Education, Ph.D.

Application Deadline: January 1. Applicants should ensure that all of the required materials are submitted by that date. Applications are reviewed starting on November 15, continuing through December and January for matriculation the following fall.

Admissions Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree; master’s degree in education or related fields (applicants with only a bachelor’s degree are encouraged to pursue a master’s first).
• Official transcript of all undergraduate and graduate study.
• Personal statement (500 words): how your scholarly and teaching interests align with our SOE Signature Areas of Distinction.
• Professional/academic writing sample. This can come from previous research papers, publications, or assigned coursework. There is no strict word count, but clarity and relevance are key.
• Resume or CV.
• Three letters of recommendation.
• GRE is optional (not required).
• International students: TOEFL or IELTS scores.

You do not need to identify a faculty advisor or project supervisor before applying. You can learn more about our faculty and their scholarly work in our directory. or contact our admissions staff to be connected with faculty who have mutual academic interests.

Financial Support

• All applications are automatically considered for assistantships in research or teaching with program faculty and within the School of Education. These are competitive and awarded at the time of admissions, with notification in early March. Assistantships provide four years of full-time funding. It is highly recommended applications be submitted by the deadline to be considered. Contact graduate admissions to discuss other opportunities.
• More financial aid and scholarship resources

Program Contacts

Breana Nieves Vergara, Assistant Director of Graduate Admissions and Recruitment

bknieves@syr.edu|315.443.2505

Cathy Engstrom, Associate Professor; Faculty Director for Graduate Studies

cmengstr@syr.edu|315.443.5278