The PhD program in Teaching and Learning is designed for those seeking research-oriented positions in universities or leadership roles such as serving on a college or university faculty, as an educational researcher, or as a curriculum specialist. Extensive individual mentoring is available by our skilled faculty representing many dimensions of early childhood and childhood education. The program is flexible and highly individualized, providing specialties in such related areas as teacher education, curriculum development, child development, innovations in schooling, and specific content areas such as literacy, numeracy, and social studies. Extensive faculty mentoring is a distinctive feature of the doctoral program.
Themes of Study
Doctoral study in the Department of Teaching and Learning focuses on several areas of scholarship and practice. These reflect the strengths and interests of the department’s faculty and the opportunities available among the department’s programs for doctoral students to have mentored learning experiences. The themes are as follows:
Teaching and teacher education across all levels from early childhood to university, including preparatory teacher education and continuing teacher education, and across a variety of teaching fields. The department particularly invites interests in teaching within urban settings, teaching diverse students, the role of content knowledge in teaching, and changing conceptions of teaching and teacher education.
Educational reform, including school reform, curriculum reform, and reform of policies that bear on teaching and learning. The department particularly invites interests in the problems of urban education, in designing learning environments that work well for diverse learners, in rethinking curriculum and school designs, and in the role of teacher learning within educational reform. In making admission decisions, the department’s faculty strives for balance across these areas, each year admitting a small number of highly qualified students with interest in each area (regardless of the students’ degree preferences).
Literacies across all levels of education and content areas. The department particularly invites interests in early literacy, adolescent and adult literacy, issues in acquiring academic literacy, and the role of culture in literacy.
Language and culture. The department particularly invites interests in language acquisition and in issues related to education in multilingual and multicultural settings. Special education, including questions about theoretical frameworks of disability in school and community; challenges of practice such as the design and implementation of inclusive schools, equitable learning opportunities for students with disabilities, family engagement; contemporary issues in the fields of practice and research such as exclusionary discipline and racial equity in special education, postsecondary education and young adults with disabilities, and multilingual learners and disabilities.
Admissions
Admission to graduate programs in the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development requires the following minimum components:
See How to Apply for admission requirements and instructions specific to this program.
Program Requirements
Course List
Course
Title
Credits
Research Independent Study
0
Foundations Course
6-12
Qualitative Research Methods
3
Quantitative Research Methods
3
Additional Research Methods
9
Dissertation Proposal Seminar
3
Specialized Methodology Course
3
Specialized Electives
15-33
Total Credits
60
Note
In each of the fall and spring semesters of Years 1, 2, and 3 of PhD study, all full-time students are required to enroll in a 0-credit research experience course (Research Independent Study).
Additional Program Requirements
Additional Program Requirements
Research Experience
Purpose and Apprenticeship
The Research Experience is a core requirement for all full-time PhD students during the fall and spring semesters of their first three years. Designed as a mentored apprenticeship, this experience moves beyond standard coursework to provide foundational training in the research process, including ethical community engagement, data collection, grant writing, and scholarly publication. Students collaborate with their advisor or a research mentor to tailor activities to their dynamic learning goals, ensuring that the work focuses on professional development rather than administrative or project management tasks. This requirement is intended to be synergistic, often supporting the concurrent completion of candidacy requirements, such as the oral and written exams, or the development of the dissertation proposal.
Scope and Administration
To document this requirement, students enroll in a 0-credit Independent Study (2300) on a Pass/Fail basis each semester, which does not count toward the program's general Pass/Fail credit limit. While the workload is substantial, it is capped at 20 hours per week, with any intensive periods—such as field research or conferences—requiring advance negotiation to protect student wellness. The experience can be integrated with existing Research Assistantships (RAs) or teaching roles, provided the focus remains on mentored inquiry rather than basic labor. At the start of each new experience, the student and mentor must formally review program guidelines and sign a research agreement to establish clear expectations for the semester.
Candidacy Requirement
Written Requirement
The Written Requirement is a student-led scholarly project, appearing as an empirical study, theoretical argument, or literature review formatted for professional journal publication. The doctoral student is responsible for initiating the process, documenting goals, and selecting an NYU-based doctoral faculty member to serve as a second reviewer alongside their advisor. The work must be completed independently or as a lead author outside of standard coursework, though it may utilize existing data and can—but is not required to—relate to the eventual dissertation. Following a provisional timeline for formative feedback, two reviewers provide a peer-review quality evaluative summary. The paper is then assigned a grade of Pass with Distinction, Pass, Revise, or Fail (the latter only after two unsuccessful revisions); a passing grade is required to advance in the program.
