The School of Educational Studies (SES) at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Hyderabad was established in 2011. Since then it has been working towards its goal of ensuring quality education. The School has sought to achieve its objectives through academic programmes offered at the institute and also through initiatives and activities that enable direct engagement with the different levels of school and higher education and the diverse stakeholders in the field. The vision document of the SES emphasises the core principle of striking a balance between academic excellence and critically engaging with the practice of teaching and training in schools as well as institutes of higher education. The School offers Ph.D. in Education and Master of Arts in Education.

The MA Education programme is spread over four semesters, i.e. across two years. The programme introduces students to educational thought and practice across the globe and in India. It seeks to develop a deeper understanding of contemporary educational discourses, socio-cultural influences, and alignment with multiple perspectives on education. The diverse student backgrounds are an asset that contribute to a deeper understanding of educational issues. The semester breaks are utilised for experiential learning through internships. They provide a basis for anchoring conceptual understanding in the taught courses. Students also get an additional opportunity to explore and study in depth an area of their interest through research work required for the submission of their dissertations.

The Ph.D. programme seeks to develop researchers who can help strengthen the domain of education. The Doctoral students are expected to complete their coursework during the first semester and go on to the field for their research and submit the dissertation by the end of the third year. The courses offered as part of the programme seek to integrate learning from the field and build a conceptual understanding of educational content and discourse in regional settings.  

The faculty is involved in educational research, curriculum development, training and evaluation. As part of these projects, new knowledge is disseminated through educational resources (print and digital) that are developed. The School collaborates with central and state governments as well as International bodies to strengthen education at all levels. In particular, SES has been involved with research in the areas of inclusive education, early literacy, science education, assessments and evaluation studies, education for sustainable development and higher education. Furthermore, the School’s talk series, ‘Conversations’ provides a platform for all stakeholders to deliberate on issues of relevance for education.