Students in this concentration wish to understand the policy and social contexts of schooling, and the theoretical assumptions that shape them.  Students in this concentration engage in the analysis of educational policy (e.g., school discipline, school choice, and school desegregation) and address systemic inequities, counter deficit notions of those marginalized, and develop deep understandings of sociology and history as they undertake qualitative, quantitative, and historical projects. Such projects examine the interconnected experiences and positionality of educational constituents, including teachers and students, at the individual, organizational, and structural levels. Recent dissertations have included foci such as English language learners’ constraints and opportunities; shadow education and its structural relationship with school quality and demographics; school discipline policies, including restorative justice and exclusionary practices; factors impacting under representation of the marginalized in STEM fields; and effects of pediatric chronic disease on developmental and educational outcomes.

Eligibility 

Applicants must earn a bachelor’s degree, or equivalent, before enrolling in a Graduate program at Washington University in St. Louis. You may be considered for admission before you finish your undergraduate degree.

General information on the application process is provided below. Please review the program website for more detail on deadlines and other materials that may be required for application