Education Doctorate (EdD)

About the Course

The Doctor of Education (EdD) has been specifically designed to meet the needs of educational professionals in teaching, management or administration in a range of sectors. Students recruited to the programme come from occupations such as teaching, advisory roles, police work, social work and in the health sector, and often but not always hold senior positions. Common to them all is a desire to pursue an area of research related to and drawing on their professional work, and with the aim of creating new knowledge, applications and understanding that will bring both personal benefits and for the wider professional community.

There is a strong emphasis on individualised learning and personal critical reflection related to professional identities, values and contexts. The programme provides a structured environment in which students engage at an advanced level with a range of academic and professional issues relevant to their own practice. The learning and teaching strategy seeks to develop the three key skills of independent learning, independent research, and sustained critical and self-reflexive analysis integrating academic and professional considerations.

The programme is divided into two parts. In the first of these, students undertake three ‘strands’ of taught study (equalling 40 credits each). This is followed by the writing of a substantial research proposal (60 credits), which forms a good foundation for the supervised thesis in part 2, on a research question broadly related to professional practice.

Download the Doctor of Education course leaflet 

For further guidance download our Professional Doctorates - Application FAQ's and Professional Doctorates Help Sheet - Accreditation of Prior Learning

Hear about the Doctor of Education (EdD) course from one of our current students 

Curriculum Overview

Part 1 - Year 1

• Engaging with Research - Knowledge, Truth and Values in Research
• Yourself as Researcher - Professional Identity and Values
• Research Skills and Methods
• Research Proposal

Part 1 - Year 2-3

• Engaging with Research - Research, Policy and Practice
• Yourself as Researcher - Practitioner Research in Context
• Research Skills and Methods (continued)
• Research Proposal (continued)

Part 2 - Years 3-5

• Dissertation phase
• 50-60,000 word dissertation to submit

The programme seeks to support students’ development as autonomous, ethical and self-reflective researchers. It also seeks to provide the foundations for students to conceive, design, implement and adapt a substantial process of research which makes a contribution that extends the frontier of knowledge in a relevant field.

As with any doctoral programme, there is a strong emphasis on independent, self-directed learning. Teaching and assessment will endeavour to promote individualized learning and personal critical reflection related to professional identities, values and contexts.

The course will provide a structured environment in which students can engage at an advanced level with a range of academic and professional issues relevant to their own practice. The learning and teaching strategy seeks to develop the three key skills of independent learning, independent research, and sustained critical and self-reflexive analysis.

Therefore, the major emphasis is on encouraging independent, self-reflexive and active learning with tutors providing appropriate direction, support and challenge.

Entry Requirements

A minimum of a Second-Class Honours degree in a relevant discipline awarded by a UK university, or an equivalent higher education qualification.

Applicants should also have at least three years’ experience of professional practice relevant to the programme of study. A Master’s degree in a relevant discipline from a UK University (or an equivalent qualification from outside the UK) is desirable.

Applicants who do not satisfy the above requirements may nevertheless be considered eligible for admission if they have relevant experience. Such applicants may be asked to submit a written review of contemporary issues in their field that is judged by the University to demonstrate both a critical understanding of those issues and the potential to undertake research at doctoral level.

Applicants must be able to demonstrate a high level of competence in written and spoken English.

International Entry Requirements

For students whose first language is not English there is a language requirement of IELTS 6.5 overall with 6.0 minimum of all components. In addition to this, we also accept a wide range of International Qualifications, for more information please visit our English Language Requirements page.

For additional information about country specific entry requirements visit the your country pages. 

Teaching and Research

Part 1 of the doctorate is taught over 5 weekends per year, in October, December, February, March and May. Each weekend begins around 1pm Friday, and continues until 5pm Saturday, with a mix of interactive workshop and seminar discussions around key readings and tasks. Admission to the Professional Doctorate is limited to a small cohort each year, and sharing your independent reading and professional expertise is an important part of the learning experience. All of the modules and assessments are designed to support you in the development of your independent research proposal.

An annual conference is held in the summer, bringing together students on all phases of the professional doctorate, at Liverpool Hope, St Mary's University Twickenham and Newman University Birmingham.

At the end of Part 1, students' research proposals are assessed at a Confirmation of Doctoral Study Interview, after which they are allocated a supervisory team. Supervisors meet with students in the research phase of their doctorate on a monthly basis, to provide advice and guidance as students prepare their doctoral thesis.

We particularly encourage applications from students whose research interests fall within the expertise of our four Research Centres:

The Centre for Education and Policy Analysis 

The Centre for Disability Studies 

The Childhood Research Forum 

UK/EU Tuition Fees

Visit our Postgraduate research tuition fees page for full details

Funding

We offer a number of scholarships and loans to help fund your postgraduate studies. Visit our scholarships pages for more details.

International Tuition Fees

Visit our Postgraduate research tuition fees page for full details

Students on this course may be eligible for Doctoral Loans to cover the cost of study, click here for further details.

Careers

Students on the Professional Doctorate are usually experienced professionals. Our students come from a range of professions engaging with childhood, education and social care. Past students have included senior teachers, headteachers and senior leaders in schools, school inspectors, civil servants and independent consultants, Higher Education lecturers and support staff, social workers, chaplains and special educational needs co-ordinators.

The Professional Doctorate focuses on enabling our graduates to become researching professionals. For some, this means a move into Higher Education, but for many others, it is about taking a critical, evidence-informed perspective at a senior level within their professional setting.

The design of the course, with its weekend delivery and focus on researching practice, is designed to accommodate students with busy professional careers.