Mar 29, 2024  
2015-2016 Graduate Catalog 
    
2015-2016 Graduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

STEM Education (Emphasis)


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STEM EDUCATION (PhD in Education concentration)

The STEM Education PhD is an interdisciplinary program for those who have an interest in improving the quality of science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) education through research. The program is housed in the College of Education and Human Development and governed by an interdisciplinary committee consisting of STEM education faculty associated with the Maine Center for Research in STEM Education (RiSE Center). The program prepares students for faculty positions in STEM education within discipline departments and in colleges of education, or for education research positions in museums, research centers, and think tanks. It requires a minimum of 45 credits of coursework and a research dissertation.

The STEM Education PhD is full-time program in which students are supported through graduate assistantships and have a day-to-day presence on the University of Maine campus. Students in the program study and conduct research on a broad range of issues related to STEM education through coursework and interdisciplinary research apprenticeships, both of which combine rigorous research methodology with disciplinary perspectives on educational challenges and opportunities.

There are two pathways through the program, both of which are associated with the University of Maine’s Master of Science in Teaching (MST) Program. Pathway 1 is for students who are not graduates of the MST program or a similar program which includes a thesis in STEM education research. In this pathway, students who enter the concentration will concurrently enroll in the MST program, the course requirements of which are a subset of the course requirements for the STEM Education PhD. Completing the thesis of the MST program and its oral defense are necessary steps for advancing to candidacy. Pathway 2 is for students who are graduates of the MST or a similar program. After applying for and being accepted into the PhD program, and upon successful review by the admissions committee, students in this track will normally receive credit for MST or equivalent coursework that is concurrent with the PhD coursework, and for having met thesis and oral defense requirements.

For further information, contact Becky Libby (becky.libby@umit.maine.edu, 207-581-2444) or Dr. Jonathan Shemwell (jonathan.shemwell@umit.maine.edu).

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