Culture and teaching PhD

This is a politically committed program dedicated to critical issues related to equity, democracy, and social justice in education. Students engage in a variety of perspectives and methods in their study of education and schooling across broad social, cultural, and political contexts. Graduates are poised to assume faculty positions in higher education as well as leadership roles in local, national, and international organizations.

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I could not have asked for professors who are more supportive of me not only as an academic but also as a human being. I am completely grateful for the generosity of their time and energy.

Diana Chandara PhD 2021

Coursework

PhD curriculum

Our curriculum requires students to consider the power and privilege that shape disparate opportunities in education by race, class, and gender.

Teaching in this program includes thinking about how, as educational leaders and researchers in and outside of the classroom, we might take up radical democratic forms of life with our fellow learners.

Students enrolled in other tracks within the Department of Curriculum and Instruction may also choose to pursue a supporting program in Culture and teaching.

You will complete 15 credits in your track and 12 credits outside your track if pursuing a minor or supporting program.

Your PhD coursework will center on your research interests. The program consists of 48 course credits and 24 doctoral thesis credits for a total of 72 credits. See the detailed requirements and course listings in the graduate catalog, select 'Requirements', scroll down to 'Program Sub-Plan Requirements', scroll down to 'culture and teaching.'

Research opportunities

Students can engage in research that ties into their area of interest. Faculty work closely with each cohort to achieve research and educational goals. Learn more about the student research experience in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction.

Career outlook

Our graduate are trained to be leaders in the field of education, advancing our shared mission of educational equity. Recent graduates have found employment in the following positions:

Assistant Professor of Education at Macalester
Rhodes College, Assistant Professor of Education Memphis TN
SUNY New Platt, Assistant Professor of Educational Foundations
Program Director of Elementary Education, University of Minnesota
School District Administrator. St. Paul Public Schools

See faculty who teach in this area

Nina Asher Nina Asher

Professor
she, her, hers
612-624-1357
nasher@umn.edu

In the mid-1980s, armed with my master’s degree in social work (from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences in Bombay, India), I began working as a research assistant on intervention projects focused on improving the educational achievement levels…

Vichet Chhuon Vichet Chhuon

Associate Professor
612-625-4331
vichet@umn.edu

My research has broadly focused on the experiences of immigrant youth and students of color to understand how school institutions might better help them realize their promise.

Mary Hermes Mary Hermes

Professor
she, they
612-624-3082
mhermes@umn.edu

Mary Hermes' research focuses on language revitalization and how it can connect people to the land and the planet. She explores different ways of knowing and being through feminist and indigenous lenses.

Timothy Lensmire Timothy Lensmire

Professor
612-625-2092
lensmire@umn.edu

Bic Ngo Bic Ngo

Professor, Director of Graduate Studies, Rodney S. Wallace Professor for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning
612-625-7520
bcngo@umn.edu

My research and teaching interests focus on culturally relevant pedagogy, urban and multicultural education in general, and immigrant education in particular.

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How to apply

Application deadline and instructions

Priority deadline: December 1 for admission to the fall of the following year
Admissions decisions: January

Applications submitted after this date are considered on a case-by-case basis and may not be reviewed until the following year. Faculty review applications in mid-late December, and the Graduate School will notify applicants about admission decisions shortly thereafter. Final admission decisions are based on complete applications. All application materials must be included for the application to be released for review.

Before applying online, go through the application checklist to ensure you have all the required materials. We are here to help! If you have questions, please contact the Graduate Studies Coordinator. If you are a returning Graduate School student, follow the Readmission guidelines. If you are a current Graduate School student and need to change your program, follow the Change of Status guidelines.

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Tuition and funding

We have several funding options to support students full-time through program completion. Support is available in the form of:

Teaching Assistantships. The majority work as student teaching supervisors for MEd initial licensure students. Daytime availability, a teaching license, and teaching experience are required
Research Assistantships
Fellowships. Based on a departmental nomination process. You will be notified by the Director of Graduate Studies if you are being considered for a fellowship. Decisions are made by April 15.
Graduate students are also eligible to apply for fellowships and graduate assistantships through other University departments. Visit the University's employment page or fellowships through the Graduate School's Graduate Fellowship Office.
Find more detailed federal financial aid and graduate tuition information.
Financial support through Teaching Assistantships in MELP, the Writing Center, or the undergraduate TESL program.
Fellowships such as FLAS

Application requirements

What we look for

Admission to our master's of arts and doctoral programs are competitive and we look for candidates whose goals and interests align with the program’s research and scholarship. Program faculty make admissions decisions based on the candidate’s experience and research competencies, along with compatibility of research goals.

