Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Curriculum and Instruction
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Curriculum and Instruction
Develop the knowledge, professional skills, ethical sensibilities, and leadership potential to make a difference in the lives of all schoolchildren. With an emphasis on serving others and promoting social justice, our program trains you to challenge inequities and contribute to the establishment of a more just society.
At a Glance
Curriculum
Students take a mixture of core courses, electives, and research courses in addition to classes within their chosen area of specialization, culminating in a dissertation.
Requirements
- Courses: 18
- Credits: 54
- Comprehensive Exam
| Course | Course Title | Credit |
|---|---|---|
| EDUC9709 | Research on Teaching Introduce Ph.D. students to conceptual and empirical scholarship about teaching and teacher education as well as to contrasting paradigms and methodological approaches upon which this literature is based. Helps students become aware of major substantive areas in the field of research on teaching/teacher education, develop critical perspectives and questions on contrasting paradigms, and raise questions about implications of this research for curriculum and instruction, policy and practice, and teacher education/professional development. Considers issues related to epistemology, methodology, and ethics. |
3 |
| EDUC9711 | Historical and Political Contexts of Curriculum Introduces Ph.D. students in Curriculum and Instruction to the major curriculum movements in American educational history by examining the history and implementation of curriculum development on the macro and micro levels of schooling. Focuses on key campaigns and controversies in curriculum theory and practice, using primary source materials to place them within the academic, political, economic, and social contexts that have marked their conceptualization, and change inside and outside of schools. |
3 |
| EDUC7101 | Readings and Research in Curriculum and Instruction Under the direction of a faculty member who serves as Project Director, a student develops and completes a significant study. |
3 |
| EDUC9951 | Dissertation Seminar in Curriculum and Instruction This is a student-centered seminar that is aimed at assisting doctoral students in identifying, shaping, and defining a research topic. Students will be expected to develop an Intent to Propose a Thesis, and to work toward the development of a full-scale draft of a Thesis proposal. Prior to the completion of the seminar, students will be expected to have established a Dissertation Committee. |
3 |
Quantitative Strand
| Course | Course Title | Credit |
|---|---|---|
| Students will choose one of the following: | ||
| MESA7460 | Interpretation and Evaluation of Research This course will improve a students' understanding of the empirical research literature in education and psychology. It concentrates on developing the conceptual foundations of empirical research and the practical analytic skills needed by a competent reader and user of research articles. Topics address purpose statements, hypotheses, sampling techniques, sample sizes and power, instrument development, internal and external validity, and typical quantitative research designs. Exercises emphasize the critical evaluation of published research. |
3 |
| MESA7468 | Introductory Statistics An introduction to descriptive statistics. Topics include methods of data summarization and presentation; measures of central tendency and variability, correlation and linear regression; the normal distribution; probability; and an introduction to hypothesis testing. Provides computer instruction on PC and Mac platforms and in the SPSS statistical package. |
3 |
| Students will choose one of the following: | ||
| MESA7468 | Introductory Statistics An introduction to descriptive statistics. Topics include methods of data summarization and presentation; measures of central tendency and variability, correlation and linear regression; the normal distribution; probability; and an introduction to hypothesis testing. Provides computer instruction on PC and Mac platforms and in the SPSS statistical package. |
3 |
| MESA7469 | Intermediate Statistics Topics and computer exercises address tests of means and proportions, partial and part correlations, chi-square goodness-of-fit and contingency table analysis, multiple regression, analysis of variance with planned and post hoc comparisons, elements of experimental design, and power analysis. |
3 |
Qualitative Strand
In addition to the course below, students will select another qualitative methods course (3 credits) with the help of their advisor.
| Course | Course Title | Credit |
|---|---|---|
| EDUC8851 | Design of Qualitative Research Methods Introduces the foundations and techniques of carrying out qualitative research. Topics include philosophical underpinnings, planning for a qualitative research project, negotiating entry, ethics of conducting research, data collection and analysis, and writing/presenting qualitative research. Requires a research project involving participant observation and/or interviewing. |
3 |
Advanced Research
Students will select one additional advanced methods course (3 credits) with the help of their advisor.
