Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education, PhD
The Ph.D. and Ed.D. programs in Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education prepare graduates to serve as researchers and teacher educators in universities and colleges, curriculum developers and evaluators in educational agencies, curriculum specialists in school districts and state departments of education, and instructional leaders and classroom teachers in K-12 schools.
Coursework and research experiences address a range of practice-based and theoretical problems in schools and community settings from sociopolitical, cultural, philosophical, psychological, and historical perspectives. Taking an interdisciplinary stance, faculty and students explore issues of equity, social justice and educational change in a range of formal and informal educational settings. Through their programs of study, students select focal areas such as teaching and learning, research and practice in teacher education, mathematics or science education, and the study of urban education and urban contexts. Applicants interested in the focal area of literacy are encouraged to consider the doctoral program in Literacy Studies.
For more information: https://www.gse.upenn.edu/academics/programs/teaching-learning-teacher-education-phd
The degree and major requirements displayed are intended as a guide for students entering in the Fall of 2026 and later. Students should consult with their academic program regarding final certifications and requirements for graduation.
Curriculum
| Code | Title | Course Units |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptualization/Content Strand | ||
| Required Courses | ||
| EDUC 9126 | How People Learn: Theoretical Foundations | 1 |
| EDUC 7140 | Social Foundations of Teaching and Learning | 1 |
| Select one course in Teacher Learning or Teacher Education such as: 1 | 1 | |
| Research on Teaching | ||
| Building a Better Teacher | ||
| Investigation/Inquiry Strand | ||
| Required Courses | ||
| EDUC 7460 | Qualitative Research: Concepts, Methods and Design | 1 |
| EDUC 7667 | Regression and Analysis of Variance 2 | 1 |
| Select one Advanced Research Methods course, such as: | 1 | |
| Advanced Qualitative and Case Study Research | ||
| Quantitative Ethnography and Epistemic Network Analysis | ||
| Core Methods in Educational Data Mining | ||
| Participatory Methods in Education | ||
| Ethnography for Language, Globalization, and Intercultural Studies | ||
| Survey Methods & Design | ||
| Methods of Discourse Analysis | ||
| Advanced Qualitative and Case Study Research | ||
| Ethnographic Research Methods | ||
| Introduction to Causal Inference for Educational Research | ||
| Quasi-Experimental Design | ||
| Social and Statistical Network Analysis | ||
| Craft of Ethnography | ||
| Classifications, Profiles, and Latent Growth Mixture Models | ||
| Ethnographic Research Methods | ||
| EDUC 7132 | Doctoral Proseminar on Education Research | 1 |
| Electives | ||
| Select 5 electives at the 5000 level or above 3 | 5 | |
| Additional Requirements 4 | ||
| Students must complete all University Milestones for Doctoral Candidates in addition to specific milestones for GSE. These include: | ||
| EDUC 9950 | Dissertation 5 | 3 |
A Qualifications Evaluation (also known as Program Candidacy) | ||
A Preliminary Examination (also known as Doctoral Candidacy) | ||
An Oral Defense of the Dissertation Proposal | ||
Final Defense of the Dissertation | ||
| Total Course Units | 15 | |
University PhD Benchmarks
In addition to Program requirements, the following milestones must be completed:
| Code | Title | Course Units |
|---|---|---|
| Qualifying Evaluation | ||
| Candidacy Examination | ||
| Dissertation Defense/Oral Exam | ||
| Dissertation Deposit | ||
For more information view the University’s Academic Rules for PhD Programs.
- 1
Chosen in consultation with an advisor.
- 2
Depending on background knowledge, you may need to take EDUC 6667 Intro to Stats first. EDUC 6667 will be used as an elective.
- 3
Electives may be taken outside of GSE with advisor approval. Electives must be 5000 level or above.
- 4
Required GSE Milestones
Qualifications Evaluation (Also known as Program Candidacy): A Qualifications Evaluation of each student is conducted after the completion of 6 but not more than 8 course units. The evaluation is designed by the specialization faculty and may be based on an examination or on a review of a student’s overall academic progress.
Preliminary Examination (Also known as Doctoral Candidacy): A Candidacy Examination on the major subject area is required. The candidacy examination is a test of knowledge in the student's area of specialization, requiring students to demonstrate knowledge and reasoning in the key content areas in their specialization as defined by their academic division. This examination is normally held after the candidate has completed all required courses.
Oral Proposal: All doctoral candidates must present their dissertation proposals orally and in person to the dissertation committee.
Final Defense of the Dissertation: The final dissertation defense is approximately two hours in length and is based upon the candidate’s dissertation.
- 5
Attempted each term after completing coursework to finish PhD milestones. Students will earn 3 CU's in the term they upload their dissertation and complete all requirements for the degree. Graded Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory.
Required Milestones
Qualifications Evaluation (Also known as Program Candidacy)
A Qualifications Evaluation of each student is conducted after the completion of 6 but not more than 8 course units. The evaluation is designed by the specialization faculty and may be based on an examination or on a review of a student’s overall academic progress.
Preliminary Examination (Also known as Doctoral Candidacy)
A Candidacy Examination on the major subject area is required. The candidacy examination is a test of knowledge in the student's area of specialization, requiring students to demonstrate knowledge and reasoning in the key content areas in their specialization as defined by their academic division. This examination is normally held after the candidate has completed all required courses.
Oral Proposal
All doctoral candidates must present their dissertation proposals orally and in person to the dissertation committee.
Final Defense of the Dissertation
The final dissertation defense is approximately two hours in length and is based upon the candidate’s dissertation.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Course Units | |
| EDUC 7132 | Doctoral Proseminar on Education Research | 1 |
| EDUC 9126 | How People Learn: Theoretical Foundations | 1 |
| Elective | 1 | |
| Course Units | 3.00 | |
| Spring | ||
| EDUC 7140 | Social Foundations of Teaching and Learning | 1 |
| EDUC 7119 or EDUC 6165 | Building a Better Teacher or Research on Teaching | 1 |
| EDUC 7460 | Qualitative Research: Concepts, Methods and Design | 1 |
| Course Units | 3.00 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| EDUC 7667 | Regression and Analysis of Variance | 1 |
| Electives | 2 | |
| Course Units | 3.00 | |
| Spring | ||
| Electives | 2 | |
| Research Course | 1 | |
| Course Units | 3.00 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| EDUC 9950 | Dissertation | Attempting 3 |
| Course Units | 0.00 | |
| Spring | ||
| EDUC 9950 | Dissertation | Attempting 3 |
| Course Units | 0.00 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| EDUC 9950 | Dissertation | Attempting 3 |
| Course Units | 0.00 | |
| Spring | ||
| EDUC 9950 | Dissertation | 3 |
| Course Units | 3.00 | |
| Total Course Units | 15.00 | |