You are using an outdated browser. This website is best viewed in IE 9 and above. You may continue using the site in this browser. However, the site may not display properly and some features may not be supported. For a better experience using this site, we recommend upgrading your version of Internet Explorer or using another browser to view this website.
- Download the latest Internet Explorer - No thanks (close this window)
- Penn GSE Environmental Justice Statement
- Philadelphia Impact
- Global Initiatives
- Diversity & Inclusion
- Catalyst @ Penn GSE
- Penn GSE Leadership
- Together for Good
- Program Finder
- Academic Divisions & Programs
- Professional Development & Continuing Education
- Teacher Programs & Certifications
- Undergraduates
- Dual and Joint Degrees
- Faculty Directory
- Research Centers, Projects & Initiatives
- Lectures & Colloquia
- Books & Publications
- Academic Journals
- Application Requirements & Deadlines
- Tuition & Financial Aid
- Campus Visits & Events
- International Students
- Options for Undergraduates
- Non-Degree Studies
- Contact Admissions / Request Information
- Life at Penn GSE
- Penn GSE Career Paths
- Living in Philadelphia
- DE&I Resources for Students
- Student Organizations
- Career & Professional Development
- News Archive
- Events Calendar
- The Educator's Playbook
- Find an Expert
- Race, Equity & Inclusion
- Counseling & Psychology
- Education Innovation & Entrepreneurship
- Education Policy & Analysis
- Higher Education
- Language, Literacy & Culture
- Teaching & Learning
- Support Penn GSE
- Contact Development & Alumni Relations
- Find a Program
- Request Info
- Make a Gift
- Current Students
- Staff & Faculty
Search form
Education, culture, and society, doctor of philosophy (ph.d.), you are here, interdisciplinary doctoral research on the social and cultural dimensions of education ..
The Ph.D. in Education, Culture, and Society provides a rigorous theoretical and methodological framework for the study of education, focusing on social, cultural, political, and normative dimensions. Following a rich academic curriculum centered in social theory and qualitative research methods, the program invites students to interrogate and contribute to scholarship on the social and cultural contexts of learning, both inside and outside of schools.
What Sets Us Apart
About the program.
In the Education, Culture, and Society Ph.D. program, students become part of a professional academic community—through their research apprenticeship, formal coursework, informal seminars, cross-cohort experiences, and research group participation.
Fall: 4 courses; Spring: 4 courses
Research apprenticeship 20 hours per week, working on active faculty research project
Culminating experience Dissertation
Transfer courses accepted Up to six courses with faculty approval
The Education, Culture, and Society Ph.D. program explores educational processes, in and out of schools, focusing on their social, cultural, political, and normative dimensions. Research and teaching in this program interrogates tacit presuppositions about human nature and society that lie behind both popular and academic understandings of education, hoping to illuminate educational problems and prospects in more productive ways.
Education, Culture, and Society provides various tools to facilitate such interrogation: strong grounding in social theories that conceptualize the human world; study of theories and methods from such academic disciplines as anthropology, history, philosophy, political economics, and sociology; exposure to ways of life practiced in other parts of the world and to the rapid change brought by the increased movement of people and ideas in the contemporary world; and practice with ethnography and other methods that allow researchers to discover others’ categories and practices instead of imposing their own.
The doctoral program in Education, Culture, and Society not only provides a powerful theoretical and methodological framework for the study of education, but also helps students develop a foundation upon which new models of education can be built. Following a rich academic curriculum centered on social theory and qualitative research methods, the program invites students to interrogate and contribute to the scholarship on the social and cultural contexts of learning, both inside and outside of schools.
The Ph.D. program includes formal courses, mentored research, and informal seminars. Students must complete 16 courses and participate in a mentored research apprenticeship. To complete the course of study, students take a set of written examinations in their area of specialization and complete a dissertation on a problem in education.
Most students supplement their educational studies with significant coursework in a discipline of their choosing, including anthropology, sociology, history, urban studies, philosophy, or linguistics. It is possible to pursue a joint Ph.D. degree in Education and Anthropology, Sociology, Political Science, Africana Studies, or History.
For information on courses and requirements, visit the Education, Culture, and Society Ph.D. program in the University Catalog .
Sample Courses
Co re and foundations courses.
