PhD in Educational Studies in Diverse Populations
The purpose of the PhD in Educational Studies in Diverse Populations (ESDP) is to prepare professionals who can conduct research and lead innovation that enhances educational and life outcomes for diverse populations. These populations include those who represent cultural or linguistic minorities, those with exceptionalities (gifted and disabled), those from economically challenged (and especially high-poverty) backgrounds, those impacted by gender biases, and those with other relevant learning or behavioral differences. To accommodate the widest range of student research interest in diversity issues there are three concentrations: Context, Culture, and Policy; Pedagogical Studies for Diverse Populations; and Health Disparities within Diverse Populations. This doctoral program is especially suited to preparing graduates with the research acumen needed to move easily into higher educational/postsecondary settings, P-12 central administration at the local, state, and national level, and leadership roles within school-based settings, or non-academic positions within nonprofit organizations.
Contact Information
For detailed information please visit the program website (https://www.uab.edu/education/home/graduate/phd-educational-studies-diverse-populations), or contact Dr. Andrew McKnight (Program Coordinator), Dr. Tondra Loder-Jackson (Context, Culture, and Policy Concentration Advisor), Dr. Teaira McMurtry (Pedagogical Studies for Diverse Populations Concentration Advisor), or Dr. Larrell Wilkinson (Health Disparities within Diverse Populations Concentration Advisor).
Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Studies in Diverse Populations
| Requirements | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses (Students must pass all four core courses to advance in the program.) | ||
| EDC 750 | Critical Pedagogy for Diverse Populations | 3 |
| EDF 755 | Educational Studies in Diverse Populations: Theories of Inquiry | 3 |
| EDF 765 | Context, Culture, and Policy (CCP) Proseminar | 3 |
| CHHS 742 | Health Disparities in Diverse Populations | 3 |
| Research Courses 1 | ||
| EPR 609 | Statistical Methods and Research in Education: Intermediate | 3 |
| EPR 696 | Qualitative Research: Inquiry and Analysis | 3 |
| EPR 710 | Computer Applications and Advanced Statistical Methods | 3 |
| EPR 792 | Mixed Methods Approaches to Educational Research | 3 |
| GRD 717 | Principles of Scientific Integrity | 3 |
| Concentration Courses 2 | 12-36 | |
| Required Courses for Context, Culture & Policy Concentration - Must take at least two of the following options and two additional EDF advisor-approved courses 3 | ||
| Urban Education | ||
or EDF 700 | Urban Education | |
| Critical Social Issues in American Education | ||
or EDF 702 | Critical Social Issues in American Education | |
| Social Movements in Education | ||
or EDF 706 | Social Movements in Education | |
| Culture and American Education: Race Class and Gender | ||
or EDF 720 | Cult and Amer Educ: Race Class and Gender | |
| Required Concentration Courses for Pedagogical Studies Concentration 4 | ||
| Special Topics in Health Education | ||
| Professional Preparation of College Educators | ||
| Expanding Literature on Responsive Methodologies | ||
| Urban Education | ||
or EDF 701 | The History of American Curricular Thought | |
or EDF 702 | Critical Social Issues in American Education | |
or EDF 706 | Social Movements in Education | |
or EDF 716 | Comparative Education | |
| Required Concentration Courses for Health Disparities Concentration 5 | ||
| CHHS 606 | Disease Determinants and Prevention in Community Health | 3 |
| CHHS 610 | Principles of Health & Wellness Promotion | 3 |
| CHHS 631 | Community Capacity & Intervention Planning | 3 |
| CHHS 642 | Changing Behavior: Theories and Models for Intervention Design | 3 |
| CHHS 697 | Community-based Program Evaluation & Applied Research | 3 |
| Dissertation Courses - Work closely with advisor to satisfy requirements 6 | 24 | |
EDC 799 Dissertation Research | ||
Dissertation Seminar | ||
Dissertation Research: Minimum of 12 credit hours. Prerequisite: Admission to candidacy. Note: One semester with at least 12 credit hours is required. | ||
9 hours of directed dissertation research specific to intended topic | ||
| Total Hours | 78-102 | |
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Required Prerequisite Research Courses:
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Concentration Courses 12-36 Credits
Once the prerequisite coursework has been satisfied, you will choose a concentration from one of the following three areas:
- Pedagogical Studies
- Context, Culture, and Policy
- Health Disparities
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Context, Culture & Policy Concentration Elective Options, 0-24 hours from the following options:
EDF 700, EDF 702, EDF 706, EDF 708, EDF 716, EDF 720, EDF 750, EDF 797, EDF 798
Up to 12 credit hours from other concentrations (Pedagogical Studies and Health Disparities) and SEHS programs, including the following options.
EDC 713, EDC 732, EDC 740, EDC 760, EDC 770, EDC 780, EEC 673, EESL 613, EESL 717, EESL 743, EESL 763
Up to 12 credit hours from courses outside SEHS, e.g.:
ANTH 615, ANTH 641, HY 601, HY 634, HY 638, HY 639, MPA 675, SOC 716, SOC 755
Note: Students should consult their advisor about other graduate courses that may be of interest outside of ESDP. The units/programs listed below have courses that may be approved upon the advisor's review. This list is not comprehensive.
