Sociology and Education | Education Policy & Social Analysis

Back to Education Policy & Social Analysis

Sociology and Education

Department of Education Policy & Social Analysis

Visit Program Website

Program Description

The sociological examination of education has a long tradition at Teachers College, a graduate and professional school with a strong commitment to social justice. Our Sociology and Education program, one of the oldest and most revered such programs in the nation, provides a curriculum that supports students in developing and fostering their “sociological imagination” – or an understanding of the relationship between micro-level day-to-day experiences and the larger, macro-level structures in which we all live, between our biographies and the arc of history. Many students come to our program after having experienced first-hand the impact of inequality in their lives and/or the lives of students they teach. They seek answers to their questions about the larger educational system, the policies that perpetuate inequality, and the disparate impact on students across place, race, ethnicity, gender identity, immigration status, and socioeconomic status. They want to know how things came to be the way they are today, and to learn about promising avenues for reducing inequality. Through this micro-macro lens, our Program enables students to understand educational and social inequality through the careful analysis of evidence. Our coursework and research opportunities prepare our graduates to be change agents challenging inequalities within our schools through a deep understanding of their social, political and economic causes.

Our curriculum features a set of Core Requirements in Foundational Coursework in the Social Analysis of Education, Education and Social Inequality, Education and Social Organization, and Education and Social Change. The program also requires students to learn both quantitative, qualitative, and advanced research methods for all of our degree programs. Our Master’s degree students choose between taking a Comprehensive Exam or completing an Integrative Project, akin to a master’s thesis, as their Culminating Experience. Doctoral students will complete a Certification Exam and research and write a dissertation. 

The curriculum emphasizes the social context of schools in both cities and suburbs; the organization and structure of schooling; and the intersection of race, ethnicity, social class and gender with educational policies and practices.. Hands-on research opportunities are available on a wide range of projects, including those examining racial segregation, students’ experiences in institutions of higher education, resources in New York City schools, the development and implementation of ethnic studies curricula, and school organization.

The program faculty for the Sociology and Education Program include sociologists from several other programs at the College, and we draw on the expertise of faculty in the Sociology department and School of Social Work at Columbia University. Faculty strengths are in sociology of education generally, but also in organizational studies, the sociology of teachers and teaching, stratification, the sociology of higher education, the sociology of knowledge, and sociological research methods.. The program faculty are actively engaged in the analysis and evaluation of educational policies and programs designed to serve students historically excluded from educational opportunities.

The Program in Sociology and Education also offers an optional Policy Concentration that overlaps with many of our degree requirements.  For more information on this concentration, which is open to students throughout Teachers College, please contact Professor Aaron Pallas.

Degree Programs

The Program in Sociology and Education offers four degree programs: the M.A., the Ed.M., the Ed.D., and the Ph.D. Each degree program is designed to meet the needs of students with a particular combination of prior experience and career objectives. The M.A., Ed.M., and Ed.D. degree programs may be completed on a part-time basis, and most of our classes are offered in the evening hours. The Ph.D. degree program requires full-time study. Although students from all of the degree programs in Sociology and Education are prepared to assume positions in education institutions, the program does not offer professional certification for teaching or school/district leadership. Degree programs leading to teacher/leader certification are available in other Departments at Teachers College.

Master of Arts

The Master of Arts degree program in Sociology and Education provides an introduction to the application of sociological perspectives to contemporary education issues. The program provides coverage of the core principles and methods of sociology as they are applied to the study of education. Students completing this program are prepared to assume positions as administrators, analysts, and advocates in a variety of organizations devoted to applied educational research, policy making, consulting, and direct educational service.

Master of Education

The Master of Education degree program in Sociology and Education is an advanced master’s degree typically pursued by students who already possess a master’s degree in a substantive area of education, or by students without a prior master’s degree who want an opportunity to combine study in sociology and education with another area in education. The program involves study of sociological perspectives and methods in the context of contemporary education issues. Current substantive areas that may be combined with study in sociology and policy include evaluation and institutional analysis, human development, technology, curriculum, administration, and foundations. Students completing this degree program are prepared to assume positions as specialists in a variety of organizations devoted to applied educational research, policy making, advocacy, consulting, and management of educational activities.

