Become an expert in a specialization about which you are passionate through the Education PhD in Temple’s College of Education and Human Development. Immerse yourself in a doctorate program that embraces community-connected, student-inspired and social justice-oriented scholarship.
Engage in critical conversations with professors and classmates across disciplines about what matters most in teaching and learning. Take advantage of both Temple’s location in the center of Philadelphia’s highly diverse communities and the College of Education and Human Development’s network of educational districts and institutions.
You’ll work closely with your Temple faculty mentor to develop your research and teaching skills and learn leading-edge understandings from faculty. Develop the abilities you need to contribute new knowledge to your field. Take courses both within and across specialties to gain a rich interdisciplinary perspective. For full course and curriculum information, look to your specific concentration.
Concentrations
All doctoral students must pursue one of the following concentrations when applying for admission.
APPLIED LINGUISTICS
Explore the use, teaching and learning of languages, especially foreign languages. Students will examine the interaction between language beliefs and practices in multilingual communities to build the theoretical foundation, research experiences and scholarly skills needed for positions in academic environments, research and professional practice.
EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY
Develop an interdisciplinary approach to investigating psychological processes in educational contexts.
LITERACY AND LEARNERS
Learn how people from birth through adulthood develop literacy. Find out how research and theory can be brought into effective practice in different contexts.
SCIENCE, MATHEMATICS AND EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY
Investigate critical lines of inquiry in mathematics education, science education, and/or educational technology. Learn rigorous analytical research skills needed to carry out research focused on the teaching and learning of those subjects.
SPECIAL EDUCATION
Become equipped to study interventions designed to improve the learning and behavior of students with a variety of disabilities. Students will gain up-to-date knowledge of research and issues pertaining to special education and hone the ability to apply comprehensive research skills to problems relating to the education of children with special needs. Explore and understand the complexities and individual differences those children face, especially in urban environments, to become a highly qualified teacher of special education.
September 2025
Temple University
1801 N Broad Street,
PHILADELPHIA,
Pennsylvania,
19122, United States
Master's Degree in Discipline/Related Discipline: Students who hold a master's degree in a related field may transfer in up to 30 credits as advanced standing, with approval.
Bachelor's Degree in Discipline/Related Discipline: A bachelor's degree is required. A minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale is expected.
Applicants who earned their baccalaureate degree from an institution where the language of instruction was other than English, with the exception of those who subsequently earned a master’s degree at a U.S. institution, must report scores for a standardized test of English that meet these minimums:
Application Deadline: Fall: Dec. 1
*There may be different IELTS requirements depending on your chosen course.