- Doctoral Proseminar on Education Research (required)
Introductory Methods Courses
Methods courses prepare students in both the practical and theoretical implications of collecting, interpreting, analyzing, and presenting data on the human condition broadly—and education/learning in particular. Options include courses such as:
- Introductory Statistics for Educational Research (housed in the Division of Quantitative Methods)
- Qualitative Modes of Inquiry (Doctoral Level)
Advanced Methods Courses
Advanced courses build on introductory ones. Options include courses such as:
- Craft of Ethnography
- Advanced Qualitative and Case Study Research
- Methods of Discourse Analysis
- Ethnographic Research Methods
Sample Social Theory Courses
Theory courses are centrally concerned with preparing students to draw on, understand, and contrast theoretical frameworks within the context of seminal scholarly figures and traditions. Options include courses such as:
- Culture/Power/Subjectivities
Berkowitz Fellowship in History of Education
Jonathan Zimmerman, a professor of the history of education in Penn GSE’s literacy, culture, and international education division, has been named the Judy & Howard Berkowitz Professor in Education. Using the proceeds from the Berkowitz Chair, Dr. Zimmerman is launching the Berkowitz Fellowship in History of Education beginning Fall 2021. It will help fund a fifth year of study for doctoral students who are admitted in tandem to the Graduate School of Education and the School of Arts & Sciences department of history, where Dr. Zimmerman holds a secondary appointment. Berkowitz Fellows will receive a joint Ph.D. in education and history, the only funded joint degree between a school of education and a history department in the United States. Those pursuing joint doctoral study with Education, Culture, and Society and Penn’s Department of History may be eligible to extend their funding through the Berkowitz Fellowship. Interested candidates should contact Professor Jonathan Zimmerman at [email protected] .
Our Faculty
Our faculty bring together expertise in philosophy, anthropology, sociology, and history as scholars in education. Please contact our program for information on selecting a faculty advisor.
Affiliated Faculty
Our affiliated faculty members are valued as part of our intellectual community, and students are encouraged to take their courses and connect on research matters and for mentorship.
Asif Agha Professor of Anthropology, Penn Arts & Sciences Ph.D., University of Chicago
Nikhil Anand Associate Professor of Anthropology, Penn Arts & Sciences Ph.D., Stanford University
Mia Bay Roy F. and Jeannette P. Nichols Professor of American History, Penn Arts & Sciences Ph.D., Yale University
Nicole Mittenfelner Carl Director, Urban Teaching Residency Program Ed.D., University of Pennsylvania
Camille Z. Charles Walter H. and Leonore C. Annenberg Professor in the Social Sciences, Penn Arts & Sciences Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles
Karen Detlefsen Vice Provost for Education Ph.D., University of Toronto
Ameena Ghaffar-Kucher Senior Lecturer Ed.D., Teachers College, Columbia University
Leigh Llewellyn Graham Lecturer Ph.D., Columbia University
Mauro F. Guillén William H. Wurster Professor of Multinational Management, The Wharton School Ph.D., Yale University
Amy Gutmann Penn President Emerita Ph.D., Harvard University
Emily Hannum Professor of Sociology and Education, School of Arts & Sciences Ph.D., University of Michigan
Jessie Harper Lecturer, MSW Program, Penn Social Policy & Practice Ed.D., University of Pennsylvania
Jasmine Harris Professor of Law, Penn Carey Law J.D., Yale Law School
Nancy H. Hornberger Professor Emerita of Education Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison
Richard M. Ingersoll Professor of Education and Sociology Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania
John L. Jackson, Jr. Provost Ph.D., Columbia University
Jerry A. Jacobs Professor of Sociology, Penn Arts & Sciences Ph.D., Harvard University
Andrea M. Kane Professor of Practice, Education Leadership Ph.D., Northcentral University
Annette Lareau Professor of Sociology, Penn Arts & Sciences Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley
Kristina Lyons Assistant Professor of Anthropology, Penn Arts & Sciences Ph.D., University of California, Davis
Ranah McKay Associate Professor of History and Sociology of Science, Penn Arts & Sciences Ph.D., Stanford University
Jennifer Morton Presidential Penn Compact Associate Professor of Philosophy Ph.D., Stanford University
Hyunjoon Park Korea Foundation Professor of Sociology, Penn Arts & Sciences Ph.D., University of Wisconsin, Madison
Alex Posecznick Program Manager and Associate Faculty Ph.D., Teachers College, Columbia University
John L. Puckett Professor Emeritus of Education Ph.D., University of North Carolina
Rogers Smith Christopher H. Browne Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Political Science, Penn Arts & Sciences Ph.D., Harvard University
Deborah Thomas R. Jean Brownlee Professor of Anthropology, Penn Arts & Sciences Ph.D., New York University
Greg Urban Arthur Hobson Quinn Professor of Anthropology, Penn Arts & Sciences Ph.D., University of Chicago
Daniel A. Wagner UNESCO Chair in Learning and Literacy Ph.D., University of Michigan
Our Graduates
The Ph.D. in Education, Culture, and Society prepares students for careers as researchers, particularly within universities, but also in research institutes, government agencies, and non-profit organizations.
