: Students must formally apply for graduation in accordance with established Graduate College Graduation Deadlines. Complete information can be found at Graduate College Graduation. Students must maintain active status (i.e., enrolled for at least one credit hour) during the year they plan to graduate and all NG, N, I, UP, SP and F grades must be removed for degree courses.

EDST PhD coursework is designed to be completed in three to four years for students with relevant prior graduate work and in five to six years for students entering the program without prior graduate work, given a full-time schedule of 12 hours per semester.

Degree Summary:

  • Minimum: 90 semester credit hours
  • Transfer up to 30 credit hours of comparable graduate level coursework from another degree program within UC or from another institution. All transfer credit must be approved by the Doctoral Advisory Committee, must meet Graduate College requirements, and follow Graduate College policy for approval.

Residency:

Prior to admission to doctoral candidacy, all doctoral students must complete a residency requirement by enrolling in 10 graduate credit hours (12 graduate credit hours if funded by a Graduate Assistantship) per semester for two out of three consecutive semesters of study (Fall, Spring, Summer; i.e., residency in Fall and Spring or residency in Spring and Summer). Part-time students are not exempt from enrollment requirements to achieve residency.

Annual Review:

All doctoral students and doctoral candidates are required to complete a review of progress with their faculty advisor during the spring or summer semester of each academic year. A Doctoral Student Annual Review Form must be completed and signed. The purpose of the annual review is to ensure that doctoral students / candidates receive feedback on their progress toward degree completion and career goals.

Core Curriculum:

Common Required Core Courses (31-54 credits): A core set of courses is designed to provide a common set of experiences and is required of all students. The focus of core courses is scholarly activity (e.g., research, writing for publication, conference presentations, and grant writing).

  • Basic Research Methods (2 courses; 6 credits).
  • Professional Induction (1-2 courses and 1-2 research aprenticeships; 9 credits).
  • Advanced Research Methods (1 two-semester sequence plus 1 additional course from a different sequence or with a different focus; 9 credits).
  • EDST 9073 Dissertation Guidance in Educational Studies (7 credits minimum to 30 credits maximum).

Area of Concentration Requirements and Electives (24+ credits): Area of concentration requirements and electives focus on specialized content that supports students’ interests, expands on current research and evidence-based practices in the field, and facilitates students’ research. Requirements may include courses shared across programs, such as additional research methods and/or statistics courses. A secondary area of concentration, which is optional, should extend students’ knowledge base by providing coursework in an area outside of, but complimentary to, students’ primary area of concentration. A secondary area of concentration may include coursework in other concentrations as well as coursework outside the School of Education. Mentors within areas of concentration may require additional coursework.

  • Primary Area of Concentration (18 hours minimum).
  • Optional Secondary Area of Concentration (12 credits minimum). For example, a student in Literacy may be interested in a stronger background in Quantitative Research Methodologies or may complete the Assessment and Evaluation Certificate.
  • Additional Electives (5 credits): Students may select five elective credit hours. These courses might be from their concentration, additional courses from the core curriculum (such as research methodology or professional induction courses), Proseminar II, independent studies, additional credits of dissertation guidance (EDST 9073 to be completed after qualifying exam), or additional graduate courses that are aligned with the student’s interests.

Explore unique opportunities, faculty, and resources available in Educational Studies

Application Deadlines

Prospective students will complete the on-line application for the EDST Ph.D. degree by December 1st, at which time they will select a concentration from among the options available. Please note that incomplete applications will not be processed or reviewed. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that all required materials and support documents are successfully submitted. The Ph.D. Council will conduct an initial review of the applications in all concentrations; however, the interviews and final admission decisions will reside with the faculty for each area of concentration. A minimum of two faculty affiliated with a concentration must review each application. One round of admissions will be conducted in the Spring semester of each year for Fall semester entry into the program the following academic year.  

The University of Cincinnati and all regional campuses are accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

Contact Information

Office of Recruitment
PO BOX 210014
Cincinnati, OH 45221
(513) 556-6308
cechrecruit@uc.edu

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Program Code: 18DOC-EDST-PHD