Graduate School of Education launches first online PhD program

The Department of Learning and Instruction (LAI) has launched two new online programs — including its first PhD program — adding to a growing list of online offerings by the Graduate School of Education in what educators have called today’s fastest-growing education delivery model.   

Both the Curriculum, Instruction and the Science of Learning PhD program and the Advanced Graduate Certificate Program in Online Education are accepting applicants for the fall semester.

“Our online programs attract students from all over the world who seek collaborative experiences with our full-time research faculty, seasoned practitioners and, equally important, each other,” says Christine Kroll, assistant dean for online education in the GSE.

The Curriculum, Instruction and the Science of Learning program — known as CISL and pronounced like “sizzle” — is a multidisciplinary doctoral program that focuses on addressing practical educational problems through research in diverse contexts for learning and teaching.

The online CISL doctoral program joins the existing face-to-face CISL doctoral program that LAI launched in 2013. Both were designed to allow enough flexibility so that students could work with their advisers to tailor a custom, coherent program that aligns with an individual’s interests.

Suzanne Miller, professor and chair of LAI, will serve as program director for both the online and face-to-face CISL programs. 

The Advanced Graduate Certificate (AGC) Program in Online Education is designed for anyone interested in the field of online education.

This program not only is designed for online educators, but is also valuable for those interested in learning more about online education.  It includes coursework that explores online education from a policy and historical perspective, reviews research in online education, and covers the methods and tools commonly used by online education instructors.

For more information on the AGC program in online education, contact Stephen Goss, program director for online education programs, at smgoss@buffalo.edu. 

The CISL doctoral program and the AGC program in online education are the newest offerings in a quickly expanding online curriculum offered by GSE through LAI. The GSE’s online programs last year earned a dramatic increase in the national ranking compiled by the prestigious U.S. News and World Report, climbing to 23 from 61 among 238 higher education institutions.

As the fastest-growing educational delivery model, online education is a worldwide trend, GSE administrators say. The increased demand and availability of online university courses span industry, the military and government agencies, and higher education from community colleges through doctoral degrees, as well as K-12.

“Offering academic programs online was a natural extension of the way we (GSE) collaborate globally with our own colleagues to develop innovative strategies designed to bring together students with differing worldviews and experiences,” Kroll says.

There were 30 online students when the school launched its first fully online program in 2001. By the fall of 2014, the GSE offered 11 online programs and enrolled more than 300 students.

The school has consistently increased the variety and availability of new programs offered each year. Twenty percent of the current total enrollment of the GSE is fully online, according to school officials. These students complete all coursework, practica and internships in their local area, then graduate from UB without ever having to come to campus.

For more information on the Graduate School of Education’s online programs, visit the GSE website or contact Tracey McNerney at (716) 645-3420 or tmmcnern@buffalo.edu.