Doctor of Philosophy in Learning, Teaching and Curriculum - Social Studies Education

The Ph.D. in Social Studies Education at the University of Missouri provides increased opportunities for its graduates to assume leadership roles in a variety of academic, knowledge-driven, and/or governmental and politically-based institutions and organizations. The core of the Ph.D. experience lies in scholarship and in the process by which graduate students transition from being knowledge-consumers to knowledge-producers. Hence, the doctoral experience involves a journey of personal growth and development, which leads the graduate student towards a deeper sense of the self and towards crafting a personal agenda for scholarship in the social studies field.

Unique among graduate programs, the social studies doctoral students and faculty form a community of learners and employ democratic practices to shape the direction of the community, its scholarship, and future coursework. As a result, in dialogue with faculty members, doctoral students help co-direct the structure of their Ph.D. experience. This occurs in two ways. First, doctoral students have flexibility in much of the design of their own coursework, research endeavors, and scholarship. Second, in community with the other doctoral students and faculty members, doctoral students vote on coursework requirements, expectations for the program, and program goals.

An important aspect of forming this community of learners involves identifying and clarifying the academic and research interests of its members. As a result, the current doctoral students have established four research clusters, or areas that describe their often overlapping research interests in the social studies education field. At this time, these clusters include the following:

Social Studies Teacher Education for Social Justice: Addressing issues of citizenship, diversity, and social justice in teacher education.
Multicultural and Global Education: Preparing teachers and students to address local, national, and global concerns of culture, environment, and the socio- and geopolitical landscape in education.
Social Studies Curriculum and Instruction: Confronting persistent issues in social studies curriculum and teaching, including official and master narratives, teaching methodologies, assessment, technology, and student engagement in the classroom.
Educational Policy and Politics Affecting Social Studies Teaching: Investigating the power structures, political dynamic, curriculum control, and educational policy and system structure influence social studies education and teaching.

Completion of an appropriate preliminary degree with a GPA of 3.0 or better
Evidence of at least 2 years of successful experience in an appropriate field

Unofficial Transcripts As part of the application submission process all applicants are required to upload unofficial copies of all postsecondary transcripts to the online application Official transcripts are only required if accepted by the academic program

Personal data sheet form built into the Graduate School online application
Statement of purpose
ResumeCV
3 letters of recommendation ALL LETTERS MUST BE CONFIDENTIAL AND SUBMITTED ACCORDINGLY
A digital portfolio of three to five pieces of artwork you consider your best required for Art Education applicants only

TOEFL Internet-based - 80 Overall - Reading - 17, Listening - 17, Speaking - 17, Writing - 17.
IELTS Academic - 6.5 Overall - Reading - 6, Listening - 6, Speaking - 6, Writing - 6.
PTE - 59.