STEM Education PhD

The STEM Education PhD program at UMass Dartmouth helps address the national shortage of essential STEM educators and the need for better STEM education teaching practices. Doctoral students gain in-depth knowledge, robust interdisciplinary research skills, and a variety of practical experiences. The STEM Education PhD offers concentrations in Mathematics Education and Science Education.

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Discover why UMass Dartmouth is the right place to earn an advanced degree or certificate.

Application Deadlines

Fall: April 15
Spring: Fall only
Summer: Not applicable

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Contact

Stephen Witzig

Associate Professor
STEM Education & Teacher Development
Liberal Arts 398E

508-910-9030

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In this doctoral program, you will develop the knowledge and skills needed to:

reconstruct, appropriate, and develop mathematical and scientific knowledge
explore approaches that emerge from the study of the research literature
write original research that represents your own contribution to knowledge
use critical-thinking skills to deal with transformation of knowledge
formulate and design solutions to complex educational problems

Research

Your research projects involve real-world situations ranging from local schools to higher education departments and other formal and informal learning settings. Your advisors will work with you as you conduct, publish, and present your own research throughout the program.

Doctoral students can explore questions about:

how to improve STEM education at the K-12 level
how to promote better learning in STEM fields
how to engage more K-20 students in STEM-related fields
how to prepare teachers to better teach STEM content
how to develop materials to support teaching and learning in STEM fields

The Kaput Center

UMass Dartmouth has a long-standing tradition of leadership in STEM with its nationally renowned Kaput Center for Research and Innovation in STEM Education. The Kaput Center fosters a spirit of innovation among the faculty, graduate students and educational and scientific institutions, industry, and federal agencies. All benefit from the expertise of UMassD faculty and graduates and their research.

Degree requirements

18 credits of introductory coursework to develop your knowledge of research tools, methodologies and theories
18 credits of preparatory coursework that refines and focuses your understanding of the research process
36 hours of doctoral work, 12 of which are doctoral coursework and 24 credits of dissertation research

Student success

Travis Weiland, PhD '17

Accepts tenure-track position at Appalachia State University

Assistantship opportunities

A limited number of assistantships are available on a competitive basis. This award is subject to the work needs of the position and department, your satisfactory performance of duties, your academic record, and availability of funds, and may be subject to change.

Graduate admissions requirements

University requirements for graduate admissions

Submit an application via the online portal. Be sure to provide your full legal name and to capitalize the first letter of all proper nouns.
Pay non-refundable $60 application fee (American Express, Discover, MasterCard or Visa) via the online portal. For Nursing applicants, the non-refundable application fee is $75.
Statement of Purpose, minimum 300 words. Unless otherwise indicated in the program requirement details, indicate your graduate study objectives, research interests and experience, and business or industry experience if applicable. If you are applying for a teaching or research assistantship, include any special skills or experience that would assist us in making assistantship decisions.
Resume
Transcripts for all post-secondary institutions attended (regardless of whether a credential is earned or not). Unofficial transcripts are accepted for admissions application review, once enrolled a final official transcript is required.
Many programs have specific recommendations/requirements, please see the additional program-specific requirements for more information.
International students: official TOEFL, IELTS, Pearson PTE or Duolingo (if accepted by program) score. Unofficial scores are accepted for admissions application review, once enrolled official scores are required and must be sent by the testing agency (copies/scans not accepted). This is required of any applicant who did not earn a bachelor’s degree or higher degree from an accredited academic institution in the U.S. or accepted English-speaking country, see exemptions for more details. The Duolingo test is not accepted for the following programs: Art Education, Biology/Marine Biology, Luso-Afro-Brazilian Studies & Theory, Marine Science and Technology (MS, PSM, PhD), Nursing (MS, DNP, PhD), Portuguese Studies, Professional Writing and Communication, Psychology (ABA, Clinical, Research), and Public Policy.

Program-specific requirements

Candidates must submit the required application materials, university requirements and program-specific requirements, for consideration.

GRE is waived
3 letters of recommendation. Applicants will be required to provide the recommenders name and email address so we can contact the recommender for the letter of recommendation.

Program deadlines