Doctor of Philosophy

The Doctor of Philosophy in Education (Ph.D.) degree program in Sociology and Education is designed for students with a strong background and interest in sociology or a related social science discipline and its application to education. The Ph.D. is a highly specialized degree that requires full-time study and substantial coursework to be done at Teachers College, the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at Columbia University, or through the Inter-University Doctoral Consortium, which provides for cross-registration among member institutions, including NYU, CUNY Graduate Center, Rutgers University, and Princeton University.  Students completing this degree program are prepared to assume positions in college and university programs or applied research centers and institutes focused on education research and policy.

Doctor of Education

The Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) degree program in Sociology and Education is designed to provide broad training in the social sciences, education, and education policy. The degree program prepares students for positions in teaching, research, and policy through interdisciplinary study grounded in a sociological perspective. All coursework is available at Teachers College, and both part-time and full-time study is possible. Students completing this degree program are prepared to assume positions in college and university programs in education as well as leadership positions in a variety of organizations devoted to applied education research, policy making, advocacy, consulting, and management of educational activities.

Degrees

  • Master of Arts

    • Points/Credits: 33

      Entry Terms: Summer, Fall

      Degree Requirements

      Master of Arts Degree in the Program in Sociology and Education – minimum of 33 points

      Requirements for the M.A. program without the education policy option:

      I. Core Courses (minimum 15 points)

      A.  Foundational Coursework in Social Analysis of Education (6 points)

      • EDPS 4021 Sociology of Education (3) 

      • EDPS 4620 Introductory Colloquium in Sociology and Education (3) 

      • EDPS 5503 Classical Social Theory (3)

      • EDPS 5504 Contemporary Social Theory (3)

      B.  Education and Social Inequality (minimum 3 points)

      • EDPS 4022 Sociology of Urban Education (3)

      • EDPP 5045 Race, Ethnicity and US Educational Policy (3) 

      • EDPS 4024 Social Stratification and Education (3)

      • EDPS 4032 Gender, Difference and Curriculum (3) 

      • C&T 4000 Disability, Exclusion, and Schooling (3)

      • C&T 4032 Gender, Difference and Curriculum (3) 

      • EDPS 5053 Race, Gender and Education (3)

      • ITSF 4060 Latinos in Urban Schools (3)

      • GU4330 Education and Inequality (3) 

      •          

      C.  Education and Social Organization (minimum 3 points)

      • EDPS 4029 Sociology of Schools (3)

      • EDPS 4030 Sociology of Organizations (3) 

      • EDPS 5022 Sociology of Education Systems3) 

      • EDPS 4034 Organizing Schools for Diversity (3)

      • EDPA 6030 Institutional Theory: Sociological Perspectives on Institutional Change in Education (3)

      • EDPS 5005 Sociology of Teaching and Learning in Education (3) 

      • ITSF 5026 Family and Television (3)

      • ITSF 5120 Education in Community Settings (3) 

      • ITSF 5035 Social Analysis of International Large-Scale Assessments (3)

      • HUDK 4031 Sociology of Evaluation (3)

      • C&T 5004: School Change (3)

      D.  Education and Social Change (minimum 3 points)

      • EDP 5063 US Education Policy in Historical Perspective (3)

      • EDPS 4000 Education and Public Policy (3) 

      • EDPS 4028 Sociology of the Life Course (3) 

      • EDPS 5050 Ideology, Racial Politics, and Public Policy: Sociology of Knowledge (3)

      • HUDK 4011 Sociology of Online Learning (3) 

      • HUDK 5621 Technology and Society (3)

      • ITSF 5031 Education and Sustainable Development (3)

       

      II.  Research Methods (9 points)

      A.  Quantitative Research Methods (3 points)

      • EDPA 4002 Data Analysis for Policy & Decision Making I (3)

      • HUDM 4122 Probability and Statistical Inference (3)

      B.  Qualitative Research Methods (3 points)

      • EDPS 5057 Qualitative Methods for Education Policy and Social Analysis (3)

      • ITSF 5000 Methods of Inquiry: Ethnography and Participant Observation (3) 

      • C&T 5502 Introduction to Qualitative Research in Curriculum and Teaching (3) 

      • C&T 6021 Qualitative Inquiry: Data Analysis (3)

      • ITSF 4092 Qualitative Research and Evaluation in International Education (3)

      C.  Advanced Research Methods (3 points)

      • EDPA 5002 Data Analysis for Policy & Decision Making II (3) 

      • HUDM 5122 Applied Regression Analysis (3)

