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Doctor of Education (EdD) – blended/online

In addition to the Faculty of Graduate Studies admission requirements, Graduate Programs in Education requires:

a) A course or thesis-based master’s degree in an appropriate field.

b) A minimum grade point average of 3.50 on a four-point scale in a master’s degree program.

c) A written statement indicating the applicant’s reasons for wishing to pursue a graduate program.

d) Candidates will be expected to have, or obtain, relevant practical experience in their area of specialization.

e) For applicants required to prove proficiency in English, a TOEFL score of 580 (paper-based), 93 (Internet-based test), a MELAB score of 82 or an IELTS score of 7.0. The test must have been taken within the last two years. Proficiency may also be met by successful graduation from Level III of the English for Academic Purposes (EAP) program.

f) Two reference letters.

Admission Portfolio

Applicants to the Doctor of Education program are encouraged to submit an Admission Portfolio containing examples of their work. The purpose of the Admission Portfolio is to give applicants the opportunity to provide additional documentation that demonstrates their suitability and qualification for doctoral studies. The Admission Portfolio is particularly relevant for program applicants who do not hold a thesis-based master’s degree.

The Doctoral Admission Portfolio may contain the following:

a) Thesis (if applicable).

b) Reports.

c) Research grants or scholarships.

d) Articles.

e) Curriculum documents.

f) Non-print materials, e.g., multimedia.

g) Evidence of relevant prior learning (see below).

h) Personal statement documenting research and professional skills and interests.

The Doctoral Admission Portfolios must include a Table of Contents and an Executive Summary that outlines the contents of the Portfolio.

Relevant Prior Learning Considerations

In exceptional circumstances, individuals who do not meet formal academic requirements but who have significant life achievements may be considered for admission to the program. The candidates must provide Graduate Programs in Education with evidence demonstrating a potential to undertake successfully the proposed program of studies. Such candidates are advised to make early contact with Graduate Programs in Education, and supply additional supporting documents as part of their application package, such as:

a) Evidence of personal continuing education/training.

b) Results in these continuing education efforts.

c) Experience in a field related to the aspired degree.

d) Evidence of successful management of people, resources, finances, situations.

e) Increasing or varying responsible positions in organizations related to the aspired degree.

f) Work-related products, e.g. reports, programs of learning or training, handbooks, videos, manuals, workshops, seminars.

g) Evidence of personal growth in knowledge, understanding, management skills, and intellectual resources.

h) Evidence of innovation.

i) Evidence of leadership, co-ordination.

The deadline for the submission of complete applications to all programs is December 1 for July admission.

The applicant must make advanced credit requests as part of the admission process. Credit will not be given for course work taken as part of another completed degree/diploma, or for courses taken to bring grade point average to a required level for admission.

The EdD is a three-year cohort-based program consisting of:

a) Course work;

b) Candidacy examination; and

c) Dissertation.

Year 1 - is designed primarily to develop students' competencies as critical consumers of educational research, and skills to conduct practitioner-inquiry. As outlined within the program to which the student has applied, first year students must complete:

a) Six units (1.0 full-course equivalent) in research: Participatory Methodology in Education (Educational Research 701.09), and either Design-Based Research (Educational Research 701.07) or Action Research (Educational Research 701.08).

b) Six units (1.0 full-course equivalent) in the Specialization area to which the student has applied.

Year 2 - is designed to engage students in an in-depth analysis of an identified problem of practice through diverse academic disciplines (e.g., leadership, adult learning, etc.). Specialization coursework exposes students to context specific best practices and cutting edge research and emphasizes the application of theory and research to practice within collaboratories of practice. As outlined within the program to which the student has applied, students must complete:

a) Six units (1.0 full-course equivalent) in the Specialization area.

b) Six units (1.0 full-course equivalent) in Specialization's Collaboratory of Practice (Educational Research 707 and 708).

c) Candidacy examination.

Year 3 - is designed to support students in synthesizing their Year 2 inquiry projects into a dissertation. Students work collaboratively with faculty and practitioners from their field to complete a dissertation that addresses a contemporary issue in education. As outlined within the program to which the student has applied, students must complete:

a) Ethics approval (see below);

b) Dissertation Seminar I;

c) Dissertation Seminar II; and

d) Doctoral Dissertation.

Ethics approval is required for all research projects involving the use of human subjects, before data collection begins. In order to submit an ethics application, students must complete Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans: A Concise, Online Tutorial, , and attach the certificate issued upon completion to the ethics application form.

To initiate the ethics approval process, the student must submit a copy of the application (available on the Research Services website) to the Conjoint Faculties Research Ethics Board or the Conjoint Health Research Ethics Board.

None.

Graduate Programs in Education does not normally accept undergraduate courses for credit toward graduate degrees.

Expected completion for students in the EdD program is three years with a maximum completion time of six years.

An interim supervisor is normally appointed at the time of admission.

In addition to the Faculty of Graduate Studies requirements, the program requires:

Candidacy

A portfolio will be prepared by the student to demonstrate his/her knowledge of the Field of Study and preparedness to conduct research in this field. The portfolio consists of three components:

a) Research Proposal: A written research proposal that contains in-depth analysis of the key components and relationships germane to a problem of practice that will form the basis for the dissertation work. The essay will include:

1. A discussion of the proposed problem of practice and its significance and potential to contribute to the field;
2. A multi-dimensional graphic (“concept map”) that provides a conceptual lens that will be used to frame the problem of practice – a lens that includes specific references to the theoretical and research-based literature and to the data and information collected for the course-based projects in each of the core courses;
3. A concise review of the background literature;
4. Methods to be applied to the examination of the problem of practice; and
5. A timetable and, if appropriate, discussion of such matters as funding, field logistics, scheduling, and so on.

The proposal must be well thought-out, carefully written and edited, and finished with appropriate references and illustrations.

b) Papers Written: The second component of the portfolio is an appendix that includes final copies of the papers written in each of the core specialization courses.

c) Reflective Self-Analysis: the final component of the portfolio, candidates include a reflective, self-analysis of how their thinking as an educational professional has changed over the course of the program.

The candidacy exam consists of examination of the portfolio assessed according to criteria articulated in a rubric and an oral examination of the research proposal within 28 months from the program start date.

Thesis

The doctoral thesis is the focus of the degree program. In consultation with the supervisor, the student will undertake a thematic or field-based thesis (see course descriptions for further information).

Thesis Examination

Scheduling of the Examination

All members of the Supervisory Committee must have reviewed the student’s draft thesis document before an examination can be scheduled.

Composition of the Committee

The Internal Examiner may be internal to the home program.

The Research Proposal is the first component of the portfolio and will be examined as part of the candidacy process.

None.

Financial assistance may be available to qualified students. For information on awards, see the Awards and Financial Assistance section of this Calendar.

Students applying for scholarships must submit their applications to Graduate Programs in Education by February 1.

For further information contact Graduate Programs in Education, .

Current faculty members and their areas of interest can be found at .