Doctor of Education in Media, Culture and Society
This program uses methods of the social sciences, encompassing both qualitative and quantitative approaches to the study of communication and education. It asks in particular how education and other social systems change under the impact of new media. Faculty members and students pursue three broad areas of inquiry, enabling them to:
- Reflect on the historical effects of media and on the cultural uses of developments such as face-to-face speech, writing, printing, photography, film, radio, television, computers, and networked multimedia;
- Use anthropological and linguistic methods to study how the diverse forms of communication, literacy, information processing, and cognition condition educational practice; and
- Explore positive and negative effects of media on social relations and develop strategies for using information and communication technologies to improve conditions of education and life.
In the course of completing a degree, the student should expect to attend closely to both technical artifacts and human activity; that is, both to material systems of communication in which technologies are the primary interest and to interpersonal, direct communication dynamics in which unmediated exchanges, face-to-face, are the subject of inquiry. A major theme for continuous reflection should be the diverse ways in which the modes of communication condition the meanings actually, and potentially, communicated—particularly through the wide variety of digital means available to us.
Admission Information
Displaying requirements for the Spring 2026, Summer 2026, and Fall 2026 terms.
Doctor of Education
- Points/Credits: 75
- Entry Terms: Fall
- Enrollment Formats: Full-Time Campus-Based, Part-Time Campus-Based
Application Deadlines
| Entry Term Available | Priority Deadlines | Final Deadlines | Extended Deadlines |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Summer | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Fall | December 1, 2025 | December 1, 2025 | N/A |
Select programs remain open beyond our standard application deadlines, such as those with an extended deadline or those that are rolling (open until June or July). If your program is rolling or has an extended deadline indicated above, applications are reviewed as they are received and on a space-available basis. We recommend you complete your application as soon as possible as these programs can close earlier if full capacity has been met.
Application Requirements
| Requirement | |
|---|---|
| Online Degree Application, including Statement of Purpose and Resume | |
| Transcripts and/or Course-by-Course Evaluations for all Undergraduate/Graduate Coursework Completed | |
| Results from an accepted English Proficiency Exam (if applicable) | |
| $75 Application Fee | |
| Two (2) Letters of Recommendation | |
| Academic Writing Sample |
For admission-related inquiries, please contact MSTadmission@tc.columbia.edu.
Additional Degree Information
Degree Requirements (starting Fall 2026)
* For AY 2025-26 Degree Requirements, please visit the Academic Catalog website.
The Media, Culture & Society degree programs explore the evolving relationship between communication, media, and education in a digital world. Shaped by emerging technologies, social platforms, and new forms of representation, the field of communication is in constant flux—and this program equips students to engage critically with its impact on education and culture.
Grounded in interdisciplinary theory and social science inquiry, the program examines how media and communication technologies shape cultural practices, educational institutions, and social systems. Areas of emphasis include literacy, social justice, youth development, and teacher education.
The program embraces a broad range of research methods—both qualitative and quantitative—to examine the intersections of communication and education across diverse contexts. It asks: How does education, including schooling and other social systems, transform under the influence of emerging media?
Students are encouraged to:
- Reflect on the historical, cultural, and social impact of a wide range of media;
- Leverage research methods and inquiry frameworks to understand how communication and media practices shape learning;
- Attend closely to both technological tools and human activity, considering how different modes of communication influence the meanings we construct and convey—especially through the diverse digital forms available today.
Graduates of the Ed.D. in Media, Culture & Society pursue a range of careers, including:
- Faculty and research positions in higher education
- Leadership roles in museums, schools, and nonprofits focused on media and learning
- Research and evaluation in educational media and technology
- Design and implementation of media-based learning and civic engagement initiatives
- Policy and advocacy work in government or NGOs
This is a 75-point doctoral program. Students work closely with faculty advisors to develop a coherent plan of study aligned with their research and professional goals. In addition to coursework, students are expected to demonstrate methodological expertise and theoretical grounding; participate in the wider research community through publications and presentations; and develop and carry out a dissertation that contributes original knowledge to the field.
Formal requirements for the Ed.D. degree are detailed in the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education, which can be obtained from the Teachers College Office of Doctoral Studies (ODS).
Doctoral Colloquium: MSTU 6600 (12 points)
Taken for 3 points per year by all doctoral students in years 1-4
Foundational Knowledge (12 points)
Students can choose 1 course from each area. All four areas must be represented.
