M.Ed. or Ph.D. in Learning Sciences & Human Development

Master's of Education Program:

Students will select a focal strand of study in one of four areas. Strands allow students to focus their degree into trajectories of expertise described below. The program comprises a sequence of courses and experiences designed to allow full-time students to graduate in one to two years, preparing students for potential trajectories in educational institutions, non-profit and community organizations, industry, or future academic study. Learn more about the four strands:

Early Childhood

The Early Childhood strand offers an in-depth exploration of early learning and development, with a focus on family and community contexts, inclusive educational environments (indoor and outdoor), and/or  early childhood policy. Students critically examine topics and methods in early childhood development and education through an interdisciplinary, decolonizing,equity-based lens.

Coursework integrates theory, research, and practice, preparing graduates to design, implement, and sustain equitable and inclusive practices and policies that support young children’s development, learning, and well-being. Students explore how learning and development unfold across racially, socioeconomically, culturally, politically, and linguistically diverse contexts. A central focus is on how early childhood programs and policies may be strengthened by privileging the voice and expertise of families and communities through equitable partnerships.

This strand is ideal for those interested in shaping equity-driven, culturally and linguistically responsive early childhood education programs and systems in a variety of settings, from classrooms and communities to policy and advocacy. Graduates will be prepared to serve as early childhood specialists in research, advocacy and non-profit organizations or government agencies, early learning system administrators, program directors, family and community liaisons, professional development specialists or coaches in Head Start and state pre-K programs and school districts; early childhood curriculum developers; community college instructors.

Land and Water Education for Sovereign Futures

The Land and Water Education for Sovereign Futures strand of the master’s degree in Learning Sciences and Human Development provides an opportunity to explore how land and water-based and Indigenous approaches provide avenues for sharing knowledge, reshaping identities, and developing just, sustainable futures within social and cultural relationships. Embedded within Indigenous and Land- and water based theories and practices are frameworks for decolonization and resurgence, sustainment, socio-ecological regeneration, and healthy living among other approaches for human and more-than-human futures.  

Coursework in this strand investigates how land- and water-based approaches, such as walking, reading, and storying the land, offer core principles for curricula and pedagogies that integrate science, technology, engineering, arts, language, math, and socio-ecological sustainability. Students learn how to promote a respectful bond with lands and waters through embodied, integrated, and intergenerational social interaction. Ethical relationships with lands and waters shape our concepts of personhood, how we navigate and experience the world, and how we learn and heal.

Graduates from the Land- and Water-Based Education for Sovereign Futures strand will be prepared to promote social and ecological regeneration, disrupt colonial models of schooling, support community-led environmental and social transformation projects, and work to uphold Indigenous sovereignty. 

Learning, Technologies, Creativity, and Design

The Learning, Technologies, Creativity, and Design strand of the master’s degree in Learning Sciences and Human Development focuses on designing new or enhancing existing learning environments through creative uses of technology. Students will explore how creativity, the arts, and new technologies can enhance learning environments. New technologies for supporting learning and development emerge all the time, but choosing which ones and how to implement them within existing cultural practices requires both wisdom and ethical considerations.

Coursework in this strand provides students with strategies to design learning experiences that support collaboration, innovation, and visions of more justice-centered futures. Students will consider both in-school and out-of-school contexts and discover how to let technology, when appropriate, serve learning and equity goals.

This is not a technology or software development degree, but students who bring those skills will be able to put them to good use. Graduates from this strand will be prepared to design and implement learning environments in schools; informal learning settings like museums and community organizations; and training programs for corporate or organizational learning.

Learning, Power, and Social Transformation

The Learning, Power, and Social Transformation strand of the master’s degree in Learning Sciences and Human Development starts from the premise that power shapes learning—and that learning can reconfigure power dynamics and support equitable social transformation. We explore the theory and practical knowledge required to interrogate and challenge the oppressive social structures and institutionalized practices that shape learning environments.

In this strand, coursework will examine how racism affects learning and how people learn anti-racism; language and power dynamics in learning environments, and contemporary and historical social movements. Students will critically examine transformative learning experiences and gain an understanding of key practices and design principles that interrogate and interrupt inequities in classrooms and communities.

Graduates from the Learning, Power, and Social Transformation strand will be prepared to transform schools, organizations, and movements by applying cutting-edge approaches in learning. Graduates may become equity specialists for K-12 and higher education institutions or educational program managers in justice-focused NGOs.