Doctoral Programs
The Lynch School of Education and Human Development is committed to conducting inventive research—work that informs solutions to complex social problems and promotes the common good. As an R1 university, the Lynch School’s world-renowned faculty and expansive initiatives improve communities and influence local, national, and international education and policy. Our doctoral students put their analysis into action, while faculty members help guide students’ growth as critical thinkers, reflective leaders, and engaged citizens.
The Lynch School has five departments:
Explore Our Doctoral Programs
Applied Developmental & Educational Psychology, Ph.D.
Building the next generation of intellectual leaders in developmental and educational psychology who are pursuing research, teaching, and organizational leadership to improve the lives of children, families, and communities.
In-person
STEM
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
- Through seminars, students build scholarly expertise in contemporary and classic psychology theory and evidence, with cutting-edge training in diverse research methodologies.
- Through close faculty mentorship, students conduct research that contributes to our cumulative scientific knowledge, and helps shape national and international practice and policy.
- Students develop pedagogical skills and teaching experience as teaching assistants to faculty and by teaching their own undergraduate courses.
- Graduates are prepared to lead the field at top colleges and universities, policy centers, government agencies, and non-government organizations around the world.
Careers
- Professor
- Researcher
- Policy advisor
- Government agency experts and leaders
- Non-government organization experts and leaders
- University administrators
Counseling Psychology, Ph.D.
Become part of the next generation of counseling psychologists who are poised to make critical advances that expand beyond traditional disciplinary boundaries and clinical settings.
In-person
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
- Access to a breadth of top-notch practice opportunities in diverse mental health settings, including universities, schools, hospitals, and outpatient community mental health facilities.
- All students have opportunities to advocate for social justice through their research, clinical work, teaching, and outreach.
- Training begins right away with the unique First Year Experience program and continues through the Advanced Practicum.
Careers
- Psychologist
- Professor
- Researcher
Curriculum & Instruction, Ph.D.
Designed to develop professionals who have the knowledge, intellectual disposition, professional skills, ethical sensibilities, and leadership potential to make a difference in the lives of all schoolchildren.
In-person
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
- Actively addresses social inequities and contributes to creating a more just society.
- Multiple opportunities to engage in hands-on curriculum and praxis-focused research.
- Choice of specialization:
- Educational Leadership, Policy & Educational Change
- Language, Literacy, & Culture
- Methods and Modes of Inquiry in Curriculum & Instruction
- Science, Mathematics, and Technology
- Teaching, Curriculum, and the Politics of Schooling
Careers
- Researcher
- School Principal
- Teacher Leadership
- Professor
- Director of Curriculum
- Superintendent
Educational Leadership, Ed.D.
Designed for superintendents, this program is anchored in values of social justice, community, and school reform and results in superintendent licensure.
In-person
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
- Cohort model centered on collaborative learning, support, and creating a network of district-level leaders throughout Massachusetts.
- Member of the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate.
- Prepares future school leaders for public, Catholic, charter, and independent schools.
Careers
- Superintendent
- School Leader
- School Administrator
- Vice Superintendent
- Deputy Superintendent
Educational Leadership & Policy specialization, Curriculum & Instruction, Ph.D.
Designed to develop professionals who have the knowledge, intellectual disposition, professional skills, ethical sensibilities, and leadership potential to make a difference in the lives of all school children.
In-person
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
- Actively addresses social inequities and contributes to creating a more just society.
- Multiple opportunities to engage in hands-on curriculum and praxis-focused research.
- This specialization focuses on how educational leaders engage in policy and practice to support education reform and instructional improvement at the school, district, state, and federal levels.
Careers
- Researcher
- School Principal
- Teacher Leadership
- Professor
- Director of Curriculum
- Superintendent
Formative Education, Ph.D.
Foster engaged scholar-practitioners whose rich, interdisciplinary intellectual formation allows them to address complex, normative questions about human transformation. The program seeks to prepare thought leaders in a variety of sectors whose research and work promote the development of whole persons toward lives of meaning and purpose.
In-person
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
- The program is built around the aim of helping students develop into sharp, imaginative, socially engaged, interdisciplinary thinkers.
- Drawing faculty from the diverse disciplinary traditions of history and philosophy, anthropology and humanistic psychology, design thinking, and the learning sciences, this program will prepare scholars and practitioners to examine the conceptual, empirical, and normative dimensions of formation.
Higher Education, Executive Ed.D.
Develop the skills, mindsets, and technical knowledge to match the changing pace of higher education in this program designed for experienced professionals.
Online
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
- Online program with yearly week-long summer residencies, allowing candidates to maintain their career while working towards a doctorate.
- Catholic Higher Education concentration available.
- Program culminates in a practice-based capstone project.
Careers
- Dean of Students
- Vice President for Enrollment
- Chief Diversity Officer
- Director of Global Initiatives
- Vice President of Advancement
Higher Education, Ph.D.
Prepare for a career in teaching or research in the field of higher education with a focus on equity and social justice.
In-person
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
- Coursework engages with important issues facing higher education from a multi-disciplinary perspective (history, sociology, philosophy, psychology, economic and political science).
- Boston College's Center for International Higher Education provides a significant global focus to the Higher Education program.
Careers
- College President
- Education Attorney
- Vice President of Enrollment Management
- Professor
- Dean of Colleges
Measurement, Evaluation, Statistics, & Assessment, Ph.D.
Hone research methodology and data analysis skills to inform policy-making in education and other critical areas.
In-person
STEM
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
- Examine institutional programs, design quantitative research studies, develop assessment instruments, and analyze organizational data to help inform policy-making.
- Research Assistantships drive students to produce conference presentations, publications, and consulting opportunities.
- Opportunities to collaborate on research with faculty to better integrate theory and practice.
Careers
- Professor
- Researcher
- Director of Efficacy Analytics and Studies
- Senior Vice President of Research
- Director of Innovations Lab