Center of Pedagogy
Director: Jeremy N. Price
Office: University Hall, Room 2129
Phone: (973) 655-7039
Email: pricej@mail.montclair.edu
Program Administrator: Brenda Sheehan
Office: University Hall, Room 1166
Phone: (973) 655-7332
Email: sheehanbr@mail.montclair.edu
Center of Pedagogy
Montclair State University's Center of Pedagogy is the first center of
its kind in the nation. The Center coordinates and oversees all aspects
of teacher education. Its mission is to promote the continuous
development of all educators, new and experienced, field and
university-based, through the simultaneous renewal of the schools and
the education of educators. Policy-making and governance in the Center
rest on the collaboration of the tripartite: faculty and administrators
from the schools, the College of Education and Human Services, and
faculty from arts and science. Our overarching goal is to support the
abilities of current and new generations of students and teachers to
engage actively and productively in democratic communities.
Doctor of Education Degree
Montclair State University's first doctoral program, the Ed.D. in
Pedagogy and Philosophy, is designed for those who aspire to be models of teaching
excellence, leaders among their colleagues and spokespersons for
education. Although primarily designed for teachers who wish to remain
in the classroom, it can meet the needs of educators with other career
goals such as teaching in two-year colleges, working with state and
federal departments of education, or serving as curriculum development
specialists. This Ed.D. provides the highest level of expertise in
teaching, leadership, and educational reform. The program also
recognizes the indisputable role of teachers at all levels in renewing
our educational system and the critical importance of P-16 education in
the nation's quest for improving our social and political democracy.
Goals of the Ed.D. Program: The Ed.D. Program is
designed to teach educators how best to implement new theories and
practice understandings about teaching, learning, and the role of
schools in our society.
We expect to prepare educational leaders who will:
- understand the epistemology of the specific
disciplines and the relationships among school subjects;
- be fully knowledgeable about the public purposes of
schooling in a democratic society;
- be effective researchers, capable of conducting
significant, original, theoretically based research in order to explore
solutions to difficult problems and pressing needs confronting American
education;
- be masters of pedagogy, both general and
subject-specific, that is discipline appropriate and nurturing;
- demonstrate advanced competence in the disciplines
that are the bases for their teaching specialization;
- be masters of change theory, enabling students to
become effective stewards of best practice in their school settings and
the agents for change;
- understand both policy issues and the politics of
policy in order to transcend local concerns and become effective
spokespersons for systemic change;
- understand the concept of access to knowledge,
including its moral implications;
- build sophisticated curriculum plans that lead to
critical thinking and high levels of learning; and
- be able to plan effective educational experiences
designed to promote good citizenship and democratic practice.
Vision: The Ed.D. is characterized by a strong
theoretical base and a comprehensive perspective on the nature of
schools, education in a democracy, and effective teaching and learning
for social change. Four major themes give coherence to the program, and
support both the purposes of schools and the professional needs of
educators. These themes closely correspond to the research agenda of
the twenty-six university-school partnerships that form the National
Network for Educational Renewal. They represent MSU's vision of
educators' responsibilities:
- to provide access to knowledge for all students;
- to enculturate students into our multicultural
political and social democracy;
- to create and sustain appropriate and nurturing
pedagogy;
- to commit themselves to educational leadership based
on stewardship of best practice.
Specialization Area: One area of specialization is
offered to enable educators to pursue a comprehensive,
interdisciplinary, advanced degree as part-time, evening, and summer
students:
- Philosophy for Children: This program is
designed for those who have a strong background in philosophy. The
program will add both depth and breadth to both their subject matter
and pedagogical knowledge. In addition, this specialization builds on
and extends the understandings developed in the core courses, thereby
carrying forward the major themes of the Ed.D. It includes the role of
philosophy in reasoning, concept formation, and sound judgment.
Philosophy-based children's literature is used to develop critical
thinking, and develops skills in research methods in philosophy for
children.
Admission Requirements
Initial admission status requires that students meet the minimum
admissions criteria. Prospective students must submit the following for
consideration:
- A completed and signed application for doctoral study
- A personal essay describing their view of the
relevance of doctoral education to their personal and professional
development
- A statement discussing areas of potential research
interest
- Transcripts of undergraduate and graduate work, (WES
evaluation, if necessary)
- GRE scores; TOEFL scores if necessary
- Three letters of recommendation, including at least
two from professional colleagues or college/university faculty who can
attest to the candidate's potential for advanced study and research
- Application fee. In addition, the Ed.D. program also
requires the following:
- Specialization in Philosophy for Children requires
a Master's Degree in Philosophy, Philosophy for Children or its
equivalent
- A personal interview with a committee representing
both the education core faculty and the specialization faculty
- Teaching experience is preferred.
The EdD in Pedagogy and Philosophy *requires* applicants to complete the
online application instead of the paper application, as it will allow
for faster processing after the deadline, and allows you as an applicant
to track the status of your application up until the deadline. The
online application may be found at http://www.montclair.edu/graduate
(click the "Apply Now" button).
