Learning and Teaching in Social Contexts, EdD
Become a leader who is able to address emergent and persistent problems of practice. Learn to build continuous improvement in the communities where you work while achieving educational equity.
Solutions for the Real World
Our graduates aren’t just solving problems. They’re building meaningful change in their communities. You will combine theory and practice in this program, as you get experience addressing real-world education concerns and building solutions applicable to complex organizations.
Be a Change Agent
Program cohorts consists of educational professionals each targeting specific enhancements in educational practices and student support. Two members aim to elevate high school education through increased scientific literacy and teacher support. Another specializes in curriculum development and supervises student teaching globally. Others focus on broadening access for underrepresented students, improving mental health, social-emotional learning, speech-language pathology, occupational therapy, and curriculum coordination. Their common goal: to refine educational methodologies and boost student outcomes across various academic settings.
Points of Distinction
Tailor this three-year program in a way that connects to your specific discipline within or beyond the field of education. Our current cohort of students comes from a range of professional industries such as pre-K-12 education, healthcare, nonprofits and even government.
Be part of a program built around an actionable, justice-focused framework that blends contemporary theory and practice. You’ll learn to address emergent and persistent problems of practice in your chosen discipline, whatever it may be.
You’ll work with faculty intent on helping you reach your goals at the same time they support your work/life balance. These caring mentors are also respected practitioners, researchers and thought leaders.
Program Overview
| Academic credential granted | Doctor of Education (EdD) |
|---|---|
| Credits required for completion | 60 doctoral credits |
| Time to completion | 3 full years (9 part-time semesters) |
| Location | Online |
| Application deadline | Priority Deadline Summer: Feb. 1, then rolling until Apr. 1 |
- 24 credits required in Coursework Centering on a Problem of Practice (cc-PoP)
Required course: LAI 613 Curriculum Theory - 18 credits required in Design and Research Methods for Improving Education (DRM)
Required course: LAI 515 Action Research to Improve Teaching and Learning - 18 credits required in Dissertation in Practice (DiP)
Required course: LAI 621 Critical Interpretations of Research
Required course: LAI 644 EdD Inquiry Practicum
Required course: LAI 702 Dissertation - 60 total credits required
You must have a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution. It is strongly preferred that you also have a master's degree.
If you aspire to join our intellectual community, the following materials must be submitted with the online application available through the Office of Graduate Admissions:
- Application fee: A $50 non-refundable application fee, submitted electronically through UB's ePayment system.
- Contact information for three professional references (1 academic preferred). Admissions will send a recommendation survey link to references; no letters required.
- Unofficial undergraduate and graduate transcripts from all colleges attended. (UB transcripts are automatically submitted for current UB students and alumni.) Upon admission to the program, official transcripts are required.
- Statement of educational and career goals (500 word limit)
- Your background: What key experiences have contributed to your commitment to work in the field of education or with education-related issues? Tell us how you think you are positioned to create change.
- Your objectives for graduate study: What are your academic and professional goals and what knowledge, skills, and tools are you hoping to develop through enrollment in a graduate program? Why is graduate study the vehicle to drive the change(s) you wish to initiate?
- Why UB GSE, and why this specific program? Why is enrollment at UB GSE and in the Department of Learning and Instruction critical in helping you achieve your goals?
- Problem of practice research statement (250 word limit)
- The Problem of Practice Research Statement should be a description of an issue:
- What is the problem you have identified, and what information has drawn you to this specific issue?
- The problem could be an issue you, your organization, or your field have struggled with for years, or it could be an innovation you wish to implement at your organization.
- Focus your problem of practice as one that can create transformational change at your organization and be used for improvement or innovation in your field.
- Sample problems of practice:
- increase the variety of teaching strategies used in classrooms
- increase rigor in classrooms and support students in achieving higher levels of rigorous work
- build a community of learners by focusing on productive student group work
- examine the role of anti-bias education in our classrooms and schools, and identify the relevant community issues that we would like our classes and schools to address
- examine how teachers connect content to students’ prior knowledge and experiences, and support teachers’ capacity to enhance relevance in course materials
- The Problem of Practice Research Statement should be a description of an issue:
- Resume or curriculum vitae
When you submit your application, you will have the opportunity to answer the following question: Is there anything about your application that you would like the admissions committee to take into consideration?
Personal Interview Upon University Request: Applicants must make themselves available for online interviews with faculty.
Former/Maiden Name: Please provide us with your former/maiden name if you have one. When requesting transcripts, please ask the sending institution to indicate your current name and former/maiden name.
Admissions Decision: The admissions decision will be communicated to you as soon as review is complete. The decision is based on a number of factors and is the result of a thorough and deliberate process. All decisions are final and cannot be appealed.
In-State Residency Tuition
In order to qualify for the in-state residency tuition rate, you must provide residency documentation indicating you have lived in New York State (NYS) 12 months before your semester start date.
If accepted, you will need to upload three documents to qualify for the in-state tuition rate. See Required Documents for Residency Application for more information.
International Applicant Additional Requirements
- Official original proof of your degree
- A copy of your passport biographical page
- Official test scores—dated within two years of submitting your application—for either the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language), the IELTS (International English Language Testing System) or PTE (Pearson Test of English) Academic.
- TOEFL minimum score is 250 for computer-based test, 600 for paper- based test and 96 for internet-based test
- IELTS minimum score is 7.0 overall
- PTE minimum score is 55 overall
- Financial documentation: International graduate applicants must document their ability to pay for all costs incurred while studying in the U.S.
- An official bank statement
All financial forms and supporting documentation with required signatures must be uploaded with your application and dated within one year of your intended enrollment date.
Graduates go on to become:
- curriculum developers
- educational consultants
- elementary and secondary school education administrators
- instructional coordinators and coaches
- learning specialists
- postsecondary education administrators
- principals
- program and curriculum directors
- staff developers
- teachers
- top executives / senior-level professionals
- university instructors
Faculty Expertise
Tiffany Karalis Noel, clinical assistant professor and director of doctoral studies in the department of learning and instruction, focuses her research on teacher education, mentoring relationships in higher education and the role of equity and inclusion in school environments.
She is driven to build positive change in the field—a goal at the heart of UB’s new EdD in learning and teaching in social contexts. “It’s an opportunity to address those problems of practice that you’re observing in your local educational community,” she says