Address fundamental questions about the meaning, purpose, ethics, and significance of education in society. Explore education from the perspective of the humanities using tools of analysis based in the history, philosophy, sociology, and politics of education. The Social and Cultural Foundations (SCF) program helps students understand, critique, and construct ideas about educational goods, values, and purposes. We explore key educational concepts like justice, equity, opportunity, diversity, pluralism, tolerance, freedom, ethics, access, and community, and how these ideas have been addressed in schools, universities, and informal educational spaces. Education sparks passionate debates among parents, teachers, students, administrators, politicians, and people in general. These debates address what to teach, how to teach, school organization and funding, leadership and decision-making, and the very principles guiding education. In our program, students dive into the history and contemporary landscape of these disagreements to grasp the significance of education in society. SCF doctoral students work closely with their advisors to create a highly tailored program of study while grounding their work primarily in the disciplines of philosophy of education or history of education. We welcome you to browse our program page for more details, including requirements for admission. The SCF doctoral program is open to all eligible persons regardless of race, sex, or other identity.
