Educational Culture, Policy and Society, PhD
Ask bold questions and seek impactful answers. Delve into the dynamic interplay between education and societal forces, exploring critical issues like equity, inclusion and policy impact across diverse communities. Gain rigorous research skills, personalized mentorship and interdisciplinary perspectives to reimagine education’s role in creating a more just world.
Advance Equity Through Education
Our PhD in educational culture, policy and society rigorously explores the complex ties between education and broader social forces. You will engage with critical issues like race, class, gender and economic restructuring. Through multidisciplinary training in sociological and comparative methods, you will gain tools to conduct impactful research, inform equitable policies and reimagine education’s role in fostering inclusive, just societies.
A Trailblazing Leader
GSE alumna Heather Jenkins, CEO of The Literacy Lab, has garnered attention by securing a $10 million donation from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott to support the organization’s mission of closing literacy gaps for underserved young students. The funds will enhance data and staffing resources, advancing the Lab’s evidence-based literacy programs and efforts to diversify the educator pipeline. Jenkins credits her GSE PhD training in social foundations for shaping her data-driven approach to education, which she applies to The Literacy Lab’s strategic vision. Jenkins was named Fortune Business Review’s Most Successful Businesswomen Worth Watching in 2023.
Points of Distinction
Our PhD program uniquely integrates sociological, anthropological and comparative methodologies to empower students to tackle complex educational challenges on a global scale, combining rigorous theoretical grounding with real-world relevance.
With a commitment to advancing equity, our program emphasizes research on underserved populations and explores the impact of key social forces—such as race, class and migration—on educational opportunities and outcomes, fostering inclusive and impactful scholarship.
Students benefit from individualized faculty mentorship and the option to earn specialized research design certificates, enhancing their expertise in critical methods like applied statistical analysis and qualitative research, along with tailored professional development for academic and professional success.
Program Overview
| Academic credential granted | Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) |
|---|---|
| Credits required for completion | 72 |
| Time to completion | 4 to 5+ years |
| Course delivery | On campus |
| Application deadline | Fall: Jan. 1 |
Through our PhD program in educational culture, policy and society, your goal is to develop high-level content knowledge and research skills through a series of:
- Rigorous content knowledge courses (e.g., Sociological Bases in Education; Sociology of School Knowledge; Education and Socialization; Education and Social Stratification, among others)
- Rigorous courses aimed at developing high-level skills in empirical research methods relevant to our broad field (e.g., Qualitative Research in Education I and II; Fundamentals of Educational Research; Statistical Inference I and II; Large-scale Data Analysis, among others)
To fulfill our ECPS program goals, we have designed the program requirements below.
- The first experiential block is comprised of substantive courses designed to introduce students to relevant bodies of scholarly literature.
- The second experiential block is comprised of courses in research methods. Students learn the methods, quantitative and qualitative, which scholars use to actually produce research in the field.
- The third experiential block is comprised of courses designed to further strengthen academic writing.
- For the fourth experiential block, ECPS offers a professional development series for graduate students.
- The fifth experiential block is related to the preliminary examination, dissertation proposal and the dissertation itself.
Required Courses (26 credits)
- ELP 566 Comparative and Global Studies in Education
- ELP 575 Education and Globalization
- ELP 585 Sociological Bases in Education
- ELP 589 Education and Socialization
- ELP 590 Education and Social Stratification
- ELP 593 Qualitative Research Methods Part I
- ELP 594 Qualitative Research Methods Part II
- ELP 599 Writing Dissertation Proposals
- ELP 700 Guidance of the Project (2 credits during the Preliminary Examination Paper year; 1 credit per semester)
Quantitative/Statistical Methods Courses (minimum 6 credits)
- CEP 500 Fundamentals of Educational Research
- CEP 512 Seminar in Survival Analysis
- CEP 522 Statistical Methods: Inference I
- CEP 523 Statistical Methods: Inference II
- CEP 526 Linear Structural Models
- CEP 527 Large Database Analysis
- CEP 528 Hierarchical Linear Modeling: Multilevel and Longitudinal Data Analysis
- CEP 529 Applied Regression Analysis
- CEP 532 Understanding Statistical Research
Recommended Electives (minimum 33 credits)
- CEP 533 Topical Doctoral Seminar on Current Policy Issues in Education
- ELP 510 College Access and Choice in US
- ELP 511 Comparative Higher Education
- ELP 574 Education in Asia
- ELP 580 Contemporary Social Theory & Education
- ELP 586 Reading Urban Ethnographies
- ELP 591 Academic Writing
- ELP 592 American Education for International Students
- ELP 620 Educational Transitions P–20
- ELP 624 Problems and Paradigms in Educational Administration
- ELP 629 Case Study Research Methods
- ELP 643 Reforming Teacher Compensation
- ELP 687 Sociology of Higher Education
Preliminary Examination Paper
The ECPS preliminary examination is comprised of a scholarly empirical paper undertaken over the course of one year. In most cases, you will continue to take coursework during this time period. To join the preliminary group, you must complete all required courses and obtain IRB approval for the preliminary project (unless the project is exempt from IRB review, which might be the case in some quantitative studies).
The preliminary examination paper in ECPS is designed to help you transition from student to researcher. The purpose of the preliminary examination paper is to demonstrate that you can conduct a rigorous, independent empirical study that employs the techniques of qualitative and/or quantitative methodology to answer a question embedded in the contemporary research literature. As such, the paper is intended to assess your ability to identify a research question in education that is rooted in ongoing scholarly debate, apply an appropriate method to the question at hand, collect additional data (as relevant), analyze data pertinent to their research question, and write up the results of the study in a compelling and appropriately scholarly manner.
