C02050v1 Doctor of Education

Note(s)

Research degrees are offered on a sponsored, scholarship, faculty part-sponsored, or full fee paying basis. Contact the Faculty or the University Graduate School for further details.

Overview

The Doctor of Education is designed to meet the needs of practitioners who wish to research some aspect of their field of practice. Candidates embark on high-level, practice-based research into one of the areas of research strength in UTS: Education.

The course caters not only for students committed to an academic path, but for senior practitioners from public and private sectors who wish to study and undertake research at the highest level.

Course aims

The purpose of the course is to enhance the practitioner's capacity to question, analyse, critique and develop their profession and its practices. It is a research degree whose purpose is to assist professionals to develop a relationship between research and their professional activities, in areas such as policy development and appraisal, innovation and administration.

Career options

Career options include leadership roles in the education field as an administrator, manager, planner, policy adviser, teacher or trainer, in a government, industrial, commercial or community setting.

Admission requirements

Normal admission requirements are:

• a bachelor's degree with second class honours (division 1) or above, or a master's degree in education or a related discipline
• evidence of a strong academic record, based on previous study and/or on relevant publications (applicants are required to provide UTS: Education with a copy of a previously completed thesis, piece of substantial academic writing or research report as part of their evidence of academic record)
• evidence of research capacity, based on successful completion of research-related coursework and/or successful completion of previous research, and
• development of a brief research proposal that indicates a scope and standard appropriate to an educational doctoral degree.

Course duration and attendance

The maximum course duration is four years of full-time, or eight years of part-time study. Students can complete in less than the maximum time.

This course is normally completed on a part-time basis, taking between three and four-and-a-half years. Students continue their professional work while they study.

For all courses involving a major thesis, there is provision for early submission of the thesis on application.

Course structure

The Doctor of Education is structured into two phases. Phase 1 (the first two semesters) involves a structured foundation of research development workshops, in which participants work collaboratively with their supervisors, other academics and fellow students to develop their research proposals. Students can enter the EdD having professional experience as well as having demonstrated potential to do research. There are specific skills and capabilities required of doctoral level research and study, which are systematically developed through these workshops, with a particular focus on researching practice and on the development of a portfolio. A formal doctoral assessment is undertaken at the end of Phase 1 in which candidates present a full proposal for assessment, which is a prerequisite for entering Phase 2.

In Phase 2, candidates develop their individual program of research which makes a sustained contribution to some aspect of professional practice and which is presented in a portfolio of outcomes. Each portfolio is developed according to a negotiated process with supervisors, and is accompanied by a meta-statement establishing the scale and standard of work. They participate in a range of research and development activities throughout this phase to assist them in developing the capabilities of a successful doctoral graduate in education.

Course completion requirements

Other information

Further information is available from the UTS Student Centre on: