Overview
Ph.D. students in Foundations of Education dive deep into the "why" behind the systems, policies and practices that shape our schools, “what” drives change across educational sectors and “how” to influence the dynamics between schools and society to create a more peaceful and just world. The Ph.D. program is distinctive in its emphasis on community and culture, social justice and peace education. UToledo has the only doctoral program in Foundations of Education in the region.
Our program caters to working professionals. Courses are offered in the evening and can follow blended formats with opportunities for asynchronous online learning. The program is designed for inquisitive, forward-thinking individuals ready to explore and understand the philosophical, historical, social and cultural forces that influence education in a democratic society. Whether your passion lies in research, policy or leadership, the program will help you build the expertise to lead meaningful change in schools, universities, government agencies or nonprofit organizations.
Ph.D. graduates of the program pursue careers as teachers, educational reformers, scholars and researchers, university administrators, university faculty or staff, and leaders in nonprofit organizations, government and community agencies.
Top Reasons to Study foundations of education at UToledo
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Pursue a unique foundational degree.
Our Ph.D. program focuses on social justice in education and peace. The program is unique in the region, and one of the few with an explicit focus on social justice and democracy.
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Enhance career opportunities with a certificate in peace education.Graduate students pursuing a doctoral degree in Foundations of Education can enhance their career opportunities by completing the Peace and Justice Studies Certificate. They also have access to a one-of-a-kind peace education collection: the Reardon Collection and the Betty Reardon Peace Education Resource Center – both dedicated to the Nobel Peace Prize nominee, Betty Reardon.
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Involvement with the community.Our students have opportunities to learn and participate in a range of popular, community-based programs such as Community Conversations for School Success — an education series that attracts citizens, students and educators to discuss how to help all students succeed, and the Padua Alliance Participatory Action Research — a collaborative initiative between UToledo and its community focused on studying community-school relations.
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Research and publish.Our graduate students conduct research, present their work at national conferences and co-author articles with faculty. They have the unique opportunity to participate as authors and article submission reviewers for the program journal In Factis Pax.
Graduate students in the program conduct research, present their work at national conferences and co-author articles with faculty.
Faculty and students strive to address issues such as:
- Raising the academic performance of underserved students
- Equity and access for all in a multicultural society
- Social justice issues such as funding
- Recruitment of a diverse teacher workforce
- Our acclaimed, award-winning faculty members have diverse research interests, including:
- Theories of democracy and social justice
- Philosophy of peace education
- The relationships between social policy and education in the U.S. and other countries
- Urban education issues
- The role of educational institutions in human development
- The use of folkloristic theories, methods and materials in promoting democratic and social reconstructionist education
- The relationship of race, class and gender to the education of historically marginalized populations in the U.S.
- The impact of politics and institutions on the lives of educators and citizens in history
- Human rights and human rights education
What jobs can I get with a foundations of education degree?
Social Foundations of Education graduate degree prepares students for careers as:
- Professionals in nonprofits and governmental organizations, community agencies and businesses valuing diversity
- Scholars and researchers
- Teachers and educational reformers
- University administrators, faculty and staff
- Urban developers and planners
Graduates of our doctoral program have been hired as:
- Assistant professor, Wayne State College, Wayne, Neb.
- Co-director of The Truth Telling Project and visiting assistant director, Juniata College, Huntingdon, Pa.
- Dean, College of General Studies, Indiana Tech University, Fort Wayne, Ind.
- Director of research and operations, Intermedia, Nairobi, Kenya
- Educational consultant, Coimbatore, India
- Faculty, American Language Institute, The University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio
- Professor, Al-Quds University, Palestine, Israel
- Professor of English, Ningbo University, Zhejiang, China
- Program and training specialist, Advocacy Learning Center, Minneapolis, Minn.
- Toledo EXCEL coordinator, The University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio
How to Apply to Graduate School
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