Students will choose two electives (3 credits each) with the help of their advisor.
Students will choose 6 courses (3 credits each) from their choosen specialization.
| Course | Course Title | Credit |
|---|---|---|
| ELHE7704 | Ethics and Equity in Education The course explores how schools are used as a vehicle of the state to de-culturalize various communities of people throughout the country's history. Students will explore how schools can more appropriately promote respect for valuing diversity as a generative source of the country's vitality and its relationship to the global village. The role of educators is not only to act ethically in the many individual situations of their daily professional lives, but more importantly to see that the institutional structures and processes of the school system are themselves reflections of a system of justice and care. |
3 |
| EDUC7621 | Bilingualism, Second Language, and Literacy Development Explores first and second language and literacy development of children raised bilingually as well as students acquiring a second language during pre-school, elementary, or secondary school years. Also addresses theories of first and second language acquisition, literacy development in the second language, and factors affecting second language and literacy learning. Participants will assess the development of one aspect of language or language skill of a bilingual individual and draw implications for instruction, parent involvement, and policy. |
3 |
| ELHE7103 | Education Law and Public Policy This course addresses the political and legal aspects of the role of education in our democratic society. Provides an introductory survey of public policy issues and laws governing preschool, elementary, secondary, and higher education. Included are such topics as religious freedom, free speech, and due process; the liability of educational institutions and educators; the legal distinctions between private and public institutions; student and parent privacy rights; disability rights; and the promotion of educational equity among all groups regardless of gender, sexual orientation, language, race, religion, ethnicity, or socioeconomic background. |
3 |
| ELHE7201 | Philosophy of Education This course follows the historical issues of universities as educational institutions, providing basis for discussion on crucial questions regarding the lives and personal growth of students and faculty alike. This course is organized in such a way as to enable us address and discuss the dialectics of freedom hidden under the process of education. The class investigates a number of conflicting positions about freedom in education and explores philosophical resources to help us to understand the nature of these issues more fully. |
3 |
| EDUC9729 | Controversies in Curriculum Explores contemporary curriculum controversies in American education as well as the ways these are shaped by differing conceptions of teaching, learning, and the purposes of schooling and by the larger social, historical, political, and cultural contexts in which schooling occurs. The course assumes a broad and encompassing definition of curriculum and the aspects of instruction, assessment, and teacher preparation that have major implications for curriculum. Although the focus of the course is on curricular controversies in K-12 education, controversies related to the curriculum of early childhood education, adult learning, and higher education are also relevant. |
3 |
| EDUC9737 | Contemporary Issues: Discourse Analysis An advanced seminar exploring current topics and issues in curriculum and instruction. |
3 |
| EDUC9755 | Theories of Leadership This course is an introduction to and survey of major historical and contemporary theories of educational leadership. Through this course, you will learn about these different theories of leadership, each of which can be of use when researching or evaluating district-level dilemmas, problems, and critical incidents you will encounter in your sites of professional practice. One of the overarching objectives of this course is to help you enter into research-based conversations about educational leadership (as emerging researchers of educational leadership) by understanding how “major thinkers” have thought through the essential questions defining educational leadership as a field of study. The other overarching objective is to provide you the space to enhance your practical wisdom by thinking through how to enact a grounded theory of leadership in your site of professional practice. |
3 |
| EDUC9819 | Educational Change: The Communication of Innovations This course focuses on the study of change theories and approaches, their application in educational reform, and their impact on teaching and learning. Students examine the history of educational change and consider the forces for and against change in schools and other educational organizations. Each student is expected to conduct a research study of an educational change initiative. |
3 |
| MESA7462 | Assessment and Test Construction This course addresses the major issues in educational assessment, with emphasis on the characteristics, administration, scoring, and interpretation of both formal and informal assessments, including, but not limited to, tests of achievement. All forms of assessment are examined including observation, portfolios, performance tasks, and paper-and-pencil tests, including standardized tests. Basic techniques of test construction, item writing, and analysis are included. Statewide testing programs are also examined. |
