Degree Programs

"P4C is one of the best things that has ever happened to me professionally. In one short year it has profoundly influenced and re-energized my teaching." Katrina Macht, Bridge Student

Overview of Graduate Studies in Philosophy for Children

Montclair State University offers a doctoral degree program in Philosophy and Pedagogy:

Our graduate programs are premised on the belief that we should be educating our students to make better judgments in their lives and living in communities better. It is our view that the best way to teach for both of these is through philosophical reflection in the classroom on matters of importance to the students. It is the give-and-take of such discussion when conducted in a disciplined fashion – referred to as 'the community of inquiry' - that stimulates students and teachers alike to think more critically, creatively and caringly. It is the rigorous dialogical procedure of the classroom with its emphasis on self-correction, active listening and intellectual cooperation that provides both a model for community and a model for self-corrective reflection on the part of the individual.

Jeremy Price, Doctoral Program Director
Chair, Department of Educational Foundations
Phone Number: (973) 655-5170
Email: pricej@mail.montclair.edu

Students interested in applying should do so online at Graduate School

Montclair State University
The Graduate School
1 Normal Avenue
Montclair, NJ 07043
Telephone: (973) 655-5147 or (800) 331-9207
Email: Graduate.School@montclair.edu
Website: http://www.montclair.edu
On-line catalog: http://www.montclair.edu/catalog/

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Comments from past and present graduate students

"I found the program particularly attractive because of its emphasis on dialogue, community of inquiry, and critical thinking. Whether you're a beginning teacher or a veteran, it offers various creative suggestions for cultivating a sense of intellectual freedom and egalitarianism within the classroom. I highly recommend this program for instructors who are interested in encouraging their students to analyze beyond the text, and relate complex issues in philosophy to life experience." -Ed.D student

"A majority of the courses are structured as communities of inquiry, in which students bring in their ideas, share them with others, and jointly aim at developing deeper understanding of the topics and questions dealt with. This structure gives students a unique insight into in the pedagogy that the program advocates, as well as extensive experience with it. While this way of working makes for very rich learning experiences, it is also very challenging. It demands of the student that they are very clear about what they want to bring to the community, and what they want to focus on in their individual, written work. The community of inquiry also requires every participant to take on responsibility for the development of the class, both in terms of classroom atmosphere as well as in structuring the syllabus and reading agenda. Since most of us are brought up in schools where we have little power over what to read and write, and how to structure class sessions, this new learning environment takes time and effort to adjust to. But this is the work through which you break away from your own experience of schooling, and become a radically different kind of educator." -Ed.D. student

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What our graduate students are doing now

  • Faculty members at Universities
  • Graduate students in other philosophy and education programs.
  • Authors of journal articles, trade books, children's books and curriculum in Philosophy for Children
  • Consultants to schools
  • Researchers
  • Directors and co-directors of Institutes and Centers
  • Teachers at Elementary and Secondary schools
  • Producers of educational curriculum
  • Education journalist for The New York Times

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