SEHS: CHHS, HEA, EDL, ED(x) prefix courses in C&I Dept., et al.
CAS: HY, MPA, PSC, PY, SOC, SW, et al.
GRD: Selected GRD courses may be approved. No more than two GRD courses may be taken for degree credit for students with a master's degree. Check with your advisor.
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Pedagogical Studies Concentration Electives, 0 - 24 credits from the following options:
ECE 600:794, ECT 600:720, ECY 635:689, EDC 600:740, EDF 600:720, EDR 600:706, EDU 600:699, EEC 600:702, EESL 600:780, EHS 600:720, EPR 594:793, ESP 600:680, HEA 600:690, IDD 600:680, LDLS 600:685, ANTH 504:697, ARH 505:680, BY 501:796, CH 525:789, CJ 500:679, CM 601:690, CS 500:792, FR 501:590, FS 550:679, EH 501:698, HY 601:771, MA 501:797, MPA 600:695, PH 502:797, PY 520:791, SOC 503:788, SPA 501:599, SW 510:655, DEIA 510:590, GRD 701:716, GRD 719:790, LEAD 500:590, MENT 719:746, RECM 701:749
- 5
Health Disparities Concentration, 0-24 hours
Students must meet with advisor, identify electives, and take advisor-approved courses.
• CHHS 731, 732, 601, 602, 608, 611, 612, 618, 621, 623, 624, 632, 640, 641, 642, 662, 689, 690, & 697.
• Up to 6 hours can be earned from SEHS electives, including ECG 600, 612, 613, & 631. EDC 760 & 770. EPR 614, 695, 700 & 790. KIN 601, 607, 636, 637, 638, 643, 645, 647, 649, 650, 651, 674, 694, 695, 726 & 729. EDF 600/700, 602/702, 606/706 & 620/720.
• Up to 6 hours can be earned from UAB electives, including PY 785. HB 608 & 692. HP0 607, 670, 701 & 729. SOC 775 & 791.
• To reduce Health Disparities electives and total credit hours, students must seek approval of courses taken previously.
NOTE: ESDP Health Disparities graduates are encouraged to seek faculty positions at institutions of higher education. If seeking a position in a community health, health education, and/or public health program: ESDP graduates must have 30+ graduate credit hours in the major area of faculty specialization: “If the area is not identified on the transcript, 30 semester hours of post-bachelor’s, graduate-level coursework from a regionally accredited institution appropriate to the area of primary assignment must be identified. No more than three (3) semester hours of dissertation credit may be used to satisfy this requirement, even if the dissertation is directly related to the major area of specialization.” To meet 30-hour hiring requirement, ESDP students should take electives with a CHHS, PUH, HPO, HB, EPID, or other related field prefix.
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Dissertation Courses 24 Credits
- Dissertation Seminar: 3 credit hours
- Dissertation Research: Minimum of 12 credit hours. Prerequisite: Admission to candidacy. Note: One semester with at least 12 credit hours is required.
- 9 credits of directed dissertation research or additional research courses specific to intended dissertation
PhD in Educational Studies in Diverse Populations with a Concentration in Context, Culture, and Policy
Active Student Status Prior to Admission to Candidacy: Students must maintain active student status throughout the doctoral program. Up until being admitted to candidacy, they must enroll in at least one course per year (i.e., three consecutive semesters, including summer).
If students anticipate a break in enrollment of one year or longer, they must submit a leave of absence request to the Graduate School
| Requirements | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| Program Core | ||
| GRD 717 | Principles of Scientific Integrity | 3 |
| EDC 750 | Critical Pedagogy for Diverse Populations | 3 |
| EDF 755 | Educational Studies in Diverse Populations: Theories of Inquiry | 3 |
| EDF 765 | Context, Culture, and Policy (CCP) Proseminar | 3 |
| CHHS 742 | Health Disparities in Diverse Populations | 3 |
| Research Sequence and Prerequisites | ||
| EPR 609 | Statistical Methods and Research in Education: Intermediate 1 | 3 |
| EPR 710 | Computer Applications and Advanced Statistical Methods 2 | 3 |
| or EPR 792 | Mixed Methods Approaches to Educational Research | |
| EPR 596 | Introduction to Qualitative Methods in Educational Research | 3 |
| EPR 696 | Qualitative Research: Inquiry and Analysis 3 | 3 |
| Concentration Coursework 4 | 12-36 | |
| Urban Education | ||
or EDF 700 | Urban Education | |
| Critical Social Issues in American Education | ||
or EDF 702 | Critical Social Issues in American Education | |
| Social Movements in Education | ||
or EDF 706 | Social Movements in Education | |
| Culture and American Education: Race Class and Gender | ||
or EDF 720 | Cult and Amer Educ: Race Class and Gender | |
| Concentration Electives 5 | 0-24 | |
| Dissertation 6 | 24 | |
| Dissertation Seminar | ||
| Dissertation Research | ||
| Total Hours | 63-111 | |
.
