Doctoral Degree Courses

This required core course, a blend of both online and in-person class time, offers a thorough historical and philosophical examination of Montessori’s view of physical, intellectual, emotional, social, and spiritual aspects of human life and development. A prerequisite or corequisite to all other courses after EDU 7020, this course introduces the program’s rigorous standards in writing, discussing, and presenting.

This required core course uses the frameworks of positive psychology and strengths-based leadership to explore leadership theory that promotes a culture of commitment and recognizes the strengths of all educators and students as a focus. In this course, students will learn to identify their own personal strengths as well as those of their individual students and create strategies for using these in Montessori instruction, relationship building, assessment, and classroom management at all levels: infants and toddlers, early childhood, lower elementary, upper elementary, and secondary school, including working with adults in teacher education.

This course introduces the role of technology in the development of the Montessori curriculum as well as the role of technology in the implementation of the Montessori curriculum in the 20th century. The course is designed for students who have earned Montessori credentials and are working toward their Doctoral degree. Emphasis is on the changing role of technology in the Montessori classroom. We will analyze Montessori’s writings on technology and consider what current researchers suggest regarding technology and how educators are implementing technology in their schools. We will also analyze the life’s work of Walt Disney, to evaluate how he utilized technology in new and diverse ways out of his love for children.

This required core course introduces the discipline of statistics as applied to educational research applications and mathematical thinking; it will also explore the ethical and legal implications of statistics, as well as its relevance to social justice. Topics include data analysis; correlation and regression; sampling and experimental design; numerical summaries and graphs; data production through sampling and experimental design; and inferences such as confidence intervals and hypothesis tests. The course will also introduce data analysis with statistical computing and spreadsheet software.

This course introduces the assumptions, theories, and processes of qualitative inquiry in order to provide advanced graduate students with necessary theoretical foundations and to enhance their abilities to conduct qualitative research and evaluation.

Taken in the final term before beginning the dissertation, this is a required core capstone writing and research course for the doctoral student that focuses on developing and writing the problem statement and research questions for the dissertation; reviewing literature, and designing dissertation project research. Additional guidance toward dissertation writing will be covered, including APA style.

This course explores individual units in Practical Life, Sensorial, Mathematics, Language Arts, History, Geography, and Geometry, emphasizing curriculum development, materials, methodology, and the development of curricular literacy. Students will consider scope and sequence, follow-up work, and higher order thinking applicable to advanced presentations in Montessori classrooms from Early Childhood through Secondary.

This course explores the history of mindfulness practice and essential mindfulness techniques for encouraging gratitude and conflict resolution in Montessori settings. Students will learn how mindful activities in rituals and classroom celebrations are central to Practical Life, Grace and Courtesy, and Peace Education. Connections between mindfulness practice and brain development and self-regulated learning will also be explored.

This course provides an introduction to characteristics of exceptional children and an overview of theories, programs, curriculum and instructional strategies, and technological options for improving learning for students with disabilities in Montessori settings. The course will also cover legal issues pertinent to nondiscriminatory assessments, individualized educational plans, and parental involvement, and a 15-hour special education or inclusion field experience is required. Students will apply information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, and communication, as a guide to action.

In this course, students will investigate Montessori materials from the multiple perspectives of purpose, design, function, history, use, and place in the curriculum. By examining the importance of each material and the purpose of each facet of its design, the course aims to foster presentational mastery and effectiveness, especially of key lessons and guided discovery lessons. This course requires extensive lab time to practice presentational fluency, effective communication, critical thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making as they relate to advancing student and educator alike along the continuum of theory to practice and specifically from the concrete to the contextualizing abstract relationships.

This synthesis of adult learning theories, Montessori theory, and teaching skills aims to provide students with applicable strategies to improve presentational skills and work more effectively with adults in a Montessori context. Students will practice and strengthen their lecturing and presentation skills while analyzing and evaluating improvements in Montessori teacher education centers.

This course will support the development and implementation of self-directed practicum-related learning experiences for adult learners.  An emphasis on the following will be central to the course content:

• Examining Adult Learning: Theory to Practice 

• Supporting Teacher Preparation/Transformation Strategies

• Forming a Personal Educational Philosophy

• Developing Teacher Education Course Techniques

• Refining Presentation Skills

• Designing Appropriate Evaluative and Assessment Tools for Adult Learners 

• Contrasting and Comparing Teacher Education Programs

This heavily self-guided, self-disciplined experience will be supported by regularly scheduled meetings in which students will raise clear, vital questions and problems; meticulously gather and assess relevant information; and clearly formulate well-reasoned conclusions and solutions.

Students are required to be registered for at least one dissertation course during each term during which they are preparing either the dissertation proposal or the final dissertation for committee presentation. This requirement remains in effect until the required 12 credits have been amassed and the dissertation is complete. 

In this course, students will begin working with their Committee Chair and lay the groundwork for Chapters 1 and 2 of their dissertation. Students also complete required human subjects training and begin forming their dissertation committee.

• Topic 1 – Preparation for Dissertation Phases (Identifying your Committee Chair; forming your committee; setting bi-weekly meeting norms; milestone check-in; etc.)

• Topic 2 – Finalizing your research focus; articulating the problem of practice; narrowing a topic

• Topic 3 – Finalizing your research focus; articulating the problem of practice; narrowing a topic

• Topic 4 – Completing CITI/human subjects training (IRB modules); research ethics in practitioner research

• Topic 5 – Writing Chapter 1: Introduction, background, significance of the study, and purpose statement

• Topic 6 – Writing Chapter 1: Introduction, background, significance of the study, and purpose statement

• Topic 7 – Theoretical and conceptual frameworks; selecting a framework aligned with your problem

• Topic 8 – Writing Chapter 1: Theoretical/Conceptual framework

Students are required to be registered for at least one dissertation course during each term during which they are preparing either the dissertation proposal or the final dissertation for committee presentation. This requirement remains in effect until the required 12 credits have been amassed and the dissertation is complete.

Students are required to be registered for at least one dissertation course during each term during which they are preparing either the dissertation proposal or the final dissertation for committee presentation. This requirement remains in effect until the required 12 credits have been amassed and the dissertation is complete.