Doctor of Philosophy (75 points)

The Doctor of Philosophy in Social Studies requires 75 points of graduate study and a dissertation. The Ph.D. degree program in Social Studies leads to a strongly researchoriented degree designed for individuals preparing for a career in teaching, conducting research, and working in teacher education in a university setting or a private or public policy organization.

 

Courses in the major field (15 points minimum):

 

• A&HW 5030            Diversity and the social studies curriculum

 

• A&HW 5031            Teacher education in social studies

 

• A&HW 5530            History of American social thought

 

• A&HW 6500            History of social studies

 

• A&HW 6530            Curriculum development,research, and supervision

 

Content courses in the major field (21 points minimum):

 

Soon after beginning the program, students must select an area of specialization. Students may select either American history or modern history. Students should select courses with an advisor, taking care to include courses relevant to the area of dissertation research. These courses may be taken at either Teachers College or the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at Columbia University.

 

Research Courses (18 points minimum):

 

Required Courses:

 

• A&HH 6041             Historical method

 

• A&HW 5503            Research paper in social studies (done in conjunction with the fourth round of doctoral seminar)

 

• A&HW 6503            Doctoral seminar in social studies (taken four times during the first two years of the program)

 

• A&HW 7503            Dissertation seminar in social studies (taken at the time of presentation of the doctoral proposal)

 

• A&HW 8903            Dissertation advisement in the teaching of social studies

 

Other offerings:

 

• A&HW 5931            Guided investigations in the teaching of social studies

 

• A&HW 6030            Research in social studies education

 

• A&HW 6203            Advanced fieldwork in social studies

 

• A&HW 6903            Research and independent study in social studies

 

• A&HW 6935            Studies in history and in the teaching of history and social studies

 

Broad and basic areas of professional scholarship (15 points minimum):

 

Same as “Broad and basic areas of professional scholarship” in Ed.D. degree program. See above

 

Further requirements:

 

In addition to the dissertation, students must satisfy the foreign language requirements equivalent to those of the department of the Columbia University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences with which their work is most closely identified. For Ph.D. students in Social Studies, the usual cognate department in the Graduate School is History. Students should read the Requirements for Doctor of Philosophy obtainable from the Office of Doctoral Studies at Teachers College.