3 |
| EDUC8923 | Critical Race Theory and Intersectionality This doctoral course explores the epistemological, methodological, and pedagogical uses of Critical Race Theory, Intersectionality (CRT/Int), and Settler Colonialism, in the examination and deconstruction of institutionalized and race-based disparities and inequalities in societal institutions, including, but not limited to, K-12 education, higher education, psychology, and the law. Course texts and student work will utilize both academic and popular culture texts. The course assumes and builds upon a foundational knowledge of social theories, and the ways in which self, institution and society are connected. |
3 |
| EDUC6592 | Foundations of Language and Literacy Development Provides students with a comprehensive overview of major theories and research in language and literacy including theories of instruction. Emphasis is placed on major reports on literacy instruction as well as critiques of those reports. Topics covered include: language acquisition, the role of language in literacy learning, emergent literacy, the role of phonics in early literacy learning, reading fluency, reading comprehension and critical literacy, discourse theory, multi-modal literacy, and adolescent literacy. |
3 |
| EDUC6593 | Introduction to Speech and Language Disorders On the basis of the development of normal children, this course will explore dysfunctions of speech and language that interfere with normal communication and learning processes. The evaluation of language performance and the remediation of language deficits will also be stressed. |
3 |
| APSY8115 | Cultural Processes, Social & Emotional Development This course reviews the theoretical and empirical literatures pertinent to the study of emotional and social development across the life span. Perspectives derived from the disciplines of biology, psychology, anthropology, sociology, and history are presented. The interrelations between social and affective processes, and their association with familial, societal, cultural, and historical context of development are discussed. Issues derived from social psychology, such as group processes, will also be discussed. Methodological problems present in these literatures and resultant conceptual and empirical challenges involved in developing a life span understanding of social and affective processes are reviewed. |
3 |
| APSY7617 | Learning and Cognition Discusses theories of learning and cognitive development, explores roles of biology and environment, and examines different interpretations of environment. Discusses whether learning and cognitive development are similar or different processes. Also examines the nature of intelligence, role of instruction in learning, nature of instruction, and how transfer of learning to new contexts is achieved. Practical applications of theory and research are discussed. |
3 |
| APSY7633 | The Impact of Psychosocial Issues on Learning Examines, from a holistic perspective, psychological and social issues that affect learning in children and adolescents. Discusses the role of risk and protective factors in the development of vulnerability and resilience. Highlights collaboration of educators with professionals involved in addressing psychological and social issues. |
3 |
| SCWK7794 | Immigrant and Refugee Issues An overview of the prominent theories, major issues, and controversies in immigration policy is presented. While immigration has become a crucial concern of the American social welfare system as well as an issue of global urgency, immigration controls the fate of growing numbers of asylum seekers. The course will discuss the special needs and problems faced by immigrant and refugee clients and communities; adaptation and coping with a new culture; refugee experience; the impact of relocation on individuals, families, and communities; and a range of world view perspectives including acculturation and assimilation, biculturalism, marginality, and traditional ethnic identities. |
3 |
| Course | Course Title | Credit |
|---|---|---|
| ELHE7704 | Ethics and Equity in Education The course explores how schools are used as a vehicle of the state to de-culturalize various communities of people throughout the country's history. Students will explore how schools can more appropriately promote respect for valuing diversity as a generative source of the country's vitality and its relationship to the global village. The role of educators is not only to act ethically in the many individual situations of their daily professional lives, but more importantly to see that the institutional structures and processes of the school system are themselves reflections of a system of justice and care. |
3 |
| EDUC7621 | Bilingualism, Second Language, and Literacy Development Explores first and second language and literacy development of children raised bilingually as well as students acquiring a second language during pre-school, elementary, or secondary school years. Also addresses theories of first and second language acquisition, literacy development in the second language, and factors affecting second language and literacy learning. Participants will assess the development of one aspect of language or language skill of a bilingual individual and draw implications for instruction, parent involvement, and policy. |