      • EDPA 4050 Logic & Design of Research in Educational Policy & Social Analysis (3) 

      • EDPH 6041 History & Education Historical Methods (3)

      • EDPS 5646 Evaluation of Educational and Social Programs (3)

      • ORL 5522 Evaluation Methods I (3)

      • HBSS 6100 Program Evaluation (3)

      • CUSSW T6416 Program Evaluation in Social Services (at Columbia School of Social Work) (3)

      • EDPS 5020 Survey Research Methods (3)

      • EDPE 6022 Econometric Methods for Policy Research and Program Evaluation (3)

      • EDPA 6002 Quantitative Methods for Evaluating Education Policies and Programs (3)

      • A&HL 4014 Discourse Analysis (3)

      • ITSF 5040 Mixed Methods for Disciplined Inquiry (3)

      • ITSF 5001 Ethnography and Participant Observation (3)

       

      III.  Electives/Concentration (6-9 points)

       

      IV. Culminating Integrative Experience (0-3 points)

      Master’s comprehensive examination (0), or

      Master’s integrative project and EDPS 6021 Master’s Integrative Project in Sociology and Education (1 point in the fall and 2 points in the spring, for a total of 3 points)

       

      Additional requirements for the M.A. program with the policy concentration:

      Choose one course from each of the following four categories:

      I.  Foundational Studies in Education Policy

      • EDPS 4000 Education and Public Policy  (3)

      • EDP 5063 Seminar: U.S. Education Policy in Historical Perspective  (3)

      II.  Policy Analysis

      • EDPA 5645 Craft of Policy Analysis  (3)

      • EDPA 4047 Politics and Public Policy  (3)

      • EDPA 4048 Education Policy Analysis & Implementation  (3)

      • EDPE 4050 Economics of Education  (3)

      III.  Program Evaluation

      • ITSF 4038 Monitoring and Evaluation  (3)

      • EDPS 5646 Evaluation of Educational and Social Programs  (3)

      • ORL 5522 Evaluation Methods I  (3)

      • HBSS 6100 Program Evaluation  (3)

      • CUSSW T6416 Program Evaluation in Social Services (at Columbia School of Social Work)  (3)

      • EDPE 6022 Econometric Methods for Policy Research and Program Evaluation  (3)

      • EDPA 6002 Quantitative Methods for Evaluating Education Policies and Programs  (3)

      IV. Topics in Education and Social Policy

      • EDP 4036 Anti-Racist Curriculum, Pedagogy and Leadership Practices  (3)

      • EDPA 4013 Education Policy and the Management of Instruction  (3) 

      • EDPA 4017 Topics in Higher Education Law  (3)

      • EDPA 4025 Higher Education Policy  (3)

      • EDPA 4033 Comprehensive Educational Opportunity  (3)

      • EDPA 4046 School Finance Policy and Practice  (3)

      • EDPA 4086 Law and Education: Regulation, Religion, Free Speech and Safety  (3)

      • EDPA 4899 Federal Policy Institute  (3)

      • EDPA 5016 Educational Equality: The Rule of Law  (3)

      • EDPA 5023 Policymaking for Effective High School to College Transition  (3)

      • EDPA 5086 Educational Policymaking and the Courts  (3)

      • EDPA 6013 Early Childhood Development and Education  (3)

      • EDPA 6027 International Perspectives on Early Childhood Policy  (3)

      • EDPA 4503 Schools, Courts, and Civic Participation  (3)

      • EDPE 4055 Resource Allocation in Education  (3)

      • EDPE 4058 Economics of Higher Education  (3)

      • EDPE 4155 Evaluating Educational Privatization and School Choice  (3)

      • EDPE 4051 Education and Economic Development  (3)

      • EDPP 5041 Politics of Centralization and Decentralization  (3)

      • EDPP 5045 Race, Ethnicity and US Educational Policy  (3)

      • C&T 4615 Young Children, Families and Social Policy  (3)

      • C&T 5050 Education Policy: Prologue to the Future  (3)

      • C&T 5074 Curriculum and Teaching Policy  (3)

      • HBSS 4112 Social Policy and Prevention  (3)

      • ITSF 4060 Latinos in Urban Schools  (3)

      • ITSF 4098 Education Development Policies in China  (3)

      • ITSF 4160 Human Rights Education in Africa: Politics, Policies and Pedagogies  (3)

      • ITSF 5006 International Education Policy Studies  (3)

      • ITSF 5035 Social Analysis of International Large-Scale Assessments  (3)

      • ITSF 5031 Education and Sustainable Development

      *Please note that all master's students must complete a culminating experience (See IV above).

