Ph.D. Program: Graduate School of Education

Professor Ardoin’s Graduate School of Education (GSE) students research a range of topics. Several current projects include: ethnographic studies of environmental identity among learners at residential environmental education sites; the development of trust in environmental education settings; discourse analysis to understand when ‘rich points’ occur in environmental field science programs and how those points may facilitate connection among educators and program participants; exploration of mental models related to environmental behavior and climate change; and how traditional science textbooks misrepresent climate change.

• Nicole Ardoin, Associate Professor with a joint appointment in the Graduate School of Education and the Woods Institute for the Environment (Emphasis: Environmental Education)
• Bryan Brown, Associate Professor and Dean for Student Affairs (Emphasis: Science Education)
• Jonathan Osborne, Kamalachari Professor of Science Education (Emphasis: Science Education)

There are other professors within the Graduate School of Education who may have research interests that align with yours.

• Brigid Barron, Professor, studies lifelong learning in informal settings
• Shelley Goldman, Professor (teaching), studies community-based learning and research-practice partnerships

Many students who complete PhDs in the GSE’s Environmental Education track with Prof. Ardoin pursue positions that incorporate elements of scholarship and teaching, whether in formal or informal ways. Alumni of our program have secured positions as faculty members in environmental studies, environmental education, and science education. Others work as environmental and evaluation researchers with nonprofit organizations including field-based environmental education providers, national parks, museums, and aquariums. Some have also pursued careers as researchers with consulting firms or started their own research-and-evaluation consulting firms.

Normally, the doctoral program at the Graduate School of Education takes five years to complete. However, some students choose to transfer Master’s degree credits toward the completion of their PhD degree, which shortens the time to degree completion.

Prof. Ardoin’s students enter the Graduate School of Education through different tracks. To date, most have been in the Curriculum and Teacher Education (CTE) area. Some also pursue degrees in crosscutting programs such as the Learning Sciences and Technology Design (LSTD). Each area includes its own suite of required courses and milestones. Beyond those courses, students have freedom to tailor the program to their research interests.

No, the research, teaching, and course requirements are a full-time undertaking (probably more than a full-time undertaking!).

Stanford PhD-level courses are not offered online. Being on campus and being part of the community is an essential part of the PhD experience as many of the enriching opportunities of learning can only be experienced that way. That said, many of our students do pursue in-depth field work for their dissertation research, which is entirely appropriate at various times during the course of the PhD program, as discussed with and advised by the PhD committee.

Please refer to the general GSE website and talk with the GSE admissions staff to discuss the overall criteria. There is no single response to this question, but we can say that we do receive numerous applications from extraordinarily qualified individuals, and we have very few spaces available for PhD admissions. As such, we recommend that you explore programs in Environmental and Sustainability Education at several universities, and carefully consider various dimensions that might contribute to whether programs might fit with and support your interests. We then encourage to you consider applying to more than one program. Our research group tends to include individuals with some past professional as well as research experience. Broadly, we look for people who have some sense of how how bringing a theoretical frame to persistent environmental, conservation, and sustainability challenges will help in addressing those challenges, and people who are innovative and perseverant in their work in environmental social sciences, defined broadly.

Yes.

See discussion of GREs on the Graduate School of Education’s admissions webpage.

See discussion of funding on the Graduate School of Education’s admissions webpage.

Students work on a variety of research projects within the Social Ecology Lab. Please visit the page that describes our Lab Members to gain an understanding of the range of work that our lab members are pursuing.

Through these research projects, students can expect to gain knowledge of the literature of their field and learn how to conduct field research. Students will also develop skills in conducting systematic reviews; developing surveys, questionnaires, and observation protocols; working with community partners in the field; applying for and writing research grants; supervising research interns; designing and implementing a research project; and writing an academic paper; among others.

Most students have the opportunity to work as a teaching assistant or fellow at some point during their doctoral career. Dr. Ardoin teaches courses in environmental education, informal science and environmental education, and qualitative interviewing, which often offer opportunities for teaching assistants; other professors also often need teaching assistants for a diversity of courses. This is often one of the most rewarding experiences of a student’s graduate career!

The Social Ecology Lab is Dr. Ardon’s research group, and therefore is part of the Graduate School of Education and the Woods Institute for the Environment. PhD students and postdoctoral fellows are supervised by Dr. Ardoin and are therefore part of the lab. We often have visiting scholars (professors or experts from elsewhere) on campus for a quarter or a year; those experts join the lab meetings and enhance our discussions as well. Because of the interdisciplinary nature of Dr. Ardoin’s work, our Social Ecology lab group includes people from across campus pursuing a range of work. A typical lab meeting usually consists of PhD students and postdocs from various programs and schools around campus.

Work on your application. Pay close attention to your statement of purpose, ensuring that you outline an area of research interest and suggest some ways that you might pursue that work through a PhD. Then let your excitement about and passion for the work show in your writing. We look forward to reviewing your application!