EdD in Social and Comparative Analysis in Education

*This program is no longer accepting new students. Please consider our many other areas of study, such as Education Policy. For questions, contact our admissions team at soeinfo@pitt.edu.*

Responding to the needs of individuals looking to advance their careers, the University of Pittsburgh School of Education offers a Doctor of Education (EdD) program that serves professionals from various fields through interdisciplinary and practical experiences.

The Social and Comparative Analysis in Education (SCAE) area of concentration is for the educational professional interested in leading efforts to improve educational access, outcomes, and opportunities for all students. Our EdD students work in varied settings – K-12, higher education, community agencies, and non-profit organizations – and unite around the fundamental role that education plays in society.  SCAE students dig deeply into SCAE’s two related fields of study – Comparative Education and Social Foundations of Education – to study fundamental issues in education, such as equity, justice, school reform, and educational change.  Our EdD students ground their professional work in multiple forms of evidence and use social science tools that lead to creative solutions and more equitable structures.  

Quick Facts

• Program Duration: 3 years over 10 terms of study
• Time Commitment: Part-time
• Term of Enrollment: Summer
  • The first summer term includes a week-long on-ramp experience, plus four Saturday classes spread across the summer months.
• Course Requirements: 90 credits, including 30 credits transferred from relevant graduate work
• Application Deadline: February 1
• Admissions Requirements: GRE Exam Not Required​

Program Details

SCAE EdD students are interested in becoming leaders in their area of expertise in education, without the constraints of a particular certification program.  EdD students conduct inquiry related to their professional practice to examine organizations and processes and how they interact within educational systems. The EdD curriculum is founded upon six commitments: 

• Deep specialized knowledge 
• Intellectual and practical skills required to innovate and lead 
• Personal and social responsibility for change 
• Application and integration of what is learned to enduring problems of practice 
• Commitment to equity 
• Active, intentional, and ongoing engagement with diversity 

The professional practice of SCAE EdD students is enhanced by the study of fundamental questions such as: How do social relationships within and beyond educational organizations affect instruction and learning? How do markets and incentives affect educational organizations and actors? How do educational systems and actors interact with local culture to affect educational processes and outcomes? 

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Degree Requirements

EdD students complete 10 requirements that are embedded in coursework, including a practitioner inquiry project 

SCAE EdD students complement their SCAE EdD courses (12 credits) with the EdD foundations sequence (12 credits), practitioner inquiry sequence (12 credits), supervised research and internship (6 credits), and supervisor inquiry into practice (18 credits).  EdD students complete multiple milestones during their programs that build toward their capstone project.   

Prerequisites

The EdD program at the Pitt School of Education requires applicants to have 30 credits of relevant graduate work to transfer from a source institution with a B (3.0) or higher according to University policy.

• Course Requirements: 90 credits, including 30 credits transferred from relevant graduate work

Faculty Advisors

• Maureen McClure (ARCO Coordinator)
• Mike Gunzenhauser
• Maureen Porter
• Najeeb Shafiq
• Sean Kelly