Social, Historical and Philosophical
Foundations of Education

Thank you for your interest in graduate study in the Social, Historical and Philosophical Foundations of Education.

SHPFE is a major area of studies in the Educational Leadership and Policy Program which attempts to understand the social, historical, and philosophical context of educational policy and practice in the U.S. and internationally. We offer a wide variety of coursework designed to acquaint SHPFE majors with a broad understanding of sociological, historical and philosophical perspectives on educational policy and practice and to equip them with the focused knowledge and skills necessary to conduct inquiry in the sociology of education, history of education, or philosophy of education. Students pursuing a degree in SHPFE are encouraged to use the constituent disciplinary perspectives to explore topics such as religion and education, cultural diversity, gender, and social justice, among others. As a major area of studies within the Educational Leadership and Policy Program, SHPFE majors have the unique opportunity to complement their studies in SHPFE with coursework in international and comparative education or educational policy, planning, and analysis. And all SHPFE majors are encouraged to take courses in the cognate disciplines of sociology, history and philosophy.

The interdisciplinary nature of the major in SHPFE allows us to welcome prospective students from a variety of academic backgrounds in education, the humanities and the social sciences to courses of study leading to the Masters (M.S.), Specialist (Ed.S.), and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees. Students are also encouraged to supplement their studies in SHPFE by incorporating one or more of the certificate programs offered in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies.

SHPFE graduates are prepared to compete for positions in colleges and universities as teachers and researchers in the field, to advance teaching careers in elementary and secondary schools, or to assume policy-making and research positions in schools, governmental or non-governmental organizations in the U.S. and abroad.