The School of Education offers an interdepartmental program of study leading to the PhD. Students must choose a specialization in either Adult, Continuing, and Higher Education Leadership, Art Education, Curriculum and Instruction, Educational Administration, Exceptional Education, Mathematics Education, Multicultural Studies, or Social Foundations of Education.

The program is designed to permit students to integrate their particular curricular areas of interest and specialization with a broader field of education, including urban education. Each specialization, with the exception of Multicultural Studies, is departmentally focused, and students must satisfy the admissions and curriculum requirements indicated for their particular specialization. Recognition of the specialization is acknowledged by official designation on the student’s transcript.

Each of the specializations offers the doctoral student an opportunity to pursue study in a specific program area. For example, Adult, Continuing, and Higher Education Leadership emphasizes governance and leadership issues within urban adult education organizations. Educational Administration explores governance and Leadership issues of urban schools. Curriculum and Instruction provides program emphasis in a content area (e.g., reading), education level (e.g., early childhood), a general area (e.g., curriculum theory) or special area (e.g., guiding instructional improvement). Exceptional Education provides program emphasis in departmental interest areas (e.g., handicapping condition), or a cross-disciplinary interest.

A separate PhD with specialization in Counseling Psychology, Cognitive and Developmental Sciences, Research Methodology, and School Psychology is offered through the Department of Educational Psychology. Multicultural Studies is a cross-department program allowing students to develop their own area of focus in collaboration with faculty in multicultural urban education. The Social Foundations of Education specialization provides students with the conceptual tools with which to examine the complex interrelationships between school and society, education and culture.

All graduates should have a broad understanding of the issues, problems and trends related to education, including urban education, and the application of these to their major.

The program requires each participant to develop research skills ranging from logic in inquiry to development of specific methodological skills in qualitative and quantitative methods. The PhD is a research degree and not only a professional preparation degree. Therefore research is an integral part of the program. Mastery of these skills is demonstrated through coursework, research projects and the dissertation. Graduates apply their skills in institutions of higher education, public or private school settings, federal, state or local governmental agencies, community organizations, and the private sector.

Cooperating Departments

  • Administrative Leadership
  • Curriculum and Instruction
  • Educational Policy and Community Studies
  • Educational Psychology
  • Exceptional Education
  • Information Studies (School of)

Programs

Urban Education Courses 

NameRankDegreeSchoolGraduate FacultyEmeritus Faculty
Cheryl Baldwin Associate Professor PhD University of Illinois-Urbana Yes No
Barbara Bales Associate Professor PhD University of Wisconsin-Madison Yes No
Maggie Bartlett Associate Professor PhD Arizona State University Yes No
Craig Berg Professor PhD University of Iowa Yes No
Simone Conceição Professor PhD University of Wisconsin-Madison No Yes
Kimberly Cosier Professor PhD Indiana University Yes No
Candance Doeer-Stevens Associate Professor PhD University of Minnesota Yes No
Dave Edyburn Professor PhD University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign No Yes
Leanne Evans Associate Professor PhD University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Yes No
Raquel Farmer-Hinton Associate Professor PhD University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign Yes No
Elise Frattura Professor PhD University of Wisconsin-Madison Yes No
Tania Habeck Associate Professor PhD University of South Florida Yes No
Jeffrey Hawkins Associate Professor PhD University of San Francisco Yes No
DeAnn Huinker Professor PhD University of Michigan Yes No
Sara Jozwik Assistant Professor PhD Illinois State Yes No
Julie Kailin Associate Professor PhD University of Wisconsin-Madison No Yes
Larry Martin Professor PhD University of Wisconsin-Madison No Yes
Liliana Mina Clinical Associate Professor PhD Michigan State University Yes No
Laura Owens Associate Professor PhD University of Wisconsin-Madison Yes No
Donna Pasternak Professor PhD New York University No Yes
Tracy Posnanski Associate Professor Yes No
Kalyiani Rai Associate Professor PhD Yes No
Nancy Rice Associate Professor PhD Syracuse University Yes No
Dante Salto Assistant Professor PhD SUNY Albany Yes No
Marie Sandy Associate Professor PhD Claremont Graduate University Yes No
Aaron Schutz Professor PhD University of Michigan Yes No
Ruth Short Associate Professor PhD University of Minnesota No Yes
Raji Swaminathan Professor PhD Syracuse University Yes No
Javier Tapia Associate Professor PhD Arizona State University Yes No
Alfonzo Thurman Professor PhD University of Wisconsin-Madison No Yes
Leigh Wallace Assistant Professor PhD University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Yes No
Gary Williams Associate Professor PhD Yes No