  • Master of Education

    • Points/Credits: 60

      Entry Terms: Summer, Fall

      Degree Requirements

      Ed.M. Degree in the Program in Sociology and Education – minimum of 60 points

      Requirements for the Ed.M. program without the education policy option:

      I. Core Courses (Minimum of 15 points)

      A.  Foundational Coursework in Social Analysis of Education (minimum 6 points)

      • EDPS 4021 Sociology of Education (3)

      • EDPS 4620 Introductory Colloquium in Sociology and Education (3)

      • EDPS 5503 Classical Social Theory (3)

      • EDPS 5504 Contemporary Social Theory (3)

      B.  Education and Social Inequality (minimum 3 points)

      • EDPS 4022 Sociology of Urban Education (3)

      • EDPP 5045 Race, Ethnicity and US Educational Policy (3) 

      • EDPS 4024 Social Stratification and Education (3)

      • EDPS 4032 Gender, Difference and Curriculum (3) 

      • C&T 4000 Disability, Exclusion, and Schooling (3)

      • C&T 4032 Gender, Difference and Curriculum (3) 

      • EDPS 5053  Race, Gender, and Education (3)

      • ITSF 4060 Latinos in Urban Schools (3)

      • GU4330 Education and Inequality (3) 

      C.  Education and Social Organization (minimum 3 points)

      • EDPS 4029 Sociology of Schools (3)

      • EDPS 4030 Sociology of Organizations (3) 

      • EDPS 5022 Sociology of Education Systems (3)

      • EDPS 4034  Organizing Schools for Diversity (3)

      • EDPA 6030 Institutional Theory: Sociological Perspectives on Institutional Change in Education (3)

      • EDPS 5005 Sociology of Teaching and Learning in Education (3)

      • ITSF 5026 Family and Television (3)

      • ITSF 5120 Education in Community Settings (3) 

      • ITSF 5035 Social Analysis of International Large-Scale Assessments (3)

      • HUDK 4031 Sociology of Evaluation (3)

      • C&T 5004: School Change (3)

      D.  Education and Social Change (minimum 3 points)

      • EDP 5063 US Education Policy in Historical Perspective (3)

      • EDPS 4000 Education and Public Policy (3) 

      • EDPS 4028 Sociology of the Life Course (3) 

      • EDPS 5050 Sociology of Knowledge (3) 

      • HUDK 4011 Sociology of Online Learning (3)

      • HUDK 5621 Technology and Society (3)

      • ITSF 5031 Education and Sustainable Development (3)

       

      II.  Research Methods (12 points)

      A.  Quantitative Research Methods (6 points)

      • EDPA 4002 Data Analysis for Policy & Decision Making I (3)

      • HUDM 4122 Probability and Statistical Inference (3)

      • EDPA 5002 Data Analysis for Policy & Decision Making II (3)

      • HUDM 5122 Applied Regression Analysis (3)

      B.  Qualitative Research Methods (3 points)

      • EDPS 5057 Qualitative Methods for Education Policy and Social Analysis (3) 

      • ITSF 5000 Methods of Inquiry: Ethnography and Participant Observation (3) 

      • C&T 5502 Introduction to Qualitative Research in Curriculum and Teaching (3)

      • C&T 6021 Qualitative Inquiry: Data Analysis (3)

      • ITSF 4092 Qualitative Research and Evaluation in International Education (3)

      C.  Advanced Research Methods (3 points)

      • EDPA 4050 Logic & Design of Research in Educational Policy & Social Analysis (3)

      • EDPH 6041 History & Education Historical Methods (3)

      • EDPS 5199 Multi and Mixed Methods Research in Education (3)

      • EDPS 5646 Evaluation of Educational and Social Programs (3) 

      • ORL 5522 Evaluation Methods I (3)

      • HBSS 6100 Program Evaluation (3)

      • EDPE 6022 Econometric Methods for Policy Research and Program Evaluation (3)

      • EDPA 6002 Quantitative Methods for Evaluating Education Policies and Programs (3)

