This Program has shaped the historical course of philosophy of education in America. From the groundbreaking work of John Dewey and William Heard Kilpatrick to the achievements of their most recent successors, Jonas Soltis and Maxine Greene, the program’s philosopher-scholars have been leaders in the field. The Philosophy and Education Program offers students a unique opportunity to develop their humanistic and critical thinking about education.
Faculty and students in the program devote this thinking to a wide variety of questions, including:
What visions of the human being animate contemporary schooling?
How can education be a force for social reform?
What is the role of aesthetic experience and the imagination in education?
What type of education befits a multi-cultural society?
What is the nature of the teacher-student relationship?
Other areas of interest include:
The education of democratic citizens
Moral education
Critical thinking
Education and technology
The ethics of teaching
The Philosophy and Education Program provides an opportunity for educators to broaden and deepen their understanding of the processes and aims of education through inquiry into the fields of aesthetics, ethics and moral philosophy, social and political philosophy, and epistemology and the philosophy of science. Study of a variety of historical and conceptual frameworks enables students to develop theoretical perspectives on education and to effectively analyze and critique arguments in contemporary educational debates.
Recent dissertations include studies of equity in access to education, Nietzsche's conception of education, the ethics of school choice, cosmopolitanism and education, the nature of authentic learning, Matthew Arnold's conception of liberal education, and human rights education in light of Kant's moral philosophy.
Points/Credits: 32
Entry Terms: Spring/Summer/Fall
Degree Requirements
The Master of Arts degree program is designed to introduce educators and professionals with a wide variety of interests to the study of philosophy and education. In addition to the required 12 points in Philosophy and Education courses, students may use their electives to develop an area of educational interest (e.g., educational policy, curriculum and teaching, developmental psychology, etc.) and to develop an area of philosophical interest (e.g., ethics, social philosophy, philosophical anthropology, etc.).
Points/Credits: 60
Entry Terms: Spring/Summer/Fall
Degree Requirements
Similar to the Master of Arts degree program, the Master of Education degree program is designed to provide a more in-depth and intensive introduction to the study of philosophy and education. In addition to the required 18 points in Philosophy and Education courses and 3 points required from the Philosophy Department at Columbia University, students may use their electives to develop an area of educational interest (e.g., educational policy, curriculum and teaching, developmental psychology, etc.) and to develop an area of philosophical interest (e.g., ethics, social philosophy, philosophical anthropology, etc.).
Points/Credits: 90
Entry Terms: Fall Only
Degree Requirements
The Doctor of Education degree program is flexible and responsive to individual student backgrounds and needs. Each student takes responsibility, in consultation with his or her advisor, for designing a course of study that will meet the program requirements while catering to the individual’s interests and professional goals. Exact requirements vary for each doctoral program of study. For example, students in the Ed.D. program will also develop a minor in an educational field such as educational policy, curriculum theory, or comparative education.
At the center of that course of study are the program’s research and professional development curriculum and other classes in philosophy and education. In addition to the required 36 points in Philosophy and Education courses, students are also required to do coursework in the following areas: 9 points of philosophy through the Columbia Philosophy Department or Inter-University Doctoral Consortium, foundations of education, and educational breadth. These requirements are modest, leaving room for students to craft a personalized course of study. Additionally, 18 points in the Philosophy and Education requirements are in the program’s professional development sequence.
Points/Credits: 75
Entry Terms: Fall Only
Degree Requirements
The Doctor of Philosophy degree program is flexible and responsive to individual student backgrounds and needs. Each student takes responsibility, in consultation with his or her advisor, for designing a course of study that will meet the program requirements while catering to the individual’s interests and professional goals.
At the center of that course of study are the program’s research and professional development curriculum and other classes in philosophy and education. In addition to the required 36 points in Philosophy and Education courses, students are also required to do coursework in the following areas: 12 points in philosophy, through the Columbia Philosophy Department or Inter-University Doctoral Consortium, foundations of education, and educational breadth. These requirements are modest, leaving room for students to craft a personalized course of study. Additionally, 18 points in the Philosophy and Education requirements are in the program’s professional development sequence.
Students should also contact the Office of Doctoral Studies about university and college-wide requirements, procedures, and deadlines for doctoral students. The doctoral programs require students to demonstrate reading proficiency in one of the following languages: French, German, Greek, or Latin. In rare cases, such as for writing the dissertation, another language may be approved in consultation with program faculty.
Points/Credits: 15
Entry Terms: Spring/Summer/Fall
Degree Requirements
No catalog information available for this degree.