Educational Culture, Policy and Society, PhD

Our doctoral program in educational culture, policy and society is for you if you are interested in the links between educational institutions (P–16+) and broader social, cultural, political and economic forces and consequences. We examine the roles of social forces such as race, class, gender, (im)migration and economic restructuring in shaping differential trajectories and outcomes for varying learning communities. We also engage multidisciplinary perspectives in reimagining the possibilities of schooling and education to nurture more inclusive and just societies. Our program emphasizes three main areas: (1) institutions, policies and practices that facilitate or limit individuals' well-being, and social and economic equity; (2) sociological, anthropological and comparative modes of inquiry, in order to examine the interplay among policy, practice, discourse and educational reforms; and (3) cross-national comparisons of educational policies, practices and outcomes central to policymakers and school leaders around the world. Students are trained in multiple theoretical and methodological traditions to conduct critical educational research across a wide range of settings.

On this page:

Why Educational Culture, Policy and Society (ECPS) at UB?

The features of our program include:

  • learning how to conceptualize, conduct, analyze and communicate scholarly research 
  • opportunities to pursue research design certificates as part of your coursework, including certificates in applied statistical analysis, international education data analysis and qualitative research methods
  • providing professional development workshops to enhance your research capabilities and facilitate transition from coursework to dissertation and the job market
  • receiving individualized attention from a core group of highly accomplished research-focused faculty members
  • researching underserved populations (related to gender, national origin, race/ethnicity, second language and socioeconomic status) in educational and social environments nationally and cross-nationally
  • valuing mixed methods research (quantitative and qualitative) in the service of broad-based research projects, with you gaining in-depth expertise in one methodology and fluency in the other methodology

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
Careers
  • 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
Application deadline Fall: Jan. 1

Program Goals

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.

Program Faculty

Seong Won Han

Seong Won Han

Associate Professor
Educational Leadership And Policy

431 Baldy Hall North Campus
Buffalo, NY 14260

Phone: 716-645-1080

Email: seongwon@buffalo.edu

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

Jaekyung Lee

Jaekyung Lee

Professor
Counseling, School And Educational Psychology

Professor
Educational Leadership And Policy

409 Baldy Hall North Campus
Buffalo, NY 14260

Phone: 716-645-2484

Email: jl224@buffalo.edu

Research Areas: Access and Equity; Educational Policy; Higher Education; International Education; Large-Scale Assessment and Research; Program Evaluation; Psychometrics; Quantitative Research Methods; Race, Inequality, and Education; Social Justice; Statistical Methods and Applications in Statistical Issues

Lois M. Weis

Lois M. Weis

Distinguished Professor
Educational Leadership And Policy

468 Baldy Hall North Campus
Buffalo, NY 14260

Phone: 716-645-1079

Email: weis@buffalo.edu

Research Areas: Access and Equity; Equity and Poverty; Gender, Culture, and Equity; Global Issues; Higher Education; Immigrant Issues; Race, Inequality, and Education; Urban Education

Jinting Wu

Jinting Wu

Associate Professor
Educational Leadership And Policy

432 Baldy Hall North Campus
Buffalo, NY 14260

Phone: 716-645-1081

Email: jintingw@buffalo.edu

Research Areas: Cultural Studies; Disability Studies; Educational Policy; Ethnography; Global Issues; Politics of Education; Qualitative Research Methods

Learn More

Questions about the program?
Lois M. Weis

Director of Educational Culture, Policy and Society, PhD

SUNY Distinguished Professor
---------------------
Dept. of Educational Leadership and Policy
468 Baldy Hall

716-645-1079
weis@buffalo.edu

Frequently Asked Questions

We have a collection of frequently asked questions that may help you. If your questions are still unanswered, we are glad to help! Contact our admission office.

Questions About the Admission Process?

Graduate School of Education
366 Baldy Hall, North Campus
716-645-2110
gseinfo@buffalo.edu