The Ph.D. in Education program at Claremont Graduate University is a research-intensive program aimed at preparing future leaders in the field of education. The program focuses on examining critical issues in education policy, administration, learning sciences, and education reform. Students get opportunities to collaborate with leading researchers and professionals to explore and address complex educational challenges. The curriculum emphasizes the importance of diversity and inclusion, cross-cultural competency, and education effectiveness, helping students develop into well-rounded educators and leaders. The program is designed to cater to both full-time students and working professionals.

The Claremont Graduate University (CGU) is a private, all-graduate research university in Claremont, California. Founded in 1925, CGU is a member of the Claremont Colleges consortium which includes five undergraduate and two graduate institutions of higher education.

The university is organized into seven separate units: the School of Arts & Humanities; School of Community & Global Health; Drucker School of Management; School of Educational Studies; the School of Social Science, Policy, & Evaluation; the Center for Information Systems & Technology; and the Institute of Mathematical Sciences. It is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity."

Founded in 1925, CGU was the second of the Claremont Colleges to form, following Pomona College and preceding Scripps College. The school has undergone several name changes since its inception. After being called Claremont University College for 37 years, in 1962 the school officially became known as Claremont Graduate School and University Center. Five years later, in 1967, the name was again changed to Claremont University Center, and in 1998 it acquired the name Claremont Graduate University.

The Claremont Colleges were designed to incorporate the Oxford Model of higher education. Instead of one large university composed of several separate schools, the Claremont Colleges are made up of different institutions designed around differing theories of pedagogy. CGU was founded upon the principle that graduate education is separate and distinct from undergraduate education. Students discover and cultivate their disciplines during undergraduate course work; at CGU students continue cultivation of their own disciplines, but are also expected to augment this with research that incorporates other disciplines as well. This is called "Transdisciplinarity" and is an essential component of Claremont Graduate University's functioning theory of pedagogy.

The school is home to more than 2,000 master's and PhD students, as well as approximately 200 full and part-time faculty members. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has classified Claremont Graduate University as a CompDoc/NMedVet: Comprehensive doctoral (no medical/veterinary) with high research activity. Its seven academic units and other related programs and institutes award master's and/or doctoral degrees in 31 disciplines. Enrollment is limited and classes are small. In 2018, the university also introduced its first online master's degree programs.