Education, Schools and Communities (ph.D.)

An interdisciplinary specialization within our PreK-12 Education Ph.D. program the emphasizes research addressing rural challenges, school-community connections, and the role of education in diverse, underserved communities.

Program overview

The Education, Schools and Communities area of specialization within the PreK-12 Education Ph.D. program responds to growing interest from educators both inside and outside the classroom in applying research-backed solutions to the challenges facing schools and communities, particularly those in rural and underserved areas. Schools in these areas can and should serve as community hubs. This doctoral specialization focuses on the intersections between education as an institution, the organization of schools, and the communities in which they are located. It is designed to prepare practicing teachers and leaders to lead systemic change in educational and community settings, and to promote equitable opportunities for all individuals. The doctoral program can be completed entirely online and includes both part-time and full-time options, with faculty who have extensive experience supporting innovation and collaboration between schools and communities.

The Education, Schools and Communities area of specialization is embedded in the PreK-12 Education Ph.D. program. A typical program of study would include:

Research Prerequisite (4 Credits)

EHD 510 – Introduction to Educational Research (3 credits) INT 601 – Responsible Conduct of Research (1 credit)

Foundations Courses (15 credits)

EHD 690 – Doctoral Proseminar (3 credits) EHD 660 – History of American Education (3 credits) EHD 661 – The Sociology of Education (3 credits) EHD 664 – Philosophy of Education (3 credits) EHD 522 – Educational Psychology (3 credits)

Research Core (15 Credits)

EHD 573 – Statistical Methods in Education I (3 credits)
EDT 574 – Statistical Methods in Education II (3 credits) EHD 571 – Qualitative Research: Theory, Design and Practice (3 credits) EHD 572 – Advanced Qualitative Research (3 credits) Research Methods Elective (3 credits)

Program Core (9 credits + 6 Interdisciplinary Elective Credits)

EHD 690 – Critical Theory in Education (3 credits) EHD 690 – Space, Place and Identity (3 credits) Education, Schools and Communities Elective (3 credits) Literacy Education, Special Education or STEM Education Electives (6 credits)

Dissertation (6 Credits)

Faculty

Rebecca Buchanan, Associate Professor of Curriculum, Assessment and Instruction Kamal Chawla, Assistant Professor of Education and Applied Quantitative Methods Melissa J. Cuba, Assistant Professor of Special Education Janet Fairman, Professor of Education Justin Dimmel, Associate Professor of Mathematics Education and Instructional Technology Sara Flanagan, Associate Professor of Special Education Sarah Howorth, Associate Professor of Special Education Elizabeth Hufnagel, Associate Professor of Science Education Joo Young Lee, Assistant Professor of Special Education Craig Mason, Professor of Education and Applied Quantitative Methods Krystle Merry, Lecturer in Special Education Tammy Mills, Senior Lecturer of Education Mia Morrison, Lecturer in Instructional Technology William Dee Nichols, Professor of Literacy Education Eric Pandiscio, Associate Professor of Mathematics Education Timothy Reagan, Professor Foreign Language Education Shihfen Tu, Professor of Education and Applied Quantitative Methods

The Education, Schools and Communities concentration prepares educators and community service providers to assume leadership positions in schools and community agencies. Graduates of the program teach, lead and conduct research in PreK-12 schools, community or higher education settings, particularly those serving rural areas. In addition, alumni of the program gain experience in grant writing and project management.

The mission of the Graduate School of the University of Maine is to produce engaged scholars and professionals by promoting excellence in all aspects of the graduate student experience. The Graduate School provides advanced education and professional training through innovative teaching, mentorship, research, and creative activity in established and emerging areas. This rigorous education prepares students to contribute meaningfully to the advancement of the state of Maine, the nation and the global community.

The University of Maine Graduate School prepares engaged scholars and professionals to make meaningful contributions to their communities of practice: research consortia, clinical practices, studios, workplaces, classrooms, and political collectives. As graduate students are key agents in helping to sustain an environment supportive of learning through teaching, collaborative inquiry, mentoring or demonstration, they are critical ambassadors for public higher education during their coursework and after graduation. During and after graduate training, accordingly, the Graduate School’s doctoral, masters, and professional-certifications degree programs will enable students to:

Understand, interpret, shape, and augment the knowledge base by

  • Contributing research, scholarship, creative work, and informed practice to our developing understanding of the social and material world;
  • Staying abreast of methodological, pedagogical, and professional advances;
  • Consuming research for continuing professional knowledge and practice; and
  • Committing to professional development through engagement in professional societies and other knowledge-transfer modes.

Share disciplinary expertise openly, effectively, and accurately by

  • Accurately distilling and disseminating complex expertise to help solve problems;
  • Responsibly integrating developing research consensus into professional best-practices;
  • Working collaboratively across domains to develop new insights and effective practices;
  • Responding with principled recommendations to emerging concerns that confront their communities of practice; and
  • Respectfully observing (and where necessary, helping to shape) the communicative conventions of the community of practice.

Demonstrate responsible and ethical practice by

  • Attending to sustainability, responsiveness, and potential long-term implications when engaging local-global context and communities;
  • Learning from and working respectfully with diverse cultural perspectives, knowledge-systems, and priorities;
  • Giving and acting on productive feedback;
  • Complying with best-practices in methodology and pedagogy and in making informed recommendations to employers, coworkers and the broader public;
  • Maintaining a critical awareness of structural inequities in their communities of practice and working to redress them; and
  • Assuring that context–and discipline-informed modes of inquiry are safe.

For current information about tuition and fees, please visit the Bursar’s office.

Applicants for the doctoral program must have at least a master’s degree. Applications should be submitted through the UMaine Graduate School.

Contact Us

For questions about applying, use the UMaine Graduate School contact form below. For general queries, coehd@maine.edu.

UMaine Graduate school Contact form