Thank you for your interest in our Ph.D. program in Urban Education Policy. We welcome applicants whose policy interests are aligned with the Rossier School's urban mission, and who plan to pursue careers as research scholars. Our full-time program strives to provide students with the best research training possible in order to make an impact in urban education. The internationally renowned faculty at the USC Rossier School of Education are committed to preparing the next generation of scholars and education researchers through excellence in teaching and effective mentorship, both in and out of the classroom.

The emphasis of the program is Urban Education Policy and within this focus students have opportunities to explore the following areas of research:

Governance and accountability - policies regarding access to higher education, equity and diversity, governance and administration, measurement, assessment and evaluation ,student retention, urban school reform, and teacher preparation

Economics and finance -economics of urban education, school finance and management, resource allocation and utilization, teacher labor markets, microeconomics of schooling and public sector organizations

Organizational leadership - human behavior in organizations, organizational theory and structure, organizational development and change, organizational leadership, and motivation and productivity

Politics and public policy - policy process from agenda setting to policy implementation and evaluation, urban politics, and the laws and politics of education at local, state, and federal levels, and international education policy with a focus on the Pacific Rim

Learning and motivation - educational psychology including student development, instructional and motivational strategies, neuroscience of learning, and social context of instruction and learning

We hope that the content in the Ph.D. program website is helpful as you consider your options for doctoral study. Please let us know if you have any questions.

Best,

Darnell Cole

Associate Professor and Ph.D. Program Chair