The PhD in education program is specifically designed for professional practitioners in education, including those in public or private schools, community or government agencies, professional associations, and other education-related settings. Like other education doctorates, this degree program includes study and practice of educational and counselling research as well as study and application of theory and practice in the fields of education and counselling.
A PhD in education program is designed to provide advanced professional education:
To improve knowledge and skills useful in current or planned educational and counselling roles
To improve the ability to analyze current social, economic, political, and ethical issues and concerns in their relationship to various educational and community situations and activities
The actual time required for completion of the program depends on the individual qualifications and interests of the student and generally takes about two years for students entering with a BED degree to satisfy course work requirements.
Selected majors/areas of research for a PhD in Education include
Counseling and Development
Early Childhood Education
Education Leadership
Education Policy
Educational Psychology
Higher Education
International Education
Instructional Technology
Literacy and Reading
Mathematics Education Leadership
Multilingual/Multicultural Education
Research Methodology
Science Education Leadership
Special Education
Teaching and Teacher Education
Students in an education doctoral program must pass a written and oral qualifying exam and then complete and formally defend a doctoral dissertation based on original research. In general, all education PhD programs require that successful candidates for the degree demonstrate:
The ability to conduct independent research at a high level, leading to completion of a dissertation which is defended before a committee of scholars. Because examinations given as part of a PhD curriculum assess expert knowledge, they are created and evaluated by a committee of experts, each of whom holds a PhD degree
Proficiency in the tools necessary to carry out this research, including but not limited to computer skills and bibliographic competence
Mastery of general and specific subject matter in the field of study before a committee of scholars.
Part- and full-time study options, along with various delivery modes - residential programs, distance education programs and online programs - are also available. North American PhD programs welcome foreign students in education. However, fluency in spoken and written English is critically important.