This examination paper is expected to be based on or be an extension of a required final paper for a course, but substantial additional work is required towards this end. As the dissertation follows the preliminary examination, the dissertation topic may be either linked to or substantially different from the question posed in the examination paper. In either case, skills developed in coursework are expected to scaffold the preliminary examination paper. In subsequent manner, the paper can usefully scaffold dissertation projects. Data and analysis embedded within the paper cannot necessarily be folded into the dissertation research itself, although such pilot data and analysis can set the stage for your dissertation proposal.
During the full-year experience, you will be part of a collective writing workshop with core faculty. Workshop sessions will be held once per semester for a full year, during which time participating faculty and students provide specific and constructive verbal feedback on student drafts. Such feedback is designed to make the paper stronger. You are expected to substantially revise your paper in light of feedback from each of the two sessions. You may not contact faculty about these papers outside of these two sessions, although participating students are encouraged to read one another’s work and provide ongoing feedback throughout the year. Students must sign up for 1 credit hour each semester under the course number ELP 700.
The preliminary examination paper will normally be undertaken during your third year of full-time coursework, after you complete enough relevant methodology course requirements (qualitative and/or quantitative) as well as substantive courses that cover the knowledge and skills necessary to understand the social issues that impact education (formal and informal) on the national and/or international level. We anticipate that the first draft of the preliminary examination paper will be linked to a paper completed in a course. The final examination paper, however, must go well beyond original coursework papers and represent substantial revision. The final preliminary examination paper must be an original scholarly paper that is judged to be suitable for presentation at a high-impact, peer-reviewed national conference (e.g., AERA, ASA, CIES, AAA) and is expected to be the basis for an article that is potentially publishable in a peer-reviewed scholarly journal. Manuscripts should run between 30 to 35 pages, including all tables, figures, notes and references, typed on 8½" by 11" paper with 1" margins on all sides, double-spaced using 12-point font.
You must receive a “pass” in order to advance to candidacy. If you receive an unsatisfactory evaluation, you should revise and resubmit the paper to the qualifying examination committee within 6 weeks from the date of receiving notification that the exam must be revised. You have one opportunity to revise the examination paper.
Dissertation Research (minimum 9 credits)
- ELP 702 Dissertation Guidance:
You are encouraged to seek external support for your dissertation research. See Information for Funding Your Dissertation.
Application to Candidacy
Standardized Testing No Longer Required
To make the application process more equitable, the GRE/MAT is no longer required for admissions consideration. If you still plan to take the GRE/MAT exam, you can send your scores through the testing agency, and they will automatically be added to your application; however, they are not required for admission consideration to this program.
Submit your completed online application, which includes:
- Application fee: A $50 non-refundable application fee, submitted electronically through UB's ePayment system.
- Contact information for at least three individuals who will each be asked to provide an electronic recommendation letter.
- Unofficial transcripts from all colleges attended. (UB transcripts are automatically submitted for current UB students and alumni.)
- Sample of academic writing: A sample of your academic writing at least 10 pages long.
- Statement of interest: Statement of your career goals and objectives.
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.
Admission Decision: The admission 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
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) Academic Test, the PTE (Pearson Test of English) Academic, or DET (Duolingo English Test).
- TOEFL minimum score is 250 for computer-based test, 600 for paper-based test and 79 for internet-based test
- IELTS Academic Test minimum score is 6.5 overall
- PTE minimum score is 55 overall
- DET minimum score is 120 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.
Our graduates go on to work at:
- Colleges/Universities — as administrators and staff at programs such as Upward Bound, Educational Opportunity Program and McNair Scholars
- Colleges/Universities — as faculty/scholars of educational policy studies, global studies and related areas
- International development or human service agencies — as analysts, program officers or administrators
- Ministries of education — as policy makers and analysts
- Schools — as teachers or administrators
Associate Professor
Educational Leadership And Policy
Research Areas: Access and Equity; Achievement; Big Data; Educational Policy; Gender, Culture, and Equity; Global Issues; Higher Education; International Education; Quantitative Research Methods; Race, Inequality, and Education; Sociology of Education; STEM education
Professor
Counseling, School And Educational Psychology
Professor
Educational Leadership And Policy
Research Areas: Access and Equity; Big Data; Educational Policy; Higher Education; International Education; Large-Scale Assessment and Research; Leadership; Program Evaluation; Psychometrics; Quantitative Research Methods; Race, Inequality, and Education; Social and Emotional Development; Social Justice; STEM education
Associate Professor
Educational Leadership And Policy
Research Areas: Cultural Studies; Disability Studies; Educational Policy; Ethnography; Global Issues; Politics of Education; Qualitative Research Methods
Assistantships are available in a variety of areas that change from year to year. Compensation for positions ranges from hourly pay only to a stipend to tuition remission plus a stipend. Generally, assistantships require 20 hours of work per week.
The application process for assistantships is separate from the program admission process. Assistantship opportunities are posted for the following academic year in mid-January, from offices on campus such as Campus Living, Career Services, Student Engagement, Intercultural and Diversity Center, among others.
While assistantships are limited, new opportunities become available throughout summer and into the fall semester.
Faculty Expertise
A recent study led by Educational Leadership and Policy Professor Jaekyung Lee examines educational and career disparities among minoritized students and the impact of High-Impact Practices (HIPs), like internships and study abroad, on their success. By analyzing national data and student interviews, the research highlights inequities in HIP participation and suggests that strategic HIP use can address racial and socioeconomic disparities. It offers actionable insights for policymakers to promote equity in higher education.