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- 2
Prerequisites: EPR 609
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Prerequisite: EPR 596
- 4
At least two EDF courses listed below along with two additional EDF doctoral courses
- 5
Students must request approval for previous courses to serve towards their concentration. Courses taken within an earlier degree (e.g., EdS) may serve in meeting the concentration content but cannot count towards the minimum hours required for the PhD. When previous courses are approved for meeting concentration content, fewer than 24 hours of Concentration Electives will be needed. Moreover, if 24 credit hours from the EdS are approved as concentration content, students will not need to take any Concentration Electives.
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Of these 24 credit hours, 12 hours must be EDF 799.
PhD in Educational Studies in Diverse Populations with a Concentration in Pedagogical Studies in Diverse Popualations
Active Student Status Prior to Admission to Candidacy: Students must maintain active student status throughout the doctoral program. Up until being admitted to candidacy, they must enroll in at least one course per year (i.e., three consecutive semesters, including summer).
If students anticipate a break in enrollment of one year or longer, they must submit a leave of absence request to the Graduate School.
| Requirements | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| Program Core | ||
| EDC 750 | Critical Pedagogy for Diverse Populations | 3 |
| EDF 755 | Educational Studies in Diverse Populations: Theories of Inquiry | 3 |
| EDF 765 | Context, Culture, and Policy (CCP) Proseminar | 3 |
| CHHS 742 | Health Disparities in Diverse Populations | 3 |
| Research Sequence and Prerequisites 1 | ||
| EPR 609 | Statistical Methods and Research in Education: Intermediate | 3 |
| EPR 696 | Qualitative Research: Inquiry and Analysis | 3 |
| EPR 710 | Computer Applications and Advanced Statistical Methods | 3 |
| EPR 792 | Mixed Methods Approaches to Educational Research | 3 |
| GRD 717 | Principles of Scientific Integrity | 3 |
| Concentration Coursework | ||
| CHHS 730 | Special Topics in Health Education | 3 |
| EDC 770 | Professional Preparation of College Educators | 3 |
| EDC 780 | Expanding Literature on Responsive Methodologies 2 | 3 |
| EDF 700 | Urban Education | 3 |
| or EDF 701 | The History of American Curricular Thought | |
| or EDF 702 | Critical Social Issues in American Education | |
| or EDF 706 | Social Movements in Education | |
| or EDF 716 | Comparative Education | |
| or EDF 720 | Cult and Amer Educ: Race Class and Gender | |
| Concentration Electives 3 | 0-24 | |
| Dissertation 4 | 24 | |
Directed Dissertation Courses (6-9 credits) 5 | ||
| Dissertation Seminar 6 | ||
| Dissertation Research 7 | ||
| Total Hours | 63-87 | |
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Prerequisites Courses:EPR 594, EPR 596, & EPR 608 - if courses are taken after admission, these hours can count as electives
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Students must meet with their advisor to identify advisor-approved elective courses. SEHS electives can be ECE 620:ECE 794, ECT 619:ECT 720, ECY 635:ECY 689, EDC 606:EDC 740, EDF 600:EDF 720, EDR 600:EDR 706, EDU 613:EDU 719, EEC 600:EEC 702, EESL 600:EESL 780, EHS 600:EHS 720, EPR 594:EPR 793, ESP 600:ESP 632, HEA 600:HEA 690, IDD 600:IDD 680, KIN 601:KIN 729, LDLS 600:LDLS 685. CAS electives can beANTH 504:ANTH 697, ARH 505:ARH 680, BY 501:BY 796, CH 525:CH 789, CJ 500:CJ 688, CM 601:CM 690, CS 500:CS 792, FR 501:FR 590, FS 550:FS 679, EH 501:EH 698, HY 601:HY 771, MA 501:MA 797, MPA 600:MPA 695, PH 502:PH 797, PY 520:PY 791, SOC 503:SOC 788, SPA 501:SPA 599, SW 510:SW 655. Grad School electives can beDEIA 510:DEIA 590, GRD 703:GRD 716, GRD 729:GRD 790, LEAD 500:LEAD 590, MENT 719:MENT 746, RECM 701:RECM 745
Students must request approval for previous courses to serve towards their concentration. Courses taken within an earlier degree (e.g., EdS) may serve in meeting the concentration content but cannot count towards the minimum hours required for the PhD.
NOTE: To seek a higher ed. faculty position in teacher education, applicants will need 30+ graduate credit hours in their teaching field. To do so, ESDP students should select concentration courses with the prefix of their teaching field prefix, (e.g., math, EESL, ECT).
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Of these 24 credit hours, 12 hours must be EDC 799.
- 5
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Successful completion of EDC 797 requires committee approval of candidate's proposal, Department Chair approval of PORF, and OIRB approval of IRB protocol.
Advancement to Candidacy Note (pre-requisite EDC 797): After receiving candidacy form, Graduate School lifts registration hold. To meet UAB residency requirement, students must take 6+ hours of EDC 799 in each of the two consecutive semesters (does not need to include summer).
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EDC 799 must be taken for at least 12 credit hours: 6 credit hours in the first semester of candidacy, 6 credit hours in the second semester of candidacy, and if needed, at least one credit hour per semester up to and including the semester of dissertation defense