Degree Requirements: Students must complete a
minimum of 60 credits beyond the master's degree, including five core
courses (15 credits), seven courses in an area of specialization (21
credits), four courses of research (12 credits), and a minimum of 12
credits of dissertation advisement. All work for the doctoral degree
must be completed within ten (10) years from the date of the start of
the program.
Candidacy for the Degree: The qualifying assessment
for candidacy for the Ed.D. in Pedagogy and Philosophy degree will be the
development, presentation, and evaluation of a working portfolio that is organized
around a set of pedagogical goals selected in consultation with a
doctoral advisor. It is designed to be tangible and authentic evidence
of the wide range of knowledge, dispositions, and skills that doctoral
degree candidates should possess. The portfolio is characterized by a
systematic, reflective collection of selected artifacts that
constitutes evidence of learning, growth, and mastery in the essential
dimensions of the doctoral program. All candidates will be required to
present their portfolio for assessment in a forum designed for this
purpose.
Students whose portfolios meet established criteria will then have
their records reviewed for advancement to candidacy. Successful
candidates will then be able to complete their remaining coursework and
the dissertation.
Dissertation: Once candidacy is established,
students will be permitted to enroll in the dissertation proposal
seminar and form a dissertation committee.The dissertation must be
original theoretically-based, applied research that has the potential
to contribute knowledge about the process of teaching, learning and
schooling. The research must include a focus on one or more of the core
dimensions of the program or, the candidate's area of specialization.
It should demonstrate mastery of a body of existing literature and
theory and its application to an educational problem. The dissertation
requirement is intended to provide candidates with the opportunity to
explore an important applied issue in a scholarly fashion and
investigate the ways teaching and learning may benefit from that
exploration.
General Information: A limited number of graduate
assistantships and graduate scholarships are available. Applications
for these are included in the application packet. For general
information and application:
Phone: (973) 655-5147 or (800) 331 9207
Fax: (973) 655-7869
Email: graduate.school@mail.montclair.edu
For further information on the academic program:
Phone: (973) 655-7332 (Brenda Sheehan, Doctoral Program Administrator)
Fax: (973) 655-7776
The application deadline is February 1 for U.S. residents and November
15 for international students. Candidates meeting basic admissions
criteria may be called for an in-person interview. Candidates are
encouraged to begin gathering the required admission documents as soon
as possible. Candidates accepted for admission are required to pay a
deposit prior to registering.
Course Requirements:
| I.
Core Courses |
| Number |
Name |
Hours |
| EDCO
711 |
The Classroom Community of Inquiry |
3 |
| OR |
| EDCO
712 |
Implications of Race and Ethnicity
in U.S. Schools |
3 |
| |
| EDCO
801 |
Democracy and Education |
3 |
| EDCO
802 |
Access to Knowledge |
3 |
| EDCO
803 |
Pedagogy: The Art and Science of
Teaching and Learning |
3 |
| EDCO
804 |
Organizational Change, Policy and
Leadership
|
3 |
| |
| II.
Philosophy for Children Specialization |
| Required
Courses |
| Number |
Name |
Hours |
| EDFD
811 |
Philosophy, Philosophy for Children,
and the Educational Experience |
3 |
| EDFD
812 |
Contemporary Social and Political
Philosophy and Philosophy for Children |
3 |
| EDFD
814 |
American Philosophy in Education |
3 |
| EDFD
815 |
Philosophy for Children and
Philosophy of Mind |
3 |
| EDFD
816 |
Ethical Inquiry Through Narrative |
3 |
| |
| Elective
Courses (select two from the following) |
| Number |
Name |
Hours |
| EDFD
740 |
Logical Reasoning |
3 |
| EDFD 741 |
Philosophy and Religion and
Philosophy for Children |
3 |
| EDFD
742 |
Hermeneutics of Childhood |
3 |
| EDFD
743 |
Philosophy of Language and
Philosophy for Children |
3 |
| EDFD
744 |
Philosophy of Body |
3 |
| EDFD
745 |
Philosophy for Children and Ancient
Greek Philosophy |
3 |
| EDFD
750 |
Selected Topics in Pedagogy and
Philosophy |
3 |
| EDFD
755 |
Feminist Philosophy in Education |
3 |
| EDFD
770 |
Doctoral Independent Study |
3 |
| EDFD
813 |
Education for Global Citizenship |
3 |
| |
| III.
Research Requirement |
| Number |
Name |
Hours |
| EDCO
820 |
Qualitative Research Methods for
Educational Research |
3 |
| EDCO
821 |
Quantitative Research Methods for
Educational Research |
3 |
| EDFD
825 |
Philosophical Research |
3 |
| EDCO
830 |
Dissertation Proposal Seminar |
3 |
| |
| IV.
Dissertation |
| Number |
Name |
Hours |
| EDCO
900 |
Dissertation Advisement |
12 |
| EDCO
901 |
Dissertation Extension* |
1 |
| |
| * Only if an extension
is necessary. |
| |
| PROGRAM
TOTAL: 60-61 credits |
|
|