3 |
| ELHE7103 | Education Law and Public Policy This course addresses the political and legal aspects of the role of education in our democratic society. Provides an introductory survey of public policy issues and laws governing preschool, elementary, secondary, and higher education. Included are such topics as religious freedom, free speech, and due process; the liability of educational institutions and educators; the legal distinctions between private and public institutions; student and parent privacy rights; disability rights; and the promotion of educational equity among all groups regardless of gender, sexual orientation, language, race, religion, ethnicity, or socioeconomic background. |
3 |
| ELHE7201 | Philosophy of Education This course follows the historical issues of universities as educational institutions, providing basis for discussion on crucial questions regarding the lives and personal growth of students and faculty alike. This course is organized in such a way as to enable us address and discuss the dialectics of freedom hidden under the process of education. The class investigates a number of conflicting positions about freedom in education and explores philosophical resources to help us to understand the nature of these issues more fully. |
3 |
| EDUC9729 | Controversies in Curriculum Explores contemporary curriculum controversies in American education as well as the ways these are shaped by differing conceptions of teaching, learning, and the purposes of schooling and by the larger social, historical, political, and cultural contexts in which schooling occurs. The course assumes a broad and encompassing definition of curriculum and the aspects of instruction, assessment, and teacher preparation that have major implications for curriculum. Although the focus of the course is on curricular controversies in K-12 education, controversies related to the curriculum of early childhood education, adult learning, and higher education are also relevant. |
3 |
| EDUC9737 | Contemporary Issues: Discourse Analysis An advanced seminar exploring current topics and issues in curriculum and instruction. |
3 |
| EDUC9755 | Theories of Leadership This course is an introduction to and survey of major historical and contemporary theories of educational leadership. Through this course, you will learn about these different theories of leadership, each of which can be of use when researching or evaluating district-level dilemmas, problems, and critical incidents you will encounter in your sites of professional practice. One of the overarching objectives of this course is to help you enter into research-based conversations about educational leadership (as emerging researchers of educational leadership) by understanding how “major thinkers” have thought through the essential questions defining educational leadership as a field of study. The other overarching objective is to provide you the space to enhance your practical wisdom by thinking through how to enact a grounded theory of leadership in your site of professional practice. |
3 |
| EDUC9819 | Educational Change: The Communication of Innovations This course focuses on the study of change theories and approaches, their application in educational reform, and their impact on teaching and learning. Students examine the history of educational change and consider the forces for and against change in schools and other educational organizations. Each student is expected to conduct a research study of an educational change initiative. |
3 |
| MESA7462 | Assessment and Test Construction This course addresses the major issues in educational assessment, with emphasis on the characteristics, administration, scoring, and interpretation of both formal and informal assessments, including, but not limited to, tests of achievement. All forms of assessment are examined including observation, portfolios, performance tasks, and paper-and-pencil tests, including standardized tests. Basic techniques of test construction, item writing, and analysis are included. Statewide testing programs are also examined. |
3 |
| EDUC8923 | Critical Race Theory and Intersectionality This doctoral course explores the epistemological, methodological, and pedagogical uses of Critical Race Theory, Intersectionality (CRT/Int), and Settler Colonialism, in the examination and deconstruction of institutionalized and race-based disparities and inequalities in societal institutions, including, but not limited to, K-12 education, higher education, psychology, and the law. Course texts and student work will utilize both academic and popular culture texts. The course assumes and builds upon a foundational knowledge of social theories, and the ways in which self, institution and society are connected. |
3 |
| EDUC8528 | Understanding Learning Disabilities & Education This course is intended to provide educators with current information about learning disabilities that is relevant to daily practice. In this era of inclusion, all educators can expect to work with/for students who have learning disabilities. Topics addressed will include bio/neurological-, social-, and systems- theories and knowledge about the origins and nature of learning disabilities, development across the lifespan, characteristics of individuals with learning disabilities, and approaches to service delivery and teaching. |
|