Please look at our current faculty members’ research interests.

Our masters and doctoral candidates display

Evidence of strong interest in research and in the development of research competencies
Evidence of substantial experience in the discipline
Strong writing skills
Bachelor's degree from an accredited U.S. institution or foreign equivalent

Required application documents

Unofficial transcripts.Upload your transcripts into the application system. Please include all transcripts from any institution you have attended, even if you did not earn a degree or certificate. Please do not mail your transcripts. Official transcripts are required only after you are admitted. Tips for uploading your transcript(s).
Resume.
CI Application Form. Upload in the graduate program additional materials section.
Three letters of recommendation. Ask professors, employers, or supervisors to speak to your potential for successfully completing your degree; they will upload their letters directly into the online application.

The GRE is being waived for those applicants applying for Fall 2025.

Required written statements

Personal statement.Upload to the Applicant Statements section of the online application. (Most statements are 1.5-3 pages, single spaced). Please trace how you became interested in research in this discipline, as well as what problems interest you the most and why. Be sure to speak to:
1. Why you want to study in our department
2. What strengths, expertise, and research experience would contribute to your success in our program
3. Your professional goals for pursuing a research-focused degree
Diversity statement.Upload to the Applicant Statements section of the online application. Identify the distinctive qualities, characteristics, and life experiences you would contribute to our community. You may wish to include examples that address your contribution to the diversity of the student body and illustrate your motivation to succeed by setting high standards for accomplishing intellectual and other goals, overcoming obstacles to achievement, and/or helping others to gain access to the resources necessary for success. (please do not exceed one page in length)
Short writing sample.(Optional except for Literacy Education applicants). For example, an excerpt from a term paper or research paper for publication. No longer than five pages in English.
Common Ground Consortium Fellowship. (Optional) The primary purpose of the CGC is to assist graduate programs in the College of Education and Human Development to recruit exceptional students with the distinct experience provided by HBCUs or similarly distinguishing contexts, provide these students with financial assistance support during their graduate studies, and assistance with career development and job placement afterwards. It offers a pipeline to excellence and an opportunity to diversify perspectives in the academy. If you wish to apply, submit a statement that describes how your participation as a CGC scholar would a) enhance your graduate student experience, b) prepare you for your chosen career, and c) benefit the public. Upload to graduate program additional materials section.

Additional admissions information

Application checklist

If you are a returning Graduate School student, follow the Readmission guidelines. If you are a current Graduate School student and need to change your program, follow the Change of Status guidelines.

Transfer credits

MA students must complete at least 60 percent of their coursework (not including thesis credits) within our program. PhD students may transfer no more than 15 credits from an outside institution.

A maximum of 12 graduate course credits taken as non-degree seeking or non-admitted status at the University of Minnesota can be transferred; this is counted separately from the maximum 60 percent or 15 non-UMN credits. For example, a PhD student could transfer a maximum of 27 credits (15 non-UMN and 12 non-degree from UMN).

If you earned a MA at the UMN, please contact the Graduate Studies Coordinator to discuss transfer procedures. Thesis credits cannot be transferred.

After you are admitted, you will work with your adviser to determine which credits may transfer.

International applicants

International applicants may also need:

An English translation of your transcripts, if the transcript is not in English. Please note: the Graduate School Admissions Office will not accept an evaluation of your international coursework by an outside agency such as ECE or WES; they only accept the original transcripts.
TOEFL/IELTS or MELAB. You may qualify for an exception if you have completed 16 semester or 24 quarter credits within the past 24 months in residence as a full-time student at an accredited institution of higher learning in the United States or other country where English is the official language (i.e. U.K, Canada). Score requirements and submission guidelines

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