Education, Ph.D.

The Education doctoral program requires a minimum of 81 graduate credits beyond the undergraduate degree, including 6 credits of dissertation work. The program requires full-time, on-campus study; many students can complete the degree in 3-4 years beyond the master’s degree. A minimum of 39 credits of doctoral coursework must be taken at Syracuse University (excluding dissertation credits).

Students will work closely with their faculty advisor to tailor a large portion of their coursework to their personal interests and professional goals. This includes courses aligned with one or more of the SOE’s Signature Areas of Distinctive Excellence and a student-identified focus area.

Concentrations or Focus Areas

There is not a set list of concentrations that students apply to; rather, they will self-identify and customize their focus area with their academic advisor. This allows more exposure to interdisciplinary, cross-cutting study to address and keep up with current, complex educational problems, issues and emerging scholarship. The Education Ph.D. program allows students to concentrate in a wide range of fields related to the SOE’s Signature Areas. If you previously looked into our doctoral programs before 2025, previous programs such as Science Education, Special Education, Instructional Design, and Higher Education have been consolidated into this more flexible program.

Course Components

• 6 credits of required courses taken by all doctoral students.
• 3 credits of a pre-dissertation preparation course.
• 12 credits of research theory and methods courses: two core research courses, plus two courses chosen in consultation with faculty advisor based on dissertation and interests.
• 9 credits of elective coursework aligned with SOE Signature Areas of Distinction—courses related to inclusive, digital, and/or experiential pedagogy and practice—chosen in consultation with faculty advisor.
• 12 credits of courses in a student-identified focus area of scholarly interest and expertise (chosen in consultation with faculty advisor).

You do not need to secure a faculty advisor or project supervisor before applying. You can learn more about our faculty and their scholarly work in our directory.

Other Requirements

• Doctoral qualifying exams, taken the semester after coursework is completed.
• Dissertation proposal and oral examination of the proposal.
• Dissertation proposal, work (6 credits maximum), submission, and oral examination. Must be completed within five years of qualifying exam.

Up to 30 credits of master’s degree coursework may be transferred into the doctoral program; otherwise, additional credits in a signature or focus area may be required. No more than 6 credits may be taken outside of the School of Education, and courses cannot be count for two component areas above.

More information on academic requirements available in the Syracuse University Course Catalog.