Educational Psychology (PhD) with a concentration in Learning Sciences

The Educational Psychology PhD with a concentration in Learning Sciences builds students' knowledge of teaching and learning, while also preparing them to conduct their own original research. This track is excellent for those who have deep curiosities and wonderings about teaching and learning they want to make sense of; or those who are struck by the same challenges that continue to reoccur within their teaching and learning context.

The Learning Sciences at UNT is a great program for prospective doctoral students’ who are seeking to explore what it means to learn in and beyond formal school settings. Prospective students do not need any prior experience with formal teaching to apply to this program. Furthermore, there are no specific undergraduate requirements – we welcome students from a range of disciplinary and professional backgrounds. Students typically seek out our program because of its practicality and flexibility:

• Practicality. Many of our students come to the Learning Sciences doctoral or master’s program because they experience a problem in their professional life, related to teaching and learning, that seemed important but intractable. Whether it is the perennial question of how to engage students, or more specific questions about how broader social dynamics influence day-to-day learning, the Learning Sciences doctoral and master’s programs will prepare you to understand and solve these problems. Students in this program will study different theories of knowing and learning, practice a variety of quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-method approaches to studying educational environments, and participate in a variety of faculty-led research initiatives. With this training, students in the Learning Sciences doctoral and master’s programs will be well equipped to study educational problems that interest them and design learning environments that foster joy, promote collaboration and creation, and cultivate respect and dignity for all learners.

• Flexibility. Students can enroll in the PhD program in Learning Sciences with or without a prior master’s degree, as we have degree plans to support both. Most Learning Sciences doctoral and master’s programs require students to take leave from their job to pursue coursework and research, full time and in person. The Learning Sciences concentration at UNT allows students to choose between working full time and pursuing coursework and research part time or becoming a full-time student. All doctoral courses are offered in the evenings, Monday through Thursday, allowing both full-time and part-time students to attend. Many of our current part-time students work in K-12 schools in the North Texas area, take night classes or summer coursework, and participate in ongoing research projects during the weekends and summers. For both full-time and part-time doctoral students, when it comes time to begin the dissertation process, students can choose to either: a) use existing data from one of their professors; b) collect their own data in their own classrooms or places of work; or c) begin an original project in a new setting. This flexibility opens new pathways for collaboration between professors and students.

The Learning Sciences program provides students with a rich theoretical understanding of learning, drawing on disciplines such as psychology, cognitive science, sociology, and anthropology. With learning theories in hand, students are given space to identify, describe, and analyze everyday problems related to teaching and learning. Sometimes, these problems take place in formal education spaces, like K-12 classrooms. Other times, these problems take place in informal education spaces, like museums, hospitals, and community centers. By analyzing everyday problems with robust theory, students a given the chance to develop solutions that are well grounded, sustainable, and equitable.

Graduates from our program go on to explore a variety of careers and professional settings, including but not limited to:

• • Education Researcher
  • Instructional Designer
  • Teacher Educator
  • Museum Educator
  • District or State-level Curriculum Specialist
  • Policy Analyst
  • User Interface/User Experience (UI/UX) Researcher
  • Project Management

The Learning Sciences PhD program is stewarded by three professors in the Department of Educational Psychology: Dr. Carrie Allen, Dr. Teo Keifert, and Dr. Max Sherard. Although we have distinct research interests and methodologies, each of us approaches our work by partnering closely with students, teachers, families, and communities to study learning. In this program, you will have many chances to get to know each professor and even collaborate on their research projects.