Ph.D. in
Education and Society

Dr. Juan Carlos Oyanedel

Program Director

juan.oyanedel@unab.cl
Dra. Carol Flores

Academic Secretary

carol.flores@unab.cl

Degree

Ph.D. in Education and Society

Duration

8 Semesters

School

Education and Humanities

Brochure

View Brochure

2027 Admission

The 2027 admissions process for this Ph.D. program closed on October 4.

 

 

Overview

The Ph.D. in Education and Society is a multidisciplinary program offered by the School of Education and Humanities at Universidad Andrés Bello (UNAB). It was created as part of the University’s commitment to advanced human capital development and research on education as a social phenomenon.

 

General Objective

The Ph.D. in Education and Society seeks to train independent researchers with advanced expertise in analyzing the relationships between education and society. Graduates will generate new knowledge in one of the Program’s Research Lines, communicate that knowledge orally and in writing through scholarly publication and scientific outreach, and demonstrate the leadership required to direct multidisciplinary research teams.

Specific Objectives

The Program’s specific objectives are:

  • Provide students with advanced knowledge of quantitative and qualitative research methods from the social sciences and humanities, as applied to the Program’s Research Lines: Well-Being and Social-Emotional Education; Language, Education, and Society; and Public Policy in Education.
  • Develop the skills and attitudes graduates need to formulate and conduct research projects independently and ethically and to lead multidisciplinary research teams.
  • Contribute to the generation of new knowledge in education and society through research and scholarly publications.

Graduate Profile

Graduates of the Ph.D. in Education and Society at UNAB can understand and analyze education and its relationship with society across a range of settings and contexts through a multidisciplinary research approach. They have a strong foundation in specialized social sciences and humanities methodologies that enables them to conduct original, independent research in Language, Education, and Society; Well-Being and Social-Emotional Education; and Public Policy in Education. Their research contributes to disciplinary knowledge and addresses contemporary educational and social needs. Graduates can participate in multidisciplinary research teams in public- and private-sector organizations in education and related fields.

Program Research Lines

This Research Line focuses on subjective, organizational, and community well-being and on identifying and preventing risk factors in educational and social contexts. It seeks to contribute to the development of personal and social indicators that foster well-being within the educational community from a social-ecological perspective.

This Research Line focuses on the processes through which people understand and produce language as a means of representing, understanding, and participating in different sociocultural and educational contexts, in both first and second languages, within contemporary educational and social settings.

This Research Line focuses on monitoring and analyzing education policy to understand its underlying concepts, design and implementation rationales, and evaluation processes and models, thereby generating relevant knowledge to improve educational quality.

Well-Being and Social-Emotional Education

This Research Line focuses on subjective, organizational, and community well-being and on identifying and preventing risk factors in educational and social contexts. It seeks to contribute to the development of personal and social indicators that foster well-being within the educational community from a social-ecological perspective.

Language, Education, and Society

This Research Line focuses on the processes through which people understand and produce language as a means of representing, understanding, and participating in different sociocultural and educational contexts, in both first and second languages, within contemporary educational and social settings.

Public Policy in Education

This Research Line focuses on monitoring and analyzing education policy to understand its underlying concepts, design and implementation rationales, and evaluation processes and models, thereby generating relevant knowledge to improve educational quality.

Program Curriculum

Curriculum map showing obligatory courses, electives, and thesis activities across years and semesters (Año 1–4, Semestres I–VIII).

Ph.D. Program Professors

Patricio Aroca

Ph.D. in Economics, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, United States

Research Line: Public Policy in Education

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Gerardo Bañales

Ph.D. in Psychology, Ramon Llull University, Spain

Research Line: Language, Education, and Society

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Niklas Bornhauser

Ph.D. in Philosophy, Complutense University of Madrid, Spain

Research Line: Language, Education, and Society

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Patricio Cabello

Ph.D. in Social Psychology, Complutense University of Madrid, Spain

Research Line: Well-Being and Social-Emotional Education

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Cristian Céspedes

Ph.D. in Psychology, Health, and Quality of Life, University of Girona, Spain

Research Line: Well-Being and Social-Emotional Education

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Jorge Chávez

Ph.D. in Psychology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain

Research Line: Public Policy in Education

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Luis Felipe de la Vega

Ph.D. in Education Sciences, Pontifical Catholic University of Chile

Research Line: Public Policy in Education

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Carla Fardella

Ph.D. in Social Psychology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain

Research Line: Public Policy in Education

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Carol Flores

Ph.D. in Public Health, University of Chile

Research Line: Public Policy in Education

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Sergio Fuentealba-Urra

Ph.D. in Psychology, Health, and Quality of Life, University of Girona, Spain

Research Line: Well-Being and Social-Emotional Education

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Javiera García-Meneses

Ph.D. in Psychology, Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso, Chile

Research Line: Public Policy in Education

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Frano Giakoni

Ph.D. in Sports Sciences, UCAM Catholic University of Murcia, Spain

Research Line: Public Policy in Education

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Pablo González

Ph.D. in Economics, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom

Research Line: Public Policy in Education

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Steffanie Kloss

Ph.D. in Linguistics, University of Concepción, Chile

Research Line: Language, Education, and Society

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Peodair Leihy

Ph.D. in Education, University of Melbourne, Australia

Research Line: Public Policy in Education

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Gonzalo Maier

Ph.D. in Arts, Radboud University, Netherlands

Research Line: Language, Education, and Society

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Jonathan Martínez-Líbano

Ph.D. in Clinical and Health Psychology, International Iberoamerican University, Mexico

Research Line: Well-Being and Social-Emotional Education

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Andrés Mendiburo

Ph.D. in Psychology, University of the Basque Country, Spain

Research Line: Well-Being and Social-Emotional Education

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Michelle Mendoza

Ph.D. in Education, Complutense University of Madrid, Spain

Research Line: Public Policy in Education

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Juan Carlos Oyanedel

Ph.D. in Law, King's College London, United Kingdom

Research Line: Well-Being and Social-Emotional Education

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Rodolfo Paredes

Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences, University of Chile

Research Line: Public Policy in Education

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Ximena Poblete

Ph.D. in Education, UCL Institute of Education, United Kingdom

Research Line: Public Policy in Education

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Maritza Rosas-Maldonado

Ph.D. in Applied Linguistics, University of Liverpool, United Kingdom

Research Line: Language, Education, and Society

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Andrés Rubio

Ph.D. in Psychology, University of Girona, Spain

Research Line: Well-Being and Social-Emotional Education

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Hugo Simkin

Ph.D. in Psychology, National University of La Plata, Argentina

Research Line: Well-Being and Social-Emotional Education

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René Valdés

Ph.D. in Psychology, Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso, Chile

Research Line: Public Policy in Education

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Fernando Valenzuela

Ph.D. in Sociology, University of Lucerne, Switzerland

Research Line: Public Policy in Education

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Gabriela Vásquez

Ph.D. in Social Sciences Education, University of Valladolid, Spain

Research Line: Public Policy in Education

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Liliana Vásquez-Rocca

Ph.D. in Linguistics, Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso, Chile

Research Line: Language, Education, and Society

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Rodrigo Yañez

Ph.D. in Physical Activity and Sports Sciences, University of León, Spain

Research Line: Public Policy in Education

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Collaborating Faculty

Jaime Fauré

Ph.D. in Educational Psychology, University of Barcelona, Spain

Alejandro Pérez

Ph.D. in Education, University of Santiago de Chile

Mauricio Valdivia

Ph.D. in Psychology, Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina, and Ph.D. in Behavior and Personality, University of Barcelona, Spain

Requirements

Applicants to the Ph.D. in Education and Society must hold a bachelor’s or master’s degree in education, the social sciences, the humanities, or a related field. Professionals from other disciplines who have relevant experience in the Program’s field of study may also apply.

A. Application Requirements

Applicants must submit the following documents:

  • Application Form (see below). Download and complete it with the requested information.
  • Notarized copy of the academic degree certificate*
  • Undergraduate transcript
  • Undergraduate class-ranking certificate
  • If the applicant has completed graduate studies, a notarized copy of the graduate degree certificate and transcript
  • Copy of the national identity card (front and back) or digital birth certificate; international applicants without a Chilean identity card may submit a copy of their passport
  • Certificate of English proficiency (if available)
  • Doctoral Dissertation Proposal (see template)
  • Two letters of recommendation sent by the recommenders from their own email addresses to desoc@unab.cl (see template)

* Foreign academic degrees must be equivalent to those specified in the Program Decree. If selected, the applicant must submit to the Ph.D. Program Office all documentation required by the University to complete the enrollment process.

Complete List of Documents Application Form Recommendation Letter Doctoral Project Form

Current Decree and Regulations

Current Internal Regulations Ph.D. Studies Regulations
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