Engineering and Science Education

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About

The Department of Engineering and Sciences Education offers a certificate at the graduate level. Our interdisciplinary community unites scholars and researchers from a wide array of fields, including bioengineering, chemistry, civil engineering, electrical engineering, environmental studies, materials science, mathematics, mechanical engineering, and physics.

Together, we push the boundaries of knowledge through innovative research delving into epistemology, informing policy, and exploring novel learning methodologies and systems.

PLEASE NOTE: The Ph.D. Engineering and Science Education program is currently awaiting approval from the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to formally close the program. Please contact Andrew Edmunds for more information on how this might impact your application.

Integrating STEM Education

member of faculty with student, working on project

Preparing Future Academics

The Department of Engineering & Science Education is the only department in the country that includes engineering education, science education and mathematics education (also called discipline-based education research, or DBER) in a STEM college rather than a college of education. It includes experts in engineering education, science education and mathematics education and who have active research programs in these areas.

Students in this program will be exposed to the wide breadth of STEM education research under current investigation. They will be prepared to interface between the development of new theory in STEM education and the implementation of new research findings in practice. Graduates from this program will be prepared to become faculty in traditional STEM departments and STEM education departments. They will be ready to be scholarly teachers, action researchers, and agents of change in their workplaces.

Ph.D. Program
Certificate

STEM Education Research

Our faculty's research interests and projects cover a broad range of endeavors in STEM Education at Clemson University. The ESED program promotes a research-into-practice philosophy, where students are actively involved and shape research projects throughout the program. The department currently offers six research groups from award-winning faculty members.

Effects of mentoring
Broadening participation
Student success in math
Professional development
Equity & access
Collaborative teamwork

Focus Areas

close-up of person working with circuits

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Academic
Department Size

Engineering and Science Education has a small student population, providing a cohesive community built on open dialogues and engagement.

Excellence in Hands-on
Professional Development

Clemson's Center for Career and Professional Development consistently rates high nationally for career services, internships, and co-op opportunities.

Career Services

135K

Research
Expenditure

Research concentrations include teaching modalities to calculus students, best practices for virtual reality, the interaction between student motivation and learning, and the role of technology in broadening participation by infusing culturally relevant pedagogy.

Community

We foster a strong sense of community and collaboration among all ESED members through Seminar Series, Lunch and Learn, Writing Retreats, and Research Group Meetings. Our network includes twelve faculty across several STEM disciplines (bioengineering, mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, geoscience, mathematics, computer science), eleven adjunct faculty, two support staff, and twenty ESED graduate students.

Faculty member and students during writing week

Professional Development

Faculty in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines face intensifying pressures in the 21st century. It is critical to provide STEM faculty with professional development to support their complex roles and base the progress on evidence derived from focused research.

Professional Opportunities

Students regularly present at national and international conferences including the ASEE Annual Conference, National Association in Science Teaching (NARST), Research in Undergraduate Mathematics Ed. (RUME), Geological Society of America (GSA).

Seminars and Conferences

Allison Godwin, Ph.D., a 2014 graduate of the ESED Ph.D. program, continues to excel in her teaching career.

“The Engineering and Science Education Department at Clemson University provided me with the tools and resources to succeed. The faculty-mentored me in ways that pushed me to think critically about my research and education but also supported my growth and development in a nurturing environment. I am truly grateful to be an alumna of such a unique and innovative program.”

Allison Godwin, Ph.D.

Engineering and Science Education