UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State College of Education now offers a revamped doctoral program in the School of Educational Policy Studies (EPS). This is designed to combine his three previously existing programs into his one integrated program and provide a wider range of academic and professional knowledge. Provide professional opportunities for students.
“We are always looking for opportunities to adjust the courses offered by Penn State College of Education to ensure they meet the current needs of our students,” said Kimberly Lawless, dean of the College of Education. “Combining these programs into one will more effectively prepare students for today's educational environment while also allowing them to pursue additional areas of study. It just adds value to your degree.”
The Educational Policy and Leadership (EPL) program provides doctoral training to students interested in career fields related to educational policy, educational leadership, and higher education. The goal of this program is to prepare students to pursue careers and assume leadership positions in education as researchers, faculty, or administrators within educational institutions or other organizations related to education. In addition to general coursework in education policy, leadership, research, equity, and diversity, students work with their advisors on specialized coursework of their choice to prepare for the culminating dissertation research. .
The EPL PhD is designed to eliminate the duplication that exists in the three existing doctoral programs in Educational Leadership, Educational Theory and Policy, and Higher Education, and will be discontinued once existing students complete their studies. The programs that currently exist cater to doctoral students interested in exploring narrower areas of education. The Educational Leadership program appeals to students interested in educational decision-making, school finance, or how schools are organized. The Educational Theory and Policy program attracts students interested in educational theory or the intersection of education and public policy. Higher education programs, on the other hand, are oriented towards the problems faced by universities.
According to David Gamson, education professor and curriculum director at EPS, EPL programs appeal to a broader range of students and provide cross-cutting training across these different disciplines, making them even more marketable after graduation. Probably. Degrees that focus on leadership are also highly desirable in today's job market, he added.
“This integrated program allows students to receive high-quality doctoral-level instruction in each of these three areas through common and specialized coursework, and allows students and faculty to identify students in other areas. “and it makes it easier to build relationships'' that involve similar topics and methodological interests,'' Gamson said.
Gamson said that while EPL doctoral graduates have the opportunity to pursue academic careers, there may also be additional options outside of academia, such as in policy development, higher education administration, state departments of education, and non-governmental organizations.
“We welcome a new group of students to this program and focus on how education policy at the international, federal, state, and local levels shapes educational opportunities and learning environments for students and students. “I'm excited to continue building our department's research profile on how policymakers can prioritize equity in policy decisions,” said Kelly Rosinger, associate professor of education.
According to Education Professor Erika Frankenberg, one of the strengths of the new EPL program is that students can take additional courses in three major areas to develop specific expertise while collaborating with faculty and conducting research. It's about having the opportunity to dig deeper.
“One of the real strengths of this new program is that it allows students to more easily tap into the expertise across our department’s existing programs,” Frankenberg said.
Mimi Schaub, associate professor of education, said that while educational equity was a key component of each of the original programs, the new combined program will strengthen the position of educational equity.
“Our students will benefit from a large group of students with a wide range of interests, all of whom will deepen their knowledge of systemic inequalities in the U.S. education system,” she said.
The unified doctoral program will not introduce new courses or activities that overlap or overlap with other degree programs. Penn State will maintain separate non-doctoral degree programs in Educational Leadership, Educational Theory and Policy, and Higher Education until existing students complete their studies.
