COLLEGE OF EDUCATION AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

Learn more about the Doctor of Philosophy in Urban Education and Policy

About the Program

Prepare to lead educational research and policy focused on urban schools and communities with the Doctor of Philosophy in Urban Education and Policy in the College of Education and Human Development at Temple University. This doctoral program—a reflection of the College of Education and Human Development’s longstanding commitment to urban education—includes a required introductory seminar that provides professional development and coaching; courses focused on policy, history and the urban context; and intensive training in social science research methods. Students work closely with faculty to develop individualized courses of study as they plan for careers in higher education, research, policy or advocacy. 

Time Limit for Degree Completion: 7 years

Campus Location: Main

Full-Time/Part-Time Status: Students may matriculate either full- or part-time. Most courses are offered in the evening to accommodate working professionals. The length of time to complete the doctoral degree program varies depending on the number of courses taken each term.

Job Prospects: Graduates are prepared for research-focused careers in academia state education agencies, school districts, think tanks, community-based educational organizations, consulting, research institutes and more.

Non-Matriculated Student Policy: Students may take up to, but not more than, 9 credits of graduate study in the program before being admitted to the program. The credits transfer into the program, if the student is admitted. Students completing non-matriculated courses before being admitted to the program are NOT guaranteed admission. 

Financing Opportunities: Financial support opportunities may include assistantships, fellowships, scholarships, tuition remission, graduate student employment, and other financial aid such as grants, loans and federal work study. 

Admission Requirements and Deadlines

Application Deadline:

Fall: December 1

Applications are accepted for the fall term only. Applicants should submit all required admissions documents by the application deadline to receive consideration for admission and financial support.

APPLY ONLINE to this graduate program.

Letters of Recommendation: 
Number Required: 2
From Whom: Letters of recommendation should be obtained to provide insight regarding the applicant's academic competence. Letters from college/university faculty are recommended.

Master's Degree in Discipline/Related Discipline: A master’s degree in a related field, with some exceptions, is required for admission to the program. Students who have completed a master’s degree with at least 30 credits will be designated as admitted with master’s degree.

Bachelor's Degree in Discipline/Related Discipline: A bachelor's degree is required. A minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale is expected.

Transcripts: Official undergraduate and graduate transcripts from all accredited institutions attended and/or from which credit was earned must be submitted.

International applicants must also submit an official document, including a course-by-course evaluation conducted by a NACES-accredited organization, that validates completion and conferral of a degree, diploma and/or certificate. While not required, international applicants are encouraged to submit transcript(s) to World Education Services (WES) for evaluation.

Statement of Goals: Using autobiographical style, explain your interest in pursuing a doctoral degree in education. The statement should address the following questions:

• How have your personal, academic and professional experiences shaped your research interests, and how might a doctoral program in Policy and Organizational Studies help you explore those interests? 
• What academic and professional goals would the program help you to achieve upon graduating? 
• How does the doctoral program at Temple fit your individual interests, needs and future goals – and which faculty member’s research best matches your own interests? 

Standardized Test Scores:
GRE: Submit scores from the general test taken no more than five years prior to application.

Applicants who earned their baccalaureate degree from an institution where the language of instruction was other than English, with the exception of those who subsequently earned a master’s degree at a U.S. institution, must report scores for a standardized test of English that meet these minimums:

• TOEFL iBT: 4.5
• IELTS Academic: 6.5
• PTE Academic: 53

Resume: Current resume required.

Interview: An interview with the faculty admissions committee may be required after a complete application is received.

Writing Sample: The academic writing sample should be a paper written for a class within the last five years. If a recent paper is not available, the applicant should compose an op-ed piece on an educational issue of their choosing. The op-ed should be 400 to 1,200 words in length and of the kind that might appear in The New York Times or Philadelphia Inquirer.