| ELHE8833 | Leadership for Social Justice: District Focus This course introduces students to the theory and practice of leadership for social justice at the school and district level. Definitions, approaches, and controversies in this emerging field will be examined. Readings, films, class discussions, and case studies related to the topics of race, ethnicity, culture, language, gender, social class, religion, sexual orientation, and disability will focus on how these issues affect educators, students and their families in today's K-12 schools. In particular, students will learn about leadership which is culturally and linguistically responsive; strengthens parent-community-school relationships; and formulates diversity policies to promote educational equity for students from diverse groups. |
3 |
| MESA7466 | Evaluation Practice and Methods This course introduces the process of conducting evaluations from beginning to end. Evaluation is a form of applied social science research focused on systematically assessing the value--merit, worth, or significance--of interventions. Taking an interdisciplinary approach to evaluation, this course draws on scholarly articles and examples from multiple fields including education, public health, social services, and international development and addressing evaluation at various scales including program, organizational, and systems-level evaluations. By the end of the course, students will gain knowledge of how to carry out evaluations; apply this knowledge to develop evaluation plans for real-world interventions; and gain skills to critique existing evaluations supporting their development as informed, critical consumers of evaluations. |
3 |
| MESA7467 | Evaluation Theory and Research Evaluation as a professional practice and academic discipline is characterized by variation in perspectives on what evaluation is and how it should be practiced. This course introduces students to evaluation theory, key debates, and research on evaluation in order to develop students as critical, responsible evaluators and evaluation scholars. |
3 |
| Course | Course Title | Credit |
|---|---|---|
| MESA9852 | Mixed Methods Research: Issues in Theory and Practice Description coming soon. |
3 |
| EDUC9864 | Advanced Quantitative Research Description coming soon. |
3 |
| EDUC9201 | Discourse Analysis Description coming soon. |
3 |
| EDUC9301 | Design of Learning Environments in the Learning Spaces Description coming soon. |
3 |
| EDUC9812 | Participatory Action Research: Race, Class and Gender Description coming soon. |
3 |
| EDUC9678 | Advanced Classroom Research Description coming soon. |
3 |
| MESA7466 | Evaluation Practice & Methods/Program Evaluation 1 Description coming soon. |
3 |
| MESA7467 | Program Evaluation II Description coming soon. |
3 |
| SOCY500001 | Interviewing Methods Description coming soon. |
3 |
| SOCY7716 | Contemporary Social Thought Description coming soon. |
3 |
| BU | At Boston University Description coming soon. |
|
| BU | At Boston University Description coming soon. |
3 |
| Course | Course Title | Credit |
|---|---|---|
| EDUC9988 | Dissertation Direction Dissertation related course work for advanced doctoral students. |
3 |
Teaching, Curriculum, and the Politics of Schooling
Explore issues related to teaching, teacher education, curriculum, minoritized learners, democratic education, and the politics of schooling. Topics are connected by their attention to issues of access, representation, the causes and consequences of inequities in educational opportunities and outcomes for minoritized groups, and the impact of historical and existing practices, policies, and politics. Key areas of this specialization, which includes national and international work, include: teacher learning, teacher quality, teaching and curriculum interventions, curriculum design, curriculum/policy controversies, democratic schooling, education reform, and urban education.
Methods and Modes of Inquiry in Curriculum & Instruction
Apropriate for students who are interested in answering a variety of research questions related to inquiry methodologies—those that situate the researcher in relation to the theoretical, ethical, and practical principles of research—in curriculum and instruction and in the broader overlapping fields of the social sciences. Students will engage in coursework that covers a variety of methodological traditions, but will gain particular expertise on qualitative methods. As such, students will be able to compare, critique, and combine methods in relation to specific areas of educational inquiry. Students will also develop a deep understanding of the relationships between theory, epistemology, method, and educational practice.
Languge, Literacy, & Culture
Focus on communication, language, and literacy development across a variety of cultural, linguistic, and economic contexts. This specialization fosters an understanding of varied methodological approaches in the study of pre-linguistic communication, language, and literacy development and achievement, with additional attention toward issues of pre- and in-service teacher preparation. At the heart of the Language, Literacy, and Culture specialization is the deep exploration of the intersection of race, class, and culture as they pertain to language and literacy in education and development, as well as asking theoretical and practical research questions that inform instruction and foster student learning.