      • CUSSW T6416 Program Evaluation in Social Services (at Columbia School of Social Work) (3)

      • EDPS 5020 Survey Research Methods (3)

      • ITSF 4199 Social Network Analysis & International Development (3)

      • ITSF 5001 Ethnography and Participant Observation (3)

       

      III.  Electives/Concentration (30-33 points)

       

      IV. Culminating Integrative Experience (0-3 points)

      Master’s comprehensive examination (0), or

      Master’s integrative project and EDPS 6021 Master’s Integrative Project in Sociology and Education (1 point in the fall and 2 points in the spring, for a total of 3 points)

       

      Additional requirements for the Ed.M. program with the policy concentration:

      Choose one course from each of the following four categories:

      I.  Foundational Studies in Education Policy

      • EDPS 4000 Education and Public Policy (3)

      • EDP 5063 Seminar: U.S. Education Policy in Historical Perspective (3)

      II.  Policy Analysis

      • EDPA 5645 Craft of Policy Analysis (3) 

      • EDPA 4047 Politics and Public Policy (3)

      • EDPA 4048 Education Policy Analysis & Implementation (3)

      • EDPE 4050 Economics of Education (3)

      III.  Program Evaluation

      • ITSF 4038 Monitoring and Evaluation (3)

      • EDPS 5646 Evaluation of Educational and Social Programs (3)

      • ORL 5522 Evaluation Methods I (3)

      • HBSS 6100 Program Evaluation (3)

      • CUSSW T6416 Program Evaluation in Social Services (at Columbia School of Social Work) (3)

      • EDPE 6022  Econometric Methods for Policy Research and Program Evaluation (3)

      • EPDA 6002 Quantitative Methods for Evaluating Policies and Programs (3)

      IV. Topics in Education and Social Policy

      • EDP 4036 Anti-Racist Curriculum, Pedagogy and Leadership Practices (3)

      • EDPA 4013 Education Policy and the Management of Instruction  (3)

      • EDPA 4017 Topics in Higher Education Law  (3)

      • EDPA 4025 Higher Education Policy  (3)

      • EDPA 4033 Comprehensive Educational Opportunity  (3) 

      • EDPA 4046 School Finance Policy and Practice  (3)

      • EDPA 4086 Law and Education: Regulation, Religion, Free Speech and Safety  (3)

      • EDPA 4899 Federal Policy Institute  (3)

      • EDPA 5016 Educational Equality: The Rule of Law  (3)

      • EDPA 5023 Policymaking for Effective High School to College Transition  (3) 

      • EDPA 5086 Educational Policymaking and the Courts  (3)

      • EDPA 6013 Early Childhood Development and Education  (3)

      • EDPA 6027 International Perspectives on Early Childhood Policy  (3)

      • EDPA 4503 Schools, Courts, and Civic Participation  (3)

      • EDPE 4055 Resource Allocation in Education  (3)

      • EDPE 4058 Economics of Higher Education  (3)

      • EDPE 4155 Evaluating Educational Privatization and School Choice  (3)

      • EDPE 4051  Education and Economic Development  (3)

      • EDPP 5041 Politics of Centralization and Decentralization  (3)

      • EDPP 5045 Race, Ethnicity and US Educational Policy   (3)

      • C&T 4615 Young Children, Families and Social Policy  (3)

      • C&T 5050 Education Policy: Prologue to the Future  (3) 

      • C&T 5074 Curriculum and Teaching Policy  (3)

      • HBSS 4112 Social Policy and Prevention  (3)

      • ITSF 4060 Latinos in Urban Schools  (3)

      • ITSF 4098 Education Development Policies in China  (3)

      • ITSF 4160 Human Rights Education in Africa: Politics, Policies and Pedagogies  (3)

      • ITSF 5006 International Education Policy Studies  (3)

      • ITSF 5031   Education and Sustainable Development  (3)

      • ITSF 5035 Social Analysis of International Large-Scale Assessments (3)

      *Please note that all master's students must complete a culminating experience (IV above).

  • Doctor of Education

    • Points/Credits: 90

      Entry Terms: Fall Only

      Degree Requirements

      The coursework for the Ed.D. degree, which totals a minimum of 75 points, has seven components: basic social research design and methods, advanced social research design and methods, social theory, core coursework in the sociology of education, seminars and colloquia, coursework in the social context of teaching and learning, and elective courses. All of the required coursework is offered at Teachers College.

