We Work to Make a Difference in Education. 

Welcome! The Department of Education faculty members strive to prepare the next generation of thinkers, leaders, and scholars in the diverse subfields of education. Faculty strive to recognize, value, and build on the diverse talents and experiences of their students. We aim to help our students understand not only education in classrooms, but also the broader and increasingly multicultural, multilingual, and digital world we occupy. Through research and course work, our students explore different angles of vision: They investigate the differing effects of schools and institutions, the mediating effects of culture and language, the facilitating or constraining effects of leadership and public policy, and the profound effects of human differences. Through their research and teaching, faculty members mentor each of our students, working to elevate them as educators and to inspire enduring commitments to learning, scholarship, and excellence.

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APPLICATION DEADLINES: The final application deadline for fall 2025 Ph.D. and M.A./Ph.D. students is December 1, 2024 at 11:59 PM, PST. Primary consideration deadline for fall 2025 M.A. ONLY students is also December 1, 2024 at 11:59 PM, PST. Secondary consideration and FINAL deadline for fall 2025 M.A. ONLY students is May 13, 2025 at 11:59 PM, PST. (No funding available for applications submitted during the May deadline.)

*The Department of Education does not require GRE scores.

EDUCATION DEPARTMENT'S COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY AND EQUITY

In the pursuit of academic excellence, the Department of Education, as part of the Gevirtz Graduate School of Education (GGSE), is committed to recruiting, supporting, and retaining a community of students, faculty, and staff that reflects the diversity of our state and nation. The students, faculty, and staff of the GGSE recognize and respect the dignity and worth of all people. We value individual differences including, but not limited to, racial and ethnic backgrounds, nationality, gender, sexual orientation, disability, religion, socioeconomic status, age, and divergent perspectives. Our goal is to create a diverse community where all members feel safe and included. We welcome discussion of complex issues related to diversity and equity inside and outside the classroom. We are committed to providing all members of the GGSE community multiple opportunities for their voices to be heard. We believe a dedication to these principles of inclusion is essential to our scholarship, leadership, citizenship, and democracy.

Department of Education Leadership Contact Information and Faculty Office Hours

Contact Information for Program

Office: ED 3103
Email: progoffice@education.ucsb.edu
Phone: (805) 893-4515
Fax: (805) 893-7264

Mailing Address:

GGSE Dept. of Education
University of California
Santa Barbara, CA 93106-9490

Program Office Staff

 

Brenda Lavin
Program Coordinator
brendal@education.ucsb.edu
Office: ED 3103
Hours: M-F 8:00 - 4:30 

Chair

Andrew Fedders, Teaching Professor
fedders@education.ucsb.edu
Chair's Office: ED 3153
(805) 893-3711

Vice Chair

Karen Nylund-Gibson, Associate Professor
knylund@education.ucsb.edu
Office:  ED 3107
(805) 893-5165

Graduate Advisor

Andrew Maul, Associate Professor
amaul@education.ucsb.edu
Office:  ED 3109
(805) 893-7770

Graduate Diversity Officer

Carolyn Sattin-Bajaj, Associate Professor
sattin-bajaj@education.ucsb.edu
Office:  ED 3117

Department of Education News

Dept of edu News
UCSB Graduate Division Commencement 2025

Gevirtz School Celebrates 2025 Commencement

The Gevirtz Graduate School of Education held its commencement on June 12, 2025, to recognize the achievements of students earning doctoral and master’s degrees, as well as teaching credentials. 

 

GGSE News > Dept. of Counseling, Clinical & School Psychology, Dept. of Education, Teacher Education Program

Honeiah Karimi

Doctoral Candidate Commencement Profile 2025: Honeiah Karimi 

Honeiah Karimi is a Ph.D. candidate in Education with an emphasis in Quantitative Methods in the Social Sciences. 

GGSE News > Dept. of Education, Student Profile

Courtney Wright Courtney Wright, Ph.D. candidate in UCSB Gevirtz Graduate School of Education

Commencement speaker Courtney Wright reflects on a transformative journey

Courtney Wright, a Ph.D. candidate in UC Santa Barbara’s Gevirtz Graduate School of Education, will address her fellow graduates as a 2025 Commencement speaker — a moment she calls “a dream realized” after five and a half years of graduate study.

GGSE in the News > Dept. of Education

Courtney Wright Courtney Wright, Ph.D. candidate in UCSB Gevirtz Graduate School of Education

Commencement speaker Courtney Wright reflects on a transformative journey

Courtney Wright, a Ph.D. candidate in UC Santa Barbara’s Gevirtz Graduate School of Education, will address her fellow graduates as a 2025 Commencement speaker — a moment she calls “a dream realized” after five and a half years of graduate study.

GGSE in the News > Dept. of Education