Alumni Careers
- Assistant Professor, Cleveland State University
- Assistant Professor, Emory University
- Assistant Professor, Stanford University
- Clinical Associate Professor, NYU Center for Global Affairs
- Global Director of Talent Development, Genworth Financial Faculty, American University
- Lead Researcher and Policy Analyst, United Federation of Teachers
- Lecturer, Columbia University
- Professor, Villanova University
- Visiting Assistant Professor, Swarthmore College
Admissions & Financial Aid
Please visit our Admissions and Financial Aid pages for specific information on the application requirements , as well as information on tuition, fees, financial aid, scholarships, and fellowships.
Contact us if you have any questions about the program.
Graduate School of Education University of Pennsylvania 3700 Walnut Street Philadelphia, PA 19104 (215) 898-6415 [email protected] [email protected]
Alex Posecznick, Ph.D. Program Manager and Associated Faculty (215) 573-3947 [email protected]
Paula Rogers Program Assistant (215) 898-5023 [email protected]
Please view information from our Admissions and Financial Aid Office for specific information on the cost of this program.
All Ph.D. students are guaranteed a full scholarship for their first four years of study, as well as a stipend and student health insurance. Penn GSE is committed to making your graduate education affordable, and we offer generous scholarships, fellowships, and assistantships.
Related News & Research
Sade bonilla named inaugural faculty research director for penn gse’s office of school and community engagement.
Urban Teaching Residency program helps working educators connect theory to practice
Penn GSE, University of Guadalajara extend partnership to enhance literacy and civic engagement
4 ways to open dialogue
Ethnography in Education Research Forum
Convened by the Center for Urban Ethnography at Penn GSE since 1980, the Ethnography in Education Research Forum is the largest annual meeting of qualitative researchers in education.
Urban Education Journal
The Penn GSE Perspectives on Urban Education journal is an electronic, student-run publication and interactive forum to investigate critical issues in urban education.
You May Be Interested In
Related programs.
- Education, Culture, and Society M.S.Ed.
- Reading/Writing/Literacy Ph.D.
- Reading/Writing/Literacy Ed.D.
- Interdisciplinary Studies in Human Development Ph.D.
- Education Policy Ph.D.
Related Topics
Doctor of Sociology Programs in Pennsylvania
1-4 of 4 results
School of Arts & Sciences - University of Pennsylvania
- Philadelphia, PA ·
- University of Pennsylvania ·
- Graduate School
University of Pennsylvania, Graduate School, PHILADELPHIA, PA.
College of the Liberal Arts - Penn State
- University Park, PA ·
- Penn State ·
Penn State, Graduate School, UNIVERSITY PARK, PA.
Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences
- Pittsburgh, PA ·
- University of Pittsburgh ·
Blue checkmark. University of Pittsburgh, Graduate School, PITTSBURGH, PA.
- Graduate School ·
- PITTSBURGH, PA
Tepper School of Business
- Carnegie Mellon University ·
- · Rating 4.8 out of 5 15
University of Pittsburgh School of Education
- · Rating 4.33 out of 5 6
Temple University College of Liberal Arts
- Temple University ·
- · Rating 3 out of 5 3 reviews
Temple University, Graduate School, PHILADELPHIA, PA. 3 Niche users give it an average review of 3 stars. Featured Review: Master's Student says Throughout my academic journey, I've embraced learning as a lifelong pursuit, constantly seeking knowledge and growth. From my earliest years in school to my current studies, I've approached each... Read 3 reviews.
College of Rehabilitation Sciences - Thomas Jefferson University
- Thomas Jefferson University ·
- PHILADELPHIA, PA
- · Rating 4.5 out of 5 2
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine - Graduate Studies
- · Rating 5 out of 5 3
School of Computing and Information - University of Pittsburgh
- · Rating 2.5 out of 5 2
Showing results 1 through 4 of 4
IMAGES
VIDEO