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2018 Ed Studies masters cohort poses in front of School of Education building
ES

Educational Studies

Degrees & Certifications

The Educational Studies Program offers Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in a variety of concentrations. Our goal is to help you develop the knowledge and skills you need to achieve your particular goals.

Master of Arts in Educational Studies

Our Master of Arts in Educational Studies is designed for students who have a desire to make unique and positive contributions in specific areas of education.

Master of Arts in Educational Leadership and Policy

Our Master of Arts in Educational Leadership and Policy is designed for students who want to improve schools, instruction, and K-12 students’ educational outcomes.

Master of Science in Postsecondary Science Education

Our Master of Science in Postsecondary Science Education is intended for doctoral students interested in expanding their knowledge about science teaching and learning and research in science education.

Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Studies

Our doctoral programs prepare leaders, researchers, policymakers and others who will assess, understand, and advance education both in the U.S. and globally.

In our doctoral programs, all students are encouraged and supported to think rigorously; to understand and appreciate the craft of scholarship and research; to demonstrate interest in and a capacity to make a difference in education; to be committed to diversity; and to aspire to become leaders of the highest integrity.

CONCENTRATIONS

Angela Calabrese Barton
Chair
angiecb@umich.edu

Welcome

Education plays a powerful role in society and holds great potential in advancing the goals of social justice. The challenges faced in education are profound. The impacts of entrenched inequities resulting from systemic racism, economic exploitation, and settler-colonialism have been punctuated by the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change. In Educational Studies we seek to critically understand and disrupt how these, and other, inequities shape educational systems today, and work towards transforming such systems for a better future.


In Educational Studies, we take a broad view of education. We engage with education across schools and universities, families and communities, businesses, governments, non-governmental agencies and the media. We know that education is never neutral so we engage with critical views of education, attending to how culture, knowledge, and power shape education and opportunities to learn. We view our world’s racial, ethnic, social, and linguistic diversity as strengths upon which we can build just systems of education. While rapidly changing technologies for accessing, sharing, contributing, and synthesizing information can become potential tools for increasing inequities, they also, when used wisely, can advance justice.

In Educational Studies, we prepare educators for a wide range of roles as formal and informal educators, community educators, leaders and activists, and researchers and policy makers among others. We do this by offering programs of study that blend research, theory, policy, and practice through engaging coursework, related field experiences, and mentored internships. At the doctoral level, all students participate as graduate student research assistants in significant programs of research.

We seek to foster a caring and respectful community of engaged scholars and learners. Our community is enriched by the diverse interests, backgrounds, and experiences of our students. We welcome your interest in our program and encourage you to explore the many possible avenues by which you can advance your capacity to contribute as an educator. We invite you to join us in our efforts to critically reimagine and recreate the educational landscape and to contribute to a more democratic and just society.
Angela Calabrese Barton
Chair, Educational Studies

A Learning Community

Educational Studies has an internationally recognized faculty prepared to fuel your curiosity, engage your intellect, and deepen your knowledge about key issues facing education in multiple contexts, including:

  • Equity and social justice in schooling 
  • How people learn and what motivates them to learn 
  • How effective teachers teach the core disciplines, such as reading, mathematics, science, history, and the English language arts
  • How technology and other educational innovations enhance teaching and learning
  • Social and political contexts and the historical and philosophical foundations of schooling 
  • The use of  evidence to shape education policy and public discussions on curriculum, teaching, and achievement

Graduates of our program become engaged in academic and research careers in university programs, research organizations, or public agencies; administrative positions in school systems, educational centers, or national, regional, and state agencies; and in teacher education, professional development and curriculum positions in local and state systems and educational companies and in for-profit and not-for-profit organizations.

Find the right career path

We will help you become an educator, leader, researcher, or policymaker working to address educational challenges and create educational opportunities in your chosen area of practice.

Grow in a diverse community

You will study with students from diverse backgrounds who bring rich experiences and a deep commitment to the study and improvement of teaching and learning.

Study with experts in the field

You will study with nationally recognized faculty who are as committed to teaching and mentorship as they are to contributing leading scholarship in their fields.

Marsal School in Action

Project-based science education
The Multiple Literacies in Project-Based Learning team designs project-based science curricula for grades 3-5 that will be available to all educators free of charge.
International Poetry Guild
School of Education students, led by professor Jeff Stanzler, connect high schoolers, teachers, and community members through the International Poetry Guild, where learners from varied backgrounds write and perform original work.
SOE_CSHPE_Orientation_017.JPG

Give to ES

Your support can help us create transformative leaders and educators who have the theoretical framework and practical skills to address the many urgent challenges that face U.S. schools.

PEOPLE

Connect with ES

Contact

Phone: (734) 763-9497
Master's: marsal.admissions@umich.edu
Doctoral: edstudiesphd.info@umich.edu

Recruitment

Interested in ES? Schedule an appointment with our recruitment team:

meet.marsal.umich.edu/goblue

Location and Office Hours

610 E. University Avenue
Room 4218 - Educational Studies
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1259

Monday–Friday
8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.