Graduate Programs:

Our department provides a diverse set of paths within the field of education.  Historically, our unit is a merger of Social Foundations of Education (history, philosophy, sociology, anthropology, economics and political science) and Higher Education.  When these departments merged, faculty from Educational Psychology with expertise in measurement and evaluation joined the group, thus forming EPE as we have it today.  Despite our varied interests, we all share a focus upon ethics in educational or institutional decision-making and translating the social justice tradition that has been the hallmark of our department into concepts and practices that address the challenges of the 21st Century.

Our department has a bit of something for everyone including diverse methodological approaches. The highly flexible planning of student programs, including opportunities for independent study, affiliation with faculty from other departments in the College and the University, and extramural internships -- accommodates students with a variety of backgrounds and goals.  Within our graduate degree programs, students are welcome to develop individualized programs in the following areas of concentration.

• Higher Education focuses upon research concerning higher education policies, programs, and services including the field of Student Affairs;
• History and Philosophy of Education examines educational issues, problems, ideas, and institutions, using the tools of historical inquiry and philosophical analysis;
• Socio-Cultural Study of Education provides sociological, anthropological, and comparative/ international perspectives;
• Evaluation focuses upon the relationships among ethics and educational policy analysis, as well as approaches to evaluating educational policies and programs. 

Three degrees are offered by EPE in which students may follow any of the above concentrations:

• Master of Science in Education
  • Social & Philosophical Studies
  • Higher Education
• EdD in Educational Policy Studies & Evaluation
  • EdD in EPE Cohort Model (next cohort January 2012)
• PhD in Higher Education

For more information about where our graduates go, visit our alumni listing.