Teaching and Learning, Policy and Leadership, (Ph.D.) - Urban Education Specialization: Program Admissions

This program leads to a Ph.D. in Teaching and Learning, Policy and Leadership with a specialization in Minority and Urban Education. The Minority and Urban Education specialization is designed to provide doctoral students with a broad base of knowledge about the education of disadvantaged populations, including students, families, and communities, particularly in urban areas. Courses address issues such as the social and political contexts of urban schools, practices and policies that govern urban schooling, and the education of ethnic, racial, cultural, and linguistic minorities in all settings. To that end, the specialization provides an explicit focus on the broad scope of issues confronting minority students in urban and other contexts. The field of Minority and Urban Education necessarily incorporates perspectives from a variety of fields such as sociology, urban planning, history, political science, education policy and leadership, as well as science, mathematics, and literacy. As such, students are encouraged to develop a program of study that includes courses in related areas. Students are prepared to work as university professors, researchers, education leaders, curriculum specialists, researchers and teacher educators in schools and in urban school districts with large disadvantaged minority populations. 

Graduate Admissions Information

Select an area of interest from the various offerings in the College of Education to determine the admission requirements and deadlines.  If you are unsure of your area of interest you may request information by submitting an Inquiry Form. We accept both full-time and part-time doctoral students.

Applicants who wish to apply to the Ph.D. program with specialization in the Minority and Urban Education select Teaching and Learning, Policy and Leadership (TLPL) as their “Intended Program of Study”. 

Interested applicants with academic and/or professional experience with urban public schools or racially/ethnically minoritized and socioeconomically disadvantaged populations is desirable. 

Please refer to the Guide to Applying  for instructions on how to apply for graduate admission. If you have questions or concerns, we ask you to first review our list of  Frequently Asked Questions. International applicants should visit the International admissions webpage for additional information.

For questions about the application process, or to check on the completion of your application, please contact Kay Moon, TLPL Graduate Coordinator, at (301) 405-3118 or kmoon@umd.edu

INFORMATION SESSION about our Ph.D. and M.A. programs will be held on October 13, 2023, by zoom. Please email Kay Moon (kmoon@umd.edu) to receive updates.

For questions related to the admissions process, prospective students tlpl-admissions@umd.edu.  

For academic advising on the Ph.D. in Minority and Urban Education, please contact Dr. Tara Brown at tmbrown@umd.edu.

FINANCIAL AID/SCHOLARSHIPS  

Financial assistance for graduate study is generally divided into two categories: 

  • Merit-Based Assistance Need-Based Assistance  
    • Fellowships and Scholarships Loans  
    • Graduate Assistantships 

For more details about the various types of financial assistance offered by the campus please visit the Office of Student Financial Aid 

There are also a number of fellowships and scholarships offered through the College of Education, the University, and through external sources which may provide tuition support and/or living allowance. Students must apply for these awards on their own, but the links that follow provide valuable information on searching for fellowships and scholarships. 

For more information concerning fellowships and scholarships, please visit: 

The College of Education's Scholarships webpage

The University's Scholarships webpage

Graduate School Student Fellowships and Awards webpage

For questions related to the admissions process, contact  Kay Moon, TLPL Graduate Coordinator, kmoon@umd.edu

For Program-specific questions, students may contact Dr. Tara Brown at tmbrown@umd.edu.