      Basic social research design and methods (12 points) involves coursework in research design, probability and statistics, applied regression analysis, and qualitative research methods. Courses in advanced social research design and methods (minimum 6 points) build on these basic courses in the quantitative and/ or qualitative domains. Social theory courses (3 points) draw from sociology and other social sciences. Ed.D. students also pursue a minimum of 15 points in core classes in the sociology of education and 3 points in seminars and colloquia designed to prepare students for dissertation research. The balance of the 75-point minimum is earned through elective courses selected in collaboration with the student's advisor.

      Policy Studies Concentration in the Sociology and Education Program is available.

  • Doctor of Philosophy

    • Points/Credits: 75

      Entry Terms: Fall

      Degree Requirements

      The coursework for the Ph.D., which totals a minimum of 75 points, has seven components: social theory, basic social research design and methods, advanced social research design and methods, foundational coursework in sociology, core coursework in the sociology of education, seminars and colloquia, and elective courses. The required coursework is offered at Teachers College and in the Sociology Department in Columbia University’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. With advisor permission, students may pursue courses in other professional schools at the University or through the Inter-University Doctoral Consortium. 

      (Please refer to the Inter-University Doctoral Consortium section of this bulletin for participating schools.) 

      Social theory (6 points) includes coursework in classical and contemporary sociological theory.

      Basic social research design and methods (12 points) involves coursework in research design, probability and statistics, applied regression analysis, and qualitative research methods. Courses in advanced social research design and methods (minimum 6 points) build on these basic courses in the quantitative and/or qualitative domains. Students also enroll in at least one 3-point course offered by the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at Columbia or a Consortium institution in each of the areas of social stratification/inequality, social organization, and  social change.

      Ph.D. students also pursue a minimum of 12 points in core classes in the sociology of education and 6 points in seminars and colloquia designed to prepare students for dissertation research. The balance of the 75-point minimum is earned through elective courses selected in collaboration with the student’s advisor.

      Policy Studies Concentration in the Sociology and Education Program is available.

  • Advanced Certificate

    • Points/Credits: 10

      Entry Terms: Summer

      Degree Requirements

      The Teachers College, Columbia University Reimagining Education for a Racially Just Society Advanced Certificate Program provides foundational skills and strategies for educators, policy makers and advocates to foster racial equality in schools. This 10-credit certificate program provides flexible professional development while serving as a bridge to further graduate education, including a Master of Education or a doctoral degree program. The coursework is designed and taught by Teachers College faculty—leading experts on a wide array of issues related to racism within the field of education—from multiple Departments who will share their unique multidisciplinary expertise.

      Program Coursework

      Summer Course

      Three Credits: In person, as part of the four-day Reimagining Education Summer Institute (choose one)

      • Reimagining Education for Teaching and Learning in Diverse Schools

      • Reimagining Education: Equity, Race, and Pedagogical Practices

      • Reimagining Education for Social Change: Public Pedagogy in the Digital Age

      Fall Course

      Three Credits: Online

      • Understanding Race Education: From Racial Hierarchy to Racial Literacy

      Spring Course 

      Three Credits: Online

      • Anti-Racist Curriculum, Pedagogy, Leadership and Policy

      Summer Course

      One Credit: Online or in person

      • Capstone Project*

      *Upon completion, participants are encouraged to attend and present their work at the Reimagining Education Summer Institute at no cost.

Faculty

  • Faculty

    • Na Lor Assistant Professor, Education Policy & Social Analysis
    • Aaron M Pallas Arthur I. Gates Professor of Sociology and Education
    • Carolyn J. Riehl Associate Professor of Sociology & Education Policy

  • Adjunct Faculty

    • Pavithra Venkataraman Nagarajan Asst Adjunct Professor
    • Eleni Demos Natsiopoulou Adjunct Asst Professor
    • Joseph Derrick Nelson Adjunct Assoc Professor
    • Basil Anthony Smikle Adjunct Assistant Professor
    • Joan Kass Stamler Adjunct Asst Professor

  • Instructors

    • Yeonsoo Choi Research Assistant
    • Anuraag Sensharma Socl Research Assistant
    • Cami L Touloukian PT Instructor
    • Jose Luis Vilson PT Instructor

