SOCIAL FOUNDATIONS OF EDUCATION
“Revolution is not a one-time event.”
—Audre Lorde
The Social Foundations of Education program is rooted in a variety of academic disciplines, including anthropology, economics, history, philosophy, political science and sociology.
Our interdisciplinary work promotes critical questions that challenge standard assumptions about the purposes of schools in a democratic society, the role that race, class, gender, ethnicity and sexuality play in teaching, learning, school funding, etc., and the importance of understanding critical policy analyses in the context of neoliberalism.
The overarching purpose of social foundations study is to bring intellectual insights to develop interpretive, normative and critical perspectives on education, both inside and outside of schools.
Explore What We Offer
Our Degree Programs
Social Foundations of Education, M.S.
Social Foundations of Education is an interdisciplinary master’s program that examines the historical and contemporary factors that shape educational inequity and injustice in our society. Course topics engage students in discourse about the influence race, class, disability and gender have on education and school systems.
Students are prepared to:
- Develop critical perspectives on education, inside and outside school.
- Evaluate the complex interrelationships among school, society, education and culture.
- Incorporate several disciplines, including history, philosophy, sociology, anthropology, political science and cultural studies.
- M.S. students in Social Foundations work closely with their advisors to craft a program of study that is individualized according to student interests. Customizing student coursework allows students to take courses in the university’s other colleges and schools (for example, Arts and Sciences, Public Policy, Public Health and so on).
Some of the courses are online.
Educational Policy Studies, Ph.D.
The Ph.D. in Educational Policy Studies allows students to examine the philosophy and practice of education and to develop skills in both the methodology and the study of educational practice. Students will prepare to become policymakers and examiners of policy and the effects of policy on education.
This is the Social Foundations concentration:
Concentration in Social Foundations of Education
Social foundations is a broadly conceived field of educational study that derives its character from several academic disciplines and interdisciplinary studies. At Georgia State University, the disciplines involved in social foundations inquiry are history, philosophy, sociology, anthropology and political science; the interdisciplinary field is cultural studies. The purpose of social foundations study is to bring the intellectual resources derived from these areas to bear in developing interpretive, normative and critical perspectives of educational theory, policy and practices, both inside and outside of schools.
For information about all of the concentrations within this doctoral program, visit:
These projected course schedules are for informational purposes only and are subject to change at any time, without actual notice to individual students. The University will make every effort to keep students advised of any such changes. These schedules are tentative and not guaranteed. Course offerings can change for a variety of reasons, including instructor availability, limited resources and demand. Students must note it is their responsibility to keep apprised of current graduation requirements for their particular degree programs.
Careers
Alumni work in such fields as academic researchers, program evaluators, project coordinators, research methodologists, policymakers and college/university administrators. Examples of employers of our graduates include Atlanta Public Schools, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Georgia Institute of Technology, Fulton County School District, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and University of Georgia.
Our News
Faculty and students in the Department of Educational Policy Studies (EPS) coordinated and hosted the Southern History of Education Society (SHOES) 2022 Conference.
Meet Tyra Robinson who has an M.S. in Social Foundations of Education (’21) from the College of Education & Human Development at Georgia State University.
Natasha McClendon is the 2021 recipient of the Social Foundations Doctoral Award for Scholarly Achievement, given in recognition of exceptional scholarly accomplishment through original publication by doctoral students in the social foundations doctoral program.
Congratulations to Alexander Camardelle for successfully defending his dissertation on April 1.
The College of Education & Human Development celebrated Department of Educational Policy Studies Professor Deron Boyles during its Faculty Awards Recognition on March 30.
Professor Chara Bohan and Dean’s Doctoral Fellow Wade Morris conducted a case study to see how Southern history textbooks published from the 1880s through the 1960s contributed to how white Southerners view Confederate statues.
Jonathan Wesley, social foundations of education doctoral student, has recently published a review of “Ghosts in the Schoolyard: Racism and School Closings on Chicago’s South Side.”
CEHD alum Bettina Love (Ph.D. ’08) was named the Athletic Association Professor in Education by the University of Georgia Athletic Association.
WalletHub.com, a financial planning and advice website, interviewed Professor Deron Boyles for a story highlighting 2020’s best and worst community colleges.
Deron Boyles, professor in the Department of Educational Policy Studies, wrote a book entitled, “John Dewey’s Imaginative Vision of Teaching: Combining Theory and Practice,” which was published by Myers Education Press.
Educational Policy Studies doctoral student Jonathan Wesley discusses his journey.
Social Foundations M.S. graduates, Lamees Alsami and Lindsey Garland, pose with their advisor and thesis chair, Dr. Deron Boyles at the 2019 spring commencement.
Elizabeth Jeffers received a Ph.D. in Educational Policy Studies with a concentration in social foundations. She also received a certificate in qualitative research in education.