16 PhD programmes offered by the university

The Pennsylvania State University Workforce Education and Development (WFED) program offers a graduate degree program leading to degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.).

In the Education, Development and Community Engagement Graduate Program, we support and develop your capacity to be an agent of change. You will leave the program at Pennsylvania State University with a mastery of applied research and actionable scholarship, translating your findings into real world applications

Pennsylvania State University's Doctor of Education (D.Ed.) in Educational Leadership is a professional degree program focused on concepts and contemporary issues of educational leadership practice.

This Learning, Design and Technology program  at Pennsylvania State University provides advanced professional preparation in the development of effective, efficient instructional materials and the use of technology to support learning in a variety of educational settings.

Prepare for a leadership role to shape the future of education. Customize this online Education doctoral program at Pennsylvania State University by selecting courses from multiple disciplines to prepare for a career within educational institutions, private organizations, or all levels of government.

The graduate program in Higher Education at Pennsylvania State University has as its goal the preparation of individuals who will pursue careers and exert leadership in postsecondary education as administrators, faculty, or researchers in the nation's colleges and universities and in a variety of public and private agencies and associations in the United States and other nations.

The Music Education Ph.D. program at Pennsylvania State University offers advanced study in the processes of teaching and learning music from a research-based perspective.

The Education Policy and Leadership program at Pennsylvania State University provides doctoral training for students interested in career areas pertaining to educational policy, educational leadership, and higher education.

The graduate degree programs in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction (C&I) at Pennsylvania State University provide innovative research experiences for graduate students. 

The Ph.D. in Art Education at Pennsylvania State University prepares students to become innovative researchers, informed educators, and leaders in higher education, schools, communities, and museums.

This intercollege program in School Psychology at Pennsylvania State University is based primarily on courses in educational psychology, psychology, and special education.

The Ph.D. in Special Education at Pennsylvania State University is an academic degree designed to prepare special educators for leadership roles in research and graduate education.

The science of learning, teaching, and assessment is at the core of Educational Psychology at Pennsylvania State University. Students in our graduate program explore how people learn across the lifespan and how learning and teaching interconnect and reciprocally influence each other in formal and informal educational settings.

The Ph.D. program in Counselor Education at Pennsylvania State University prepares students to work as counselor educators, clinical supervisors, and advanced practitioners in academic and clinical settings.

Ph.D. students in the Lifelong Learning and Adult Education program at Pennsylvania State University share a common focus on ways in which Globalization, and Lifelong Learning movements shape specific adult education practices - in the home, place of worship, workplace, community, and wider society.

The Educational Theory and Policy program curriculum focus, as well as research of our faculty at Pennsylvania State University, aimed at improving educational opportunities and outcomes across different communities (urban/rural), school sectors, as well as regions of the world.