- Cognitive Issues and Technology
- MSTU 4133 Cognition and Computers
- MSTU 4088 Introduction to Learning Sciences and Educational Technology
- MSTU 5035 Technology and Metacognition
- Social Issues and Technology
- MSTU 4005 Equity, Ethical, and Social Issues in Educational Technology
- MSTU 4016 The History of Communication
- MSTU 4020 Social and Communicative Aspects of the Internet
- Cultural Issues and Technology
- MSTU 4028 Technology and Culture
- MSTU 5002 Culture, Media, and Education
- MSTU 5606 Theoretical Approaches to Communication and Culture
- Educational Practice and Design
- MSTU 4001 Technology and School Change
- MSTU 4050 Online Schools and Online Schooling K-12
- MSTU 4083 Instructional Design of Educational Technology
- MSTU 5001 Assessing the Impact of Technology in Schools
- MSTU 5003 MSTU 5003 Theory and Programming of Interactive Media
- MSTU 5027 Tools and Toys for Knowledge Construction
- MSTU 5180 Beyond Bits and Atoms
- MSTU 5181 Beyond Bits and Atoms Lab
Research Methods and Design: (12 points)
The following are examples of available courses. Students should familiarize themselves with the full range of courses that are offered and choose a class that is relevant to their dissertation work, in consultation with their faculty advisor.
- Introductory Quantitative Methods Course (3 points)
- HUDM 4122 Probability and Statistical Inference (Note: HUDM 4120 Basic Concepts in Statistics, does not meet this requirement.)
- HUDK 4050 Core methods in Educational Data Mining
- Introductory Qualitative Methods Course: taken from the following or similar (3 points)
- C&T 5502 Introduction to Qualitative Research in Curriculum and Teaching
- ITSF 5000 Methods of Inquiry: Ethnography and Participant Observation
- ITSF 5001 Ethnography and Participant Observation: Fieldwork, Analysis, Reporting
- Specialized Research Design (3 points)
- MSTU 5001 Assessing the Impact of Technology in Schools
- MSTU 5025 Research Technology in Educational Environment
- MSTU 6100 Digital Research Methods
- Additional non-introductory research methodology class (3 points)
- A&HE 6151 Narrative Research in English Education
- A&HL 4104 Discourse Analysis
- HUDM 5122 Applied Regression Analysis
- HUDM 5123 Linear Models and Experimental Design
- ORL 6500 Qualitative Research Methods in Organizations: Design and data collection
- ORL 6501 Qualitative Research Methods in Organizations: Data analysis and reporting
Breadth Requirement: (6 points)
Students must complete a minimum of 6 credits, outside of the Technology, Media and Learning Program (i.e., courses with a prefix other than MSTU).
Dissertation Seminar (1 point)
Students must register for MSTU 7501 Dissertation Seminar in the semester when they are defending their Dissertation Proposal. See also the regulations for MSTU 8900 and the section in the Academic Catalog on continuous registration.
Additional Requirements:
- At least 15 points of MSTU courses
- Other courses chosen in consultation with an advisor
- Complete the doctoral certification process (see explanation later in this section).
- Successfully propose, complete, and defend the doctoral dissertation.
Doctoral Certification Process
The TML program has designed its candidate certification requirements to help prepare students for dissertation work and document that preparedness. The Doctoral Certification Process for TML students has three steps:
- A Certification Exam that the student answers in writing during the regular certification examination session that the Office of Doctoral Studies schedules each semester. Students take this certification exam at the end of their core coursework (typically in their 2nd or 3rd year of doctoral studies). This is a written, take-home exam, received Friday and submitted by Monday.
- The first part of the exam consists of a mandatory question that probes students’ foundational knowledge of social, cultural and cognitive approaches to the study of technology and education. The second part of the exam allows students to choose one question out of three possible choices, in accordance with their research interests; this question tests students’ readiness to engage in advanced research work, by asking them to design research studies according to specific scenarios or to apply a research lens to real-world examples. The questions are developed anew every semester by program faculty, by rotation.
- After the exams are returned, each exam is read and scored by all tenured/tenure-track faculty, who meet as a group to discuss students’ exams. Students’ names are removed from their exam and the exams are then circulated during the meeting of the faculty. The exam is read and discussed and a decision is made about its grade. Exams are rated as High Pass, Pass, or Failure. Students who fail the Certification Exam are able to take it one additional time. If they fail a second time, they may not continue in the program.
- A Literature Review or critical assessment of scholarship (a paper of around 30 pages, double-spaced) related to the student’s dissertation plans. This represents a head start on the literature review chapter of the dissertation.This paper is approved by the faculty advisor. Approved papers may be posted and generally available to others for future reference.
- A Certification Pilot Project that would be a smaller scale version of what might be done in the dissertation or a project or pilot study that leads to the dissertation project. Generally, this certification project has three steps, but students should consult with their advisor for specific instructions:
- Write a short project proposal, which the faculty advisor must approve.
- Complete the project;
- Write a project report (around 30 pages), which is approved by the advisor.
When the faculty advisor verifies that the student has completed all three of the steps above, the student is recommended for certification to the Office of Doctoral Studies. To receive full certification for doctoral work, students must also meet certain College-wide requirements, as explained in the Degree Requirements section of this bulletin.