Program Requirements

General Program Requirements:
Number of Credits Required Beyond the Master's: 48

Required Courses:

Course List

Code	Title	Credit Hours
Core Courses
URBE 8401	Urban Education and Policy Doctoral Proseminar	3
URBE 8403	Urban School Reform: Policies, Politics and Practices	3
URBE 8404	Race, Class and Space in Urban Contexts	3
URBE 5516	School-Community Partnerships in Urban Settings 1	3
URBE 5565	The Origins of Urban Education 1	3
EDUC 8404	Quantitative Analysis, Part I	3
EDUC 8402	Policy Analysis	3
EPSY 8627	Introduction to Research Design and Methods	3
EDUC 5262	Introduction to Qualitative Research	3
Select one of the following:		3
EPSY 5551	Introduction to Program Evaluation
Elective 2
Social Theory Course 3		3
Advanced Methods Courses
Advanced Methods Course 4		3
Select one of the following:		3
EDUC 9991	Research Practicum
Advanced Methods Course 4
Electives
Elective 5		3
Culminating Courses 6		6
EDUC 9998	Dissertation Proposal Design
EDUC 9999	Doctor of Education Dissertation
Total Credit Hours		48

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Students who earned the master's degree in Urban Education and Policy from Temple will not take URBE 5516 School-Community Partnerships in Urban Settings or URBE 5565 The Origins of Urban Education, as they will have already taken those courses. Instead, they will complete two electives to replace these two courses (6 credits). These electives must be selected with approval from their faculty advisors and The Graduate School.

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Elective selected in consultation with and approved by advisor.

³

Social theory course is selected in consultation with and approved by advisor.

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Advanced methods course selected in consultation with and approved by advisor.

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Elective selected in consultation with and approved by advisor.

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As per Graduate School policy, Culminating Courses require a minimum of 6 credits, with at least 2 credits in EDUC 9999. The remaining 4 credits can be any combination of the following courses: EDUC 9994, EDUC 9998, and/or EDUC 9999.

Culminating Events: 
Comprehensive Examination: 
Students are required to complete their comprehensive examination by the end of their second year of doctoral studies. The specific nature of the examination is determined by the concentration selected by the student, but all comprehensive examinations require students to demonstrate proficiency in theory, research methodology, and discipline-specific content. 

Proposal with Oral Defense: 
The dissertation proposal demonstrates the student's knowledge of and ability to conduct the proposed research. Minimally, the proposal should contain the context and background surrounding a particular research problem; a survey and review of the literature to a sufficient degree to provide the reader with enough information to understand why the research is being conducted; a detailed methodological plan for investigating the problem; and a proposed timeline for completing the dissertation. The Doctoral Advisory Committee must approve the student's proposal, which is presented at a formal proposal defense. 

Dissertation with Oral Defense: 
The doctoral dissertation is an original piece of scholarship that makes a significant contribution to the field of Urban Education. A successful dissertation will be publishable in a refereed journal. 

The Doctoral Advisory Committee oversees all aspects of the student's dissertation from the proposal to the oral defense. It is composed of three members of the Graduate Faculty. A member of the Urban Education faculty typically chairs the committee. At least one faculty member from outside the program must be on the committee. The student chooses their committee in consultation with the selected chair. A student may petition for a change of chairperson or member of the Doctoral Advisory Committee. This petition must be approved by the Department Chair and by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Graduate Studies. Complete details about the dissertation process are available in the College of Education and Human Development Dissertation Handbook, which is available from the Dean's office. 

The Dissertation Examining Committee evaluates the student's dissertation and oral defense. It is composed of the three members of the Doctoral Advisory Committee plus one additional faculty member, i.e., an outside examiner. One member may be assigned by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Graduate Studies. The Dissertation Examining Committee evaluates the dissertation and the student's ability to defend it. The committee votes to pass or fail the dissertation. The outcome of the defense is determined by majority vote. 

Students who are preparing to defend their dissertation must confirm a date and time with the Dissertation Examining Committee. Notification of the date and time must then be submitted on the appropriate College form to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Graduate Studies no less than 3 weeks prior to the oral defense. The announcement of the oral defense is sent by the Associate Dean to the Graduate School no less than 10 days prior to the defense. A copy of the announcement is also sent to each member of the Dissertation Examining Committee and is posted on the bulletin board in the Office of Student Services of the College of Education and Human Development. 

Contacts

Department Contacts: