Doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction
Make Discoveries That Matter
For Students, Teachers, Schools, and Society
Designed to meet the needs of working professionals, this Doctor of Education (EdD) in Curriculum and Instruction program focuses on cross-disciplinary research and reflective practices related to curriculum, teaching and learning, teacher education, and broader educational issues and policies.
Students explore cutting-edge education issues in formal and informal learning environments, such as museums.
Specialized Research Focus
Collaborate on a Research Practice Team and address pressing educational issues through hands-on research opportunities from the onset of the program.
Partnership Opportunities
Students become part of a community that links scholars with practicing professionals, policymakers, and educational organizations.
Share Your Voice
The research-active program offers publication and professional conference opportunities.
Only at GW
Education is the foundation for societal transformation. Where better to study and prepare to influence this transformation than in the heart of the nation’s capital at the George Washington University, alongside leading international education institutions and diverse school systems?
Degree:
Doctor of Education (EdD) in the Field of Curriculum and Instruction
Department:
Curriculum and Pedagogy
Course Delivery:
-Foggy Bottom Campus
-Virginia Academic Centers
-Hybrid (select research teams)
Program Entry:
Fall
- Our Mission
The mission of our program is to:
- Cultivate a vibrant and diverse community of education scholars.
- Explore research and practice related to pressing issues in education.
- Develop, study and share exciting innovations in curriculum, teaching, and learning.
- Curriculum
The following requirements must be fulfilled: A minimum of 48 credits, successful completion of a comprehensive examination, and a doctoral dissertation. This includes the successful completion of an oral defense of the proposal and the completed dissertation.
View full requirements for the Doctor of Education programs >
Required CPED 8325 Curriculum Theory CPED 8330 Foundations of Education Research in Curriculum and Instruction CPED 8331 Seminar in Teaching CPED 8334 Seminar in Learning Doctoral Internship CPED 8354 Doctoral Internship (taken for 6 to 9 credits) Research Methods EDUC 8120 Group Comparison Designs and Analyses * EDUC 8122 Qualitative Research Methods 3 credits of Level B Research Methods coursework in consultation with advisor. Electives 3 to 6 credits in elective courses selected in consultation with advisor. Comprehensive Examination Successful completion of a comprehensive examination is required. Dissertation CPED 8998 Doctoral Seminar in Curriculum and Instruction (taken for 3 credits) CPED 8999 Dissertation Research (taken for a minimum of 12 credits to meet program requirements) An approved dissertation proposal is required. *Prerequisite statistics courses must be taken during the master's degree program or must be completed prior to taking required advanced courses. For students who have not had an introductory statistics course or do not feel confident in their understanding and application of basic statistical techniques (i.e., through one way analysis of variance), EDUC 6116 should be completed prior to enrolling in EDUC 8120.
- Program Outcomes
This program prepares education leaders to apply knowledge of curriculum, teaching, learning, and research to transform practice.
Graduates will:- Be skilled in collaborating with schools, districts, and institutional partners to create innovative education activities;
- Know how to design and conduct research to transform practice;
- Demonstrate and facilitate professional learning in diverse settings.
Research Practice Teams
Curriculum and Instruction EdD students are admitted to join a Research Practice Team based on their interests, experience, and career goals. Each team consists of a faculty advisor and doctoral students conducting research related to the team's focus. Applicants should identify which team they would like to be considered for in their statement of purpose. We are currently accepting applications to the following teams:
- Using Data to Support Innovation
How can you as a teacher, counselor, school leader, or education professional use data to improve fairness in education and promote new opportunities to learn for students?
This research team aims to develop skills and practices for using data to leverage patterns in existing data to drive innovation and research.
We believe that teaching, learning, and assessment today is increasingly shaped by how individual student level data, state level data, and international data are interpreted and used. However, teachers and professionals in education who serve students and communities are often one step removed from first-hand inquiry with data. This team is committed to placing experienced educators at the center of data analysis and interpretation. The goal of the team is to produce findings that inform practice and point to innovative solutions to problems of fairness and access in curriculum offerings for college and career success.
As a doctoral student on this team, you may:
- Discover patterns and trends in existing data to better understand a problem of practice you experience every day.
- Learn to apply data science techniques to big data in education to make predictions and classifications that can open curricular pathways for students.
- Use data analytics to learn more about student competencies that may lead to placement in instructional interventions or curriculum pathways that improve access to college or career.
- Generate new qualitative or quantitative data on emerging curricular or instructional problems to shape future innovation.
The research process in this team starts with identifying a personal interest within the team’s focus on fairness and access to curriculum offerings for college and career success. The team will review prior research and analyze existing data. Innovations are then studied in-depth to validate their efficacy for improving learning outcomes. Dissertation research might entail continued analysis of existing data or collection of new data. Current and former teachers and school leaders are encouraged to apply.
For more information, please contact Dr. Curtis Pyke (cpyke@gwu.edu).
- Research of Informal Learning in the Arts and Humanities
Taking place among DC’s world-famous museums and performance spaces, this Research Practice Team (RPT) will engage with arts and humanities and its pedagogies to conduct research of informal learning experiences. A focus of the RPT is on interdisciplinary content and methods, creativity, and the integration of the arts and humanities with other ways and means of inquiry and formal education practices, such as those of PreK-12 schools. The team will explore:
- What informal learning experiences and approaches do educators and students find to be the most novel and useful both in terms of their everyday lives and in relation to formal education?
- How might museum and performance art experiences inspire visitors, audiences, and researchers to take social and political action?
- What do we know and what needs to be developed in terms of arts and humanities integration with other content areas and research?
- How might permanent and temporary public arts, performances, and humanities content and practices function as public pedagogy?
The RPT experiences will prepare graduates to apply knowledge of teaching, learning, and research in designing, analyzing, and assessing education programs and developing curriculum and instruction both in and out of schools. Individuals in PreK-12, museum education, social sciences, performing and visual arts, government, public administration, and non-profit organizations are encouraged to apply. The work of this RPT will be shared through international conferences and publications in high impact venues.
For more information, please contact Dr. Jonathan Eakle (jeakle@gwu.edu).
- Student Perspectives in Science Education
Doctoral students on this RPT will work with innovative science teachers to understand how new instructional approaches or curriculum changes are experienced by their students. Drawing on the intended-enacted-experienced curriculum model (Clements, Donovan, Theobold, & Crowe, 2021) and the concept of coherence seeking (Sikorski & Hammer, 2019), the team will explore:
- In what ways is the implementation of a new science curriculum perspective-dependent? How might students’ perspectives be similar or different from the teacher?
- When and in what ways might differences in students’ and teachers’ perspectives on curriculum be helpful and generative for science learning? When might these differences be problematic?
- How can information about students’ and teachers’ perspectives be helpful for supporting curriculum design, implementation, and change?
Doctoral students on the team will have opportunities to present their work to teachers, researchers, potential funders, and administrators through a variety of venues. This team will be based in the DC-metro region and will involve face-to-face meetings and classes. Applicants to the team should demonstrate an interest in improving science education. (Prior experience as a science teacher or curriculum developer is helpful, but not required.) Individuals with expertise in educational technology, special education, and multilingual science instruction are encouraged to apply. For more information, please contact Dr. Tiffany-Rose Sikorski, (tsikorski@gwu.edu).
- Reimagining Curriculum through the Humanities
Engaged with the field of curriculum studies, the Research Practice Team (RPT) will explore the significance of curriculum scholarship and its foundations in the humanities for the practice of education in schools and communities. Curriculum is widely understood as an institutional plan for education. The field of curriculum studies, however, calls for and fosters an understanding of curriculum as a complex human experience with subjective and social dimensions demanding elaboration and reconceptualization. Within this framework, using modes of interpretation and composition specific to the humanities, doctoral students in the RPT will reimagine curriculum and expand its significance, pursuing questions about curriculum in sites of educational practice relevant to their professional lives. The RPT supports doctoral students as they establish unique lines of inquiry into curriculum theory and educational practice, and it serves as a humanities-oriented educational community. Students contribute to the development of this scholarly community through the shared labor of study, writing, and conversation. Each student engages with humanities scholarship to enhance the understanding of curriculum as content, form, and place of human experience. The RPT will prepare graduates to research and develop curriculum through the purposes, frameworks, and methods of the humanities. Individuals in PreK-12 education, higher education, and community- based education with experience or interest in humanities scholarship (e.g., literary studies, psychoanalytic criticism, theories of race and gender, etc.) are encouraged to apply.
For more information, please contact Dr. Brian Casemore (casemore@gwu.edu).
Apply Now
GSEHD’s Office of Admissions invites you to apply for a spot in our program. Please review the following admission and financial information.
Ready to take the next step in your career? Review our step-by-step guide to applying to GSEHD >
To learn more about the program, admission process, and upcoming events, please connect with the GSEHD Admissions Team at education@gwu.edu or 202-994-9283.
Apply Now | Schedule Consultation with Admissions Counselor |
To be considered for admission, applicants must submit the online application form as well as the following required supporting documents. There is no application fee.
- Prerequisite: Master's Degree
- Resume
- Transcripts from all previously attended colleges or universities
- Statement of Purpose addressed to a specific Research Practice Team
- 2 Letters of Recommendation, preferably one from a faculty member and the other from a professional supervisor
- Interview with Faculty
*Additional application requirements may exist for international applicants.
Applications are now being accepted for Fall 2025. We encourage you to apply as early as possible.
Application Timeline Fall Priority Deadline Nov 1 Round 1 Deadline Dec 15 Round 2 Deadline Jan 15 Round 3 Deadline March 1 Round 4 Deadline May 1 Round 5 Deadline June 15 For more information or to inquire about the next admissions cycle, contact the GSEHD Admissions Team at education@gwu.edu or 202-994-9283.
Tuition & Financial Aid
We know embarking upon graduate school is a big decision - due in part to the costs of attending. At GW, we understand the time and thought behind making graduate school work for you. Please take a moment to learn more about the options and opportunities available to help fund your graduate education.
Graduate tuition is charged per credit hour, unless otherwise noted. Rates vary by program and location.
- Students admitted Fall 2020 to present day: The tuition rate* for the Hybrid EdD in Curriculum and Instruction program is $1,230 per credit hour.
- This program requires a minimum of 48 credits.
- This program requires a minimum of 48 credits.
- Students admitted through Summer 2020: The tuition rate* for the On-Campus EdD in Curriculum and Instruction program is $1,905.
- This program requires a minimum of 66 credits.
- This program requires a minimum of 66 credits.
Please note: Additional fees may apply for international students, late fees, etc. Current tuition rates may be updated during the year.
*Summer 2024, Fall 2024 and Spring 2025
Scholarships are available to eligible admitted students. Review eligibility requirements and learn more about funding your education >
As an educator with extensive experience in schools, museums, non-profit organizations, and the private sector, pursuing my Doctor of Education at GW is an exciting opportunity for me to further advance my pedagogical expertise and prepare myself for addressing the current educational challenges of our era. As a member of the Informal Learning in the Arts Research Practice Team, I've had the opportunity to conduct research that was presented at top education conferences, including the 2023 American Educational Research Association annual meeting.
WILLIAM ZHOU (Current Student)
Career Outlook
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment in education, training, and library occupations is expected to grow faster than average from 2019-2029.1
1Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, [Education, Training, and Library Occupations], Retrieved September 2020 from bls.gov/ooh/education-training-and-library/home.htm.
- Curriculum & Instruction Career Opportunities
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Graduates may serve as:
- Education Specialists
- Museum Educators
- Researchers
- Clinical Faculty
- Potential Employment Settings
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- Universities
- Government Agencies
- Education Organizations
Associate Professor, Curriculum and Pedagogy; Co-Director, GWTeach