Science, Mathematics, and Technology
Interdisciplinary in nature cutting across formal and informal educational settings with a focus on engaging and supporting all learners, including those alienated by or underrepresented in the STEM disciplines. Particular consideration is given to research informing theory and practice in collaboration with local practitioners. The Science, Mathematics, and Technology specialization encompasses a range of work including: use of innovative technologies, inclusive teaching of students with disabilities, support of teachers’ beliefs and knowledge, design of learning environments, influence of sociocultural historic contexts, role of academic language, and support of student inquiry and reasoning.
Students in the Curriculum and Instruction doctoral program at LSEHD will be prepared for a variety of professional roles in education and related fields, through a range of coursework, research, and teaching experiences. Students will be mentored in conducting empirical and/or conceptual research related to topics in curriculum and instruction through participation in faculty research activities, and by conducting their own research projects under advisor supervision. In addition, students will receive training in preparing and submitting their research to peer-reviewed journal outlets and presenting their research at regional, national, and/or international conferences, where they will learn to communicate their work to broader scholarly and professional audiences. Students will also learn effective college-level teaching practices, through teaching assistantships, lectureships, and professional development arrangements.
Financial Aid
Education should level the playing field. We feel the same way about financial aid.
The Lynch School of Education and Human Development provides more than $8.4 million in financial aid to students each year. As a result, the quality of BC’s instruction, the benefit of our alumni network, and the impact a BC degree will have on your employment options is both affordable and invaluable.
Apply
PrintApplication & Deadline
A non-refundable application fee of $75 is required; however, this fee is waived for select applicants.
Deadline for all applicants: December 1
Resume
To be uploaded to your online Application Form.
In addition to your academic history and relevant work experience, please include any licenses currently held, any social justice-related experience, any language skills other than English, and any research experience or publications.
Personal Statement
To be uploaded to your online Application Form.
In 1,000-1,500 words, describe your academic and professional goals, any experience relevant to this program, and your future plans, expectations, and aspirations.
Letters of Recommendation
Identification of recommenders/instructions to recommenders are outlined in the online Application Form.
Three letters of recommendation are required with at least one required from an academic source. Applicants with significant relevant professional experience may submit additional recommendations from supervisors.
Transcripts
All official undergraduate and graduate transcripts must be sent to our office before the application deadline. Please note the following:
- Only official sealed (unopened) transcripts are acceptable. An official postsecondary transcript must be printed on official institutional paper and include at least one of the following: an institutional watermark, the registrar’s signature, or the registrar's seal.
- Copies and unofficial transcripts sent directly from applicants are not acceptable, the transcript must come directly from the institution.
- If you are a current student and have not completed your undergraduate and/or graduate degree, the most updated version of your transcript is acceptable.
Official electronic transcripts are accepted when sent directly to gsoe@bc.edu from the institution. When requesting electronic transcripts, you must manually type in gsoe@bc.edu to ensure it is received by our office.
Mailed transcript(s) should be sent to the following address:
Lynch Office of Graduate Admissions, Boston College
Campion Hall 135
140 Commonwealth Avenue
Chestnut Hill, MA 02467
Standardized Tests
The Curriculum & Instruction PhD program does not require the GRE for admission. You may submit GRE scores, but applicants are not required to do so.
For more information about the GRE exam, including test dates and testing sites, visit https://www.ets.org/gre.
Lynch School of Education and Human Development GRE Code: 3218
Writing Sample
To be uploaded to your online Application Form.
All applicants to this program are required to submit one piece of work that demonstrates graduate-level writing ability. This document may be an academic term paper, a published work in which you are the primary author, a training manual or curriculum that you have created, a clinical case formulation, or another representative sample of your writing. The document should be approximately 15-25 pages.
International Students
Applicants that have completed a degree outside of the United States must have a course-by-course evaluation of their transcript(s) completed by an evaluation company approved by the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES). Submission of falsified documents is grounds for denial of admission or dismissal from the University.
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Contact Us
gsoe@bc.edu
617-552-4214