Educational Theory & Policy Program Overview

Mission 

The Educational Theory and Policy Program has a dual mission.
1 - One mission is to provide service to the undergraduate teacher preparation programs.
2 - The second, a graduate degree mission, is to offer interdisciplinary preparation for the analysis of the interrelationships between schools and other social institutions (e.g., the family, the state, the economic system) in the context of the equally important relation between education and culture. The goals of such analyses are to understand the nature and context of ideas, and of educational processes, and to understand and evaluate policies. From this inclusive perspective, existing educational systems, formal and non-formal, both in the United States and abroad, are analyzed respecting the adequacy of their goals, functions, and consequences.

Our graduates hold positions as. . .

• Scholars in major universities

• Researchers at policy or research centers

• Or similar positions in state, national, or international agencies, ministries, and institutes of education

Overview
 

The Educational Theory and Policy Program is located in the Department of Education Policy Studies within the College of Education at The Pennsylvania State University. The program faculty in Educational Theory and Policy, including specialists in history of education, philosophy of education, and sociology of education, together with faculty members in our college as well as in related disciplines in the Colleges of Agricultural Sciences and the Liberal Arts, offers an interdisciplinary approach to the study of education and schooling leading to the Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy degrees.

The goals of this analysis are to understand the nature and context of educational ideas and educational processes, and to understand and evaluate policies. The master's and doctoral programs in Educational Theory and Policy are designed to prepare professionals in education research and policy development and analysis. The nature of studies to be undertaken will vary, depending upon their scholarly interests, career goals, and backgrounds.

In general, students will inquire into education and schooling from the perspectives of both cultural studies and social science disciplines. The synthesis of these modes of investigation will be developed in the core studies of Educational Theory and Policy. Concentrations can be pursued in the traditional cultural or social foundations fields, history, philosophy, and sociology. This multidisciplinary approach to Educational Theory and Policy is based on the belief that educational theorists and policymakers require integrated humanistic, social science, and educational studies.

For more details, see Graduate Student Handbook (pdf).