Philosophy of Education

Overview

One of the leading programs in philosophy of education in the world, we view philosophy as a critical and reflective activity central to sound educational policy, practice, and research. Drawing on diverse philosophical traditions, our students explore educational aims, concepts, and practices across a range of settings, including the nature of the teacher-student relationship, the possibilities and limitations of technology in education, liberal education, the ethics of teaching, critical thinking, aesthetic education, education and human rights, and what makes a “public” school public.

Faculty

The faculty in this program each have established international reputations. They include:

• Nicholas C. Burbules teaches and writes about dialogue in education, professional ethics, technology issues in education, and critical social theory. He has written or edited sixteen books, several of which have been translated into other languages, and published over two hundred journal articles and book chapters. He is the Education Director of the National Center for Professional and Research Ethics and is a member of the International Academy of Education.
• Pradeep Dhillon’s research straddles philosophy of language (Analytic, Continental, and Asian) and philosophy of mind, aesthetics, and international education. She has a strong interest in Kantian value theory as it relates to aesthetics, cognition, and human rights education. Her most recent work is in the areas of Kant's theory of judgment, neuro-aesthetics, and environmental aesthetics. She is Editor for the Journal of Aesthetic Education, and she has served as the Chair of Education for the American Society for Aesthetics.
• Chris Higgins studies teacher education, the teacher-student relationship, aesthetic education, and what makes a public school public. His book, The Good Life of Teaching: An Ethics of Professional Practice, offers one of the first systematic extensions of virtue ethics to questions concerning work and professional identity. His current book project defends a new theory of humanism and liberal learning, offering a critique of the corporatized, vocationalized multiversity. He serves as Editor of Educational Theory and is Co-Director of the Center for Advanced Study’s Learning Publics Initiative. 

Journals

The philosophy of education program is also a leader in producing two major publications in the field:

• Educational Theory
• Journal of Aesthetic Education 

Who should apply

Graduate students looking to fill faculty and leadership positions in universities and other educational institutions who want to:

• Develop conceptual and analytical skills in thinking about educational problems
• Explore crucial normative and value questions about the aims and methods of education
• Learn to engage colleagues collaboratively in bringing philosophical perspectives into contact with other fields of study

Our recent graduates occupy faculty and leadership positions in universities and other educational institutions around the globe.

• Jane Blanken-Webb, Assistant Professor, Educational Foundations, Wilkes University, Pennsylvania
• Jia Chen, Assistant Professor, School of Philosophy, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
• Heather Greenhalgh-Spencer, Assistant Professor Department of Curriculum and Instruction; Chair of Graduate Work in Blended and Personalized Learning, College of Education Texas Tech University
• Liz Jackson, Associate Professor; Director, Comparative Education Research Centre Master of Education Programme; Director Division of Policy, Administration, and Social Sciences Education, Faculty of Education University of Hong Kong.
• Mark J. Keitges, Part-Time Lecturer Writing Program, Department of English Rutgers University-New Brunswick
• John Lang, Assistant Professor of Leadership, Ethics and Public Affairs; Director of McGovern Center, Dakota Wesleyan University
• Seamus Mulryan, Assistant Professor, Ursinus College

Programs Offered

On-Campus

• Master of Education (EdM)
• Master of Arts (MA)
• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)