Doctor of Philosophy in Urban Education Policy Program

Doctor of Philosophy in Education

This program is designed for aspiring research scholars whose research interests align with USC Rossier’s mission.

The PhD program aims to prepare students to conduct high quality, consequential research promoting educational excellence and social justice. This effort stands on three pillars: preparing students to pursue educational equity through research; studying educational equity across disciplines; and constructing a diverse, inclusive professional community.

The program is intentionally designed so students obtain knowledge through research assistantships, teaching assistantships, courses, as well as professional development opportunities.

Program Overview

The four-year, full-time program is year round, with courses taught at USC’s University Park Campus in Los Angeles. Through this program, you will research alongside USC Rossier’s distinguished faculty experts at a Tier 1 research university to gain interdisciplinary knowledge of education and equity theory and research, including diverse methodological and epistemological approaches.

                                                                 Learn about admission 

Concentrations

The program offers four concentrations: Educational Psychology, Higher Education, K-12 Education Policy and Teacher Education. While research interests and collaborations often span concentrations, students select one concentration reflecting their core interests and are matched with a PhD faculty advisor within that concentration to guide their academic and research journey. 

  • Educational Psychology includes research in the areas of learning and motivation, neuroscience of learning, learning analytics, generative AI, digital equity, cyberbullying, socio-emotional learning, racial discrimination, adolescent development in urban schools and online contexts, impact of race and racism on the educational experiences of African Americans, critical race theory, emotions and coping related to racism, conceptual change and science learning. Meet our Educational Psychology faculty.
  • Higher Education includes research in the areas of college access and equity, graduate education, organizational productivity and leadership, anti-Black sentiment across the P-20 pipeline, college student development, racial equity, carcerality in education, and enrollment and retention at four-year institutions and community colleges. Meet our Higher Education faculty.
  • K12 Education Policy includes research centered on K-12 governance, accountability, politics, school and district reform, racial justice and equity initiatives, school choice policies and privatization, teacher policies, standards and curriculum reform and conflicts, organization and institutional change, critical policy analysis, and cross-sector policies to assist housing-insecure families and families experiencing homelessness in public schools. Meet our K12 Education Policy faculty.
  • Teacher Education includes a focus on knowledge for teaching mathematics, teacher knowledge, mathematics education, mathematics teacher education, professional development, teacher learning. Meet our Teacher Education faculty.

Curriculum

The PhD curriculum allows students to explore diverse theories and research methodologies. These include foundational courses, qualitative and quantitative methods courses, and content courses.

To reflect an interdisciplinary perspective, you will also take courses outside of the Rossier School of Education in other departments and schools across the University of Southern California. These courses will allow you to gain breadth in disciplines such as public policy, sociology, business, economics, social work, history, anthropology, psychology or American studies. 

Learn more about our courses and benchmarks.

Assistantship

As an admitted student in the PhD program, you will be awarded a teaching and research assistantship funded by USC Rossier and grant-funded projects.This assistantship is a part-time position that requires approximately 20 hours of work per week. Through this role, you will collaborate closely with faculty on research and teaching, contributing to important scholarly work while developing essential skills in course instruction, project management, and academic inquiry.

The assistantship includes:

  •   $40,442 annual PhD stipend for living expenses (distributed over fall, spring and summer for four years)
  •   12 units of tuition coverage per semester that may be used for degree-relevant courses
  •   Coverage of health and dental benefits premiums
  •   Access to the USC Student Health Center
  •   Professional development opportunities

As an alternative to the USC assistantship stipend, students can apply for external fellowships and grants

Students who anticipate needing additional funds beyond what our assistantship benefits cover, can apply for financial aid.

Career Outcomes

Our PhD students are positioned for research careers as tenure-track faculty, postdocs, research faculty, institutional researchers and researchers in policy institutes, government agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGO), private research firms and school districts. Learn more about our alumni placements.

PhD Student Directory

Our students come from a wide range of disciplines and backgrounds. Current student biographies can be found in our PhD student directory.

Program Details

Degree Awarded

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Estimated Length

4 years

Units

63

Program Cost

Tuition and stipend funded by assistantship

Modality

  • On Campus

Next Deadline

November 15, 2025

Start Date

August 15, 2026

Class Times

Various times during the day, Monday through Friday

Take the Next Step

  • The PhD in Education program application will reopen August 1, 2025 for an August 2026 start.

  • Request Info
  • Connect

From Our Alumni

Federick Ngo

I received invaluable research training during my time at USC. From day one of the program I was able to work on research projects that were innovative and important in urban education, and I was fortunate to do so alongside a vibrant and passionate community of scholars.

Federick J. Ngo, PhD ’17

Raquel Rall

My time in Rossier allowed me to cultivate mutually beneficial networks with peers and mentors who are challenging the status quo in higher education. These connections continue to shape how I navigate the professoriate as an agent of change.

Raquel M. Rall, PhD ’14

Daniel Almeida

The training and mentorship I received at Rossier prepared me well for a tenure-track faculty position.

Daniel J. Almeida, PhD ’16

News and Insights

Meet the minds shaping educational psychology and the science of learning at USC Rossier

From climate change literacy to the impact of AI, USC Rossier educational psychology faculty are at the forefront of addressing the challenges that are redefining how we teach and improve student learning.

Behind the commencement curtain

Kenae Danley turns months of chaos into one perfect day for USC Rossier graduates with precision, humor and a little logistical wizardry.

From research to real-world impact, USC Rossier commencement honors the Class of 2025

Doctoral and master’s graduates crossed the stage with a shared mission to reimagine education, lead with purpose, and make a positive impact in their communities.

‘I want students to leave my class as better humans’

Leonor Luis, the 2025 USC Rossier master’s commencement ceremony student speaker, emphasizes teaching with purpose and leading with heart.

Over her 25 years at USC Rossier, Mary Andres helped to establish the school’s esteemed MFT program that has prepared nearly 1,000 therapists for service

As Andres teaches her final courses, she reflects on co-leading the Marriage and Family Therapy program, the challenges the next generation of therapists will face and the new scholarship created in her honor.

Featured Faculty

Program Contact

We welcome your interest in the PhD program and are happy to answer any questions you might have. We highly recommend attending one of our PhD webinars as a first step. You can also join our mailing list.

Laura Romer

Laura Romero

Director, PhD Program

Alex Atashi

Alex Hazard

Assistant Director, PhD Program

Student taking notes

Request More Information

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