Oral Requirement
The Oral Requirement is a student-coordinated performance centered on a two-hour critical dialogue with a faculty panel consisting of an advisor and a second doctoral faculty member. The student is responsible for managing the logistics, including establishing a reading list and a set of discussion questions that align with program-specific standards and field-related trends. During the session, the student may use notes to respond to questions and present original ideas, followed by a private faculty deliberation during the final 20–30 minutes of the meeting. Performance is evaluated based on the student's mastery of the material and assigned a status of Pass with Distinction, Pass, Redo, or Fail. Similar to the written work, a "Redo" status triggers a mandatory feedback conference to reset the timeline, while a "Fail" after two attempts results in program dismissal.
Dissertation Proposal
Proposal Planning and Submission
The Dissertation Proposal process begins only after the dissertation committee is officially appointed and on file with the Office of Doctoral Studies. The student must draft a proposal, generally not exceeding 40 pages (excluding appendices), and host at least one group meeting with their committee prior to submission. To move to the review stage, a Proposal Cover Sheet must be signed by all committee members, certifying their approval of the research design, the student’s completed research coursework, and the proposed human subject (IRB) protocols. While the Office of Doctoral Studies handles the final dissertation defense, the proposal review is scheduled internally through the student’s specific program or department. Documentation, including the signed cover sheet, must be submitted electronically to the Office of Doctoral Studies either immediately before or after the formal review session.
Proposal Review and Outcomes
The Proposal Review is an advisory session attended by the candidate, the committee chairperson, and at least two external faculty reviewers who are not part of the dissertation committee. During this meeting, the panel evaluates the project's viability and provides substantive feedback. The review results in one of three outcomes: a "Pass," allowing the student to proceed; a "Deferred Pass" or "Pass with Conditions," which requires written responses to panel concerns or a revised proposal; or a "Fail," necessitating a complete rewrite and a second review. Because the panel’s role is advisory, the dissertation committee may choose to decline specific recommendations, provided the student and chairperson submit a signed written rationale to the Office of Doctoral Studies. All results, including the panel's notes and the student’s responses, are documented and may be shared with the outside readers during the final dissertation defense.
Dissertation Defense
Defense Scheduling and Documentation
To initiate the final oral examination, the doctoral candidate must coordinate with their entire commission—including the chair, committee members, and two outside readers—to agree upon a defense date within the university's specified graduation windows (January, May, or August). This process requires submitting an Approval Form for Final Oral Examination to the Office of Doctoral Studies, signed by the committee to certify the dissertation is ready for defense. Accompanying this form, the student must provide a chairperson-approved abstract of no more than 350 words and a signed Copyright Disclaimer Statement. This legal statement guarantees the originality of the work and indemnifies the university against copyright or libel claims, though it may be modified if portions of the dissertation have been previously published in scholarly journals.
Dissertation Submission and Review
The final complete dissertation must be submitted to the Office of Doctoral Studies and the two outside readers at least four weeks prior to the scheduled defense date. While the Office of Doctoral Studies receives an electronic version, outside readers may request either digital or hard copies based on their preference. This four-week window serves as a critical quality control period; if the committee determines the manuscript is not prepared to their satisfaction within this timeframe, they reserve the right to withdraw their approval and cancel the scheduled oral exam. In such cases, the candidate must address the necessary revisions and restart the filing process for a subsequent deadline.
Sample Plan of Study
Students who have completed content requirements prior to enrolling may complete as few as 48 total credits. Foundations and Specialized Elective courses can often be taken in different sequences, based on availability of course offerings and by advisement. Students take between 9 and 12 credits a semester, so their progress across semesters varies from this sample. Students can also use a full time equivalence to remain full-time with fewer than 9 credits in semesters when they are devoting significant time to benchmarks and other research work.
Following completion of the required coursework for the PhD, students are expected to maintain active status at New York University by enrolling in a research/writing course or a Maintain Matriculation (MAINT-GE 4747) course. All non-course requirements must be fulfilled prior to degree conferral, although the specific timing of completion may vary from student-to-student.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the program, graduates will:
Demonstrate expertise in theories, concepts, and critical issues in their program specialization.
Apply research designs and methodologies appropriate to their research questions.
Demonstrate effective written and oral communication of scholarship to multiple audiences.