The Education Ph.D. at the University of Maine is an innovative doctoral program designed to provide students with a cross-disciplinary understanding of educational issues. We prepare future scholars, educational leaders, teacher-educators and policymakers to confront the complicated challenges in modern education, especially in rural settings. Our students can tailor their studies to match their research interests by choosing an area of specialization. For doctoral students interested in studying issues in PreK-12 education, our specializations include Literacy Education, Prevention and Intervention Studies, and STEM Education. We also offer an individually designed program, as well as a doctoral program for graduate students interested in issues in Higher Education. Students in each of our specializations work across disciplines to seek innovative solutions to everyday problems in the field of education. This model emphasizes the benefits of team learning to show how professionals from different theoretical and practical backgrounds can address everyday problems faced by schools and other educational institutions.<br><br>The STEM Education Ph.D. is an interdisciplinary degree program for those who have an interest in improving the quality of science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) education through research. The concentration is housed in the College of Education and Human Development (COEHD) and governed by an interdisciplinary committee consisting of STEM education faculty associated with COEHD and the Maine Center for Research in STEM Education (RiSE Center). The program prepares people for faculty positions in STEM education research.