Courses

  • EDPS 4000 - Education and Public Policy
    Examination of the federal role in K-12 education policy over the course of the 20th century and its impact on states and districts.
  • EDPS 4021 - Sociology of Education
    A broad analysis of education using basic sociological concepts, including schools as organizations, socialization, stratification, and ethnic relations.
  • EDPS 4022 - Sociology of Urban Education
    This course encourages students to think critically about the social, economic and political context of urban education. Topics include housing policies, gentrification, racial and socio-economic segregation, school closures, privatization and school choice
  • EDPS 4024 - Social Stratification and Education
    An examination of the link between education and social inequality in Western societies, questioning whether schools are a mechanism of social mobility, enabling poor and disadvantaged children to get ahead in life, or whether schools perpetuate the hardships faced by poor and minority populations. Topics include the importance of quantity and quality of schooling for adult success; the ways in which race/ethnicity, sex, and social class background structure students educational experiences; the role of tracking and ability grouping within schools; and the link between schooling and the economy.
  • EDPS 4027 - Sociology of Classrooms
    An examination of sociological research on the structure and operation of classrooms. Particular attention to the processes of stratification, socialization, legitimation, and social organization.
  • EDPS 4028 - Sociology of the Life Course
    This course provides an introduction to the sociological study of lives. Life course studies are interdisciplinary, and a sociological approach is complemented by life span developmental psychology, history, anthropology, and other disciplinary orientations. Nevertheless, there are several themes that are emphasized in the sociology of the life course. The central themes we will consider are: (a) lives are embedded in historical and cultural contexts; (b) individuals as producers of their own life course in a structure of opportunities and constraints; (c) lives are linked via kinship relations within and across generations; and (d) continuity and change in individual lives over time. We will also examine the life history method as a tool to understand the life course, with students conducting and analyzing a life history interview.
  • EDPS 4029 - Sociology of Schools
    This course addresses the sociology of schools. It complements the sociological study of classrooms and of educational systems, treating the school as the fundamental unit of analysis. Topics include: (a) how students are matched with schools; (b) variations in how schools are organized, and their consequences for students and teachers; (c) the distribution of valuable resources across schools; and (d) why school reform rarely has the desired dramatic effects either on what goes on in school or on student achievement.
  • EDPS 4030 - Sociology of Organizations
    Introduction to concepts, theories, and research in the sociology of organizations and the related interdisciplinary field of organization studies, as they apply to schools and other organizational settings in education. Topics covered will include internal organizational dynamics, organizations and their environments, organizations as contexts for human identity and agency, and organizational learning and improvement.
  • EDPS 4034 - Organizing Schools for Diversity
    This course provides a basic introduction to the sociology of organizations and then places organization theory in conversation with the sociological literature on race, diversity, and equity to address the question of how schools can be organized to be humane, effective, equitable, and just contexts for adults (teachers, administrators, etc.) and students who are diverse, and often marginalized, along characteristics such as race/ethnicity, social class, gender identity and sexual orientation, culture and religion, language, indigenous or immigration status, residential mobility and homelessness, and dis/ability.
  • EDPS 4620 - Introductory Colloquium in Sociology of Education
    Intensive readings and discussions of basic literature in sociology of education, with attention to common issues and research strategies.
  • EDPS 4903 - Research and Independent Study
    Permission required.
  • EDPS 5005 - Sociology of Teaching and Learning in Education
    This course applies sociological perspectives to understand teaching and learning in schools and classrooms. The emphasis is on K-12 teaching and learning, but many of the ideas and texts we examine will also apply to postsecondary education. The course explores teaching as an occupation, teachers' roles and responsibilities, and the social organization of teaching in schools, both in the U.S. and around the world. It also develops an understanding of classroom learning as a social phenomenon, and forges links between what is learned in school and the cognitive demands of work and citizenship.
  • EDPS 5020 - Survey Research Methods
    Relationship between research problem and study design, choice of population, sampling methods, instrument construction, interviewing, data processing, and analysis.
  • EDPS 5022 - Sociology of Education Systems
    Analysis of local and national education systems through application of sociological perspectives and organization theory, with special attention to problems of equity, effectiveness, and the embeddedness of education systems in their larger contexts.
  • EDPS 5050 - Ideology, Racial Politics, and Public Policy: Sociology of Knowledge
