Graduate School of Education

Overview

The University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education is one of the nation’s premier education schools. At Penn GSE, students and faculty enjoy an Ivy League environment that supports both practical knowledge building and high-quality research. Our alumni are recognized as some of the world’s most influential education leaders, and our distinguished professors are pioneers in their fields. 

Our Mission: Penn GSE partners with schools, universities, and communities to expand educational access – especially for those underserved by society. Through rigorous research and innovative programs, we develop new knowledge, and transformational teachers and leaders in pursuit of educational opportunity.

Penn GSE offers a vibrant array of high-quality degree programs in education research and practice. Our programs prepare students for careers as urban and international educators, school leaders, education researchers, higher education professionals, school psychologists, reading specialists, and more. In addition to degree programs, we offer professional development opportunities and certificates within the field of education. 

Renowned for our expertise in urban education, policy research, quantitative methods, practitioner inquiry, developmental psychology, and qualitative analysis, Penn GSE provides rigorous academic training and professional mentoring to help our students become effective leaders. Graduates of our innovative and interdisciplinary programs are shaping the future of education.

For more information: https://www.gse.upenn.edu/  

Research

Penn GSE emphasizes the interplay of theory, research, and practice in everything we do, believing that education research produces knowledge to inform practice, but also that research must be informed by the issues, needs, and concerns of practitioners. We are recognized for our strengths in research on urban education, policy, teaching and learning, the cultural contexts of education, language education, qualitative analysis, practitioner inquiry, developmental psychology, and quantitative and multimethod inquiry. 

Penn GSE is home to several faculty-run centers that produce cutting-edge research on global issues in education. Additionally, the School’s many practice-driven initiatives put innovative practices, strategies, and tools directly into the hands of practitioners, both in Philadelphia and across the globe.

For more information: https://www.gse.upenn.edu/our-expertise/research-and-initiatives

Community

At Penn GSE, we strive to create a community of people who bring a wide range of experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds. Bringing together individuals with varied viewpoints encourages the examination of issues from multiple angles, leading to more effective and innovative solutions to pressing challenges. It also strengthens civic engagement by fostering critical thinking and encouraging dialogue across differences. This creates richer learning environments that empower individuals to contribute meaningfully to our community and the broader society.
 
 
For more information: https://www.gse.upenn.edu/about-penn-gse/community-commitment

Faculty

Penn GSE’s world-class faculty and researchers—the intellectual heart of our School— have a major impact on education research and practice across the globe. This influential faculty answer vital questions and solve pressing problems in local, national, and global education. From literacy to college access to the Common Core, our researchers are leading the conversation about critical issues in education.  

Our professors possess particular strengths in teaching and learning, the cultural contexts of education, language education, qualitative research methods, and practitioner inquiry. In recent years, these strengths have deepened to include national leadership in policy research, urban education, developmental psychology, and quantitative and multimethod inquiry.

For more information: https://www.gse.upenn.edu/academics

Engagement

Penn GSE's approach to community engagement is rooted in deep, sustained partnership, beginning in Philadelphia and extending outward. At the local level, the School's collaboration with the School District of Philadelphia seeks to be a national model for university–district partnership. This work begins with understanding the needs of communities, then connects Penn GSE's faculty expertise, research, and students directly in partnership with schools and communities to provide critical services, strengthen teaching and leadership, and develop research-driven approaches that improve outcomes for learners and educators. The work aims not only to benefit Philadelphia, but to be replicated and scaled nationally.

Nationally and globally, Penn GSE extends this commitment by partnering with policymakers, schools, and organizations to address systemic challenges affecting learners and educators. Its faculty engage in collaborations across more than 60 countries, working alongside ministries of education, universities, and community partners to strengthen education systems and advance equitable, evidence-based practices. From influencing policy decisions in the U.S. to building teacher capacity and advancing transnational literacy initiatives globally, Penn GSE's community engagement model reflects a coherent strategy: partnering with communities and putting rigorous research in service of shared goals to drive meaningful, real-world impact at local, national, and international levels.