    The sociology of knowledge analyzes the process by which "reality" becomes constructed within a social context. With a focus on education and social welfare policies, this class will explore the "reality" of public policies with real material consequences and how this reality has been constructed around a set of assumptions defining the "problems" that need to be solved. This course helps students step back from a focus on "implementing" educational reform and examine instead how such a reform movement became the focus.
  • EDPS 5053 - Race, Gender and Education
    This course examines how racial discrimination in American education intersects with gender norms and stereotypes in ways that shape everyday school life, particularly how educational policies at the school, district, and federal level either perpetuate or transform these dynamic intersections. After exploring personal histories of race, gender, and schooling through memoir, the course begins with a theoretical and conceptual overview of race, gender, and sex, and the history of race and patriarchy in the U.S. context. Popular culture and discourse, as well as key issues and debates in the field are taken up thereafter, with a focus on race and gender equality/access in urban school settings, and gender dynamics in relation to racial bias, class privilege, and sexuality (e.g., LGBTQIA issues). The goal of the course is to reconsider what constitutes effective schooling for all students across social and cultural contexts.
  • EDPS 5057 - Introduction to Qualitative Methods for Education Policy and Social Analysis
    This 3-credit course is designed to introduce students to qualitative inquiry and data analysis. As a class we will aim to better understand the following: When is a qualitative methodology approach appropriate? What types of qualitative methods are out there and under what conditions is one analytic approach optimal over another? What are effective strategies for interview data collection? How do researchers code, analyze, and interpret qualitative data? What ethical dilemmas emerge in qualitative research? How do we know if qualitative research findings are valid, trustworthy, and reliable? Students will be guided to participate in the qualitative research process, encompassing: identification of a research question, development of an interview protocol and participant consent forms, (mock) approval of the Institutional Review Board, interview practice (e.g., conducting interviews and recording the interviews), interview data transcriptions, generation of qualitative codes and themes, synthesis of qualitative research findings, clarification of study significance and contribution to policy, practice, and/or theory.
  • EDPS 5199 - Issues: Sociology and Higher Education
    This 3-credit class explores current issues, debates, and challenges in higher education from a sociological perspective. As a class, we will examine questions such as: What is the role of higher education in American society? From where is the mission and vision of higher education derived? What social forces have shaped the landscape of higher education? How did society come to construct the so-called ivory towers and gatekeepers? How do institutions of higher education shape and influence society? And how do we, in turn, shape higher education?
  • EDPS 5503 - Classical Social Theory
    This class is an introduction to classical sociological theory. The epistemological foundations of sociological inquiry as well as its core concepts and methods will be examined. Problems and concepts to be covered will include alienation, class, legitimation, power, anomie, exploitation, culture, ideology, development, and individuation. The texts to be examined will be mainly from the three ‘founders’ of sociology: Karl Marx, Emile Durkheim and Max Weber. In addition, theorists who worked within the classical sociological tradition and who have played a significant role in shaping contemporary social theory will also be studied; such theorists may include: Friedrich Engels, Marcel Mauss, George Simmel, Sigmund Freud, and Norbert Elias.
  • EDPS 5504 - Contemporary Social Theory
    This class will examine how the classical works of Weber, Durkheim and Marx have been augmented and revised by contemporary social thinkers. The readings will cover the American traditions of functionalism, pragmatism, and behaviorism as well as competing traditions such as neo-Marxism, structuralism, and discourse analysis. The readings will also address substantive issues such as globalization, digitization, consumerism, suburbanization, identity politics, racial formation theory and social control. The class will give students a broad overview of contemporary social theory as well as an understanding of how theory has addressed current social problems.
  • EDPS 5646 - Evaluation of Educational and Social Programs
    An introduction to the evaluation of social and educational programs. Topics include evaluation to inform program conceptualization and design; measuring program implementation; impact assessment, including randomized experiments; cost-effectiveness analysis; and the social and political context of program evaluation.
  • EDPS 6021 - Master's Integrative Project in Sociology and Education
    Students wishing to complete a master's integrative project instead of taking the master's exam will design a study, provide a relevant literature review of theory and research, collect and analyze data, and write a comprehensive report of their work.
  • EDPS 6903 - Research and Independent Study
    Permission required.
  • EDPS 8903 - Dissertation Advisement: Sociology & Education
    Individual advisement on doctoral dissertations. Fee to equal 3 points at current tuition rate for each term. For requirements, see section in catalog on Registration for Ed.D./Ph.D. degrees.
Back to skip to quick links