Location: Campus of study will vary depending on the location of the candidate, the supervisor and the research field
Duration: 4 years or equivalent part-time
Intake: Throughout the year
Entry Requirements: Usual requirements for entry would include a teaching qualification with honours or an educational postgraduate coursework qualification and/or extensive teaching experience.
Fees: No fees for Domestic Candidates as they are provided with a Commonwealth Research Training Scheme place.
About the Degree:
The Doctor of Education is a professional doctorate, a qualification designed to extend industry and professional practice in a chosen area. This degree involves 3-4 years of specialised professional learning that aims to advance knowledge and practice. It is supported by coursework and includes a research component resulting in the production of an externally examined 80,000 word thesis, or equivalent, written in English.
The research topic for a doctorate in the Faculty of Education will reflect the candidate’s own interests and the research expertise of their supervisors. Further information on the research areas in the Faculty, please use the keyword "Education" from the Web Access Research Portal (WARP) site.
Potential projects may be linked to:
-
Curriculum reform/ development across the school, in relation to a particular year group, a specific learning area, or group of students (e.g. gifted and talented);
The research component can be undertaken in a number of formats:
Admission & Prerequisites
Applicants should apply after finding a potential supervisor and discussing and agreeing on their proposed topic. Applicants will be considered who have:
- Bachelor of Education (Honours) or equivalent degree with a major research project
- Master of Education
- Extensive relevant industry experience
Course Objectives
A Doctor of Education produces individuals who can apply a substantial body of knowledge to research, investigate and develop new knowledge, in one or more fields of investigation, scholarship or professional practice.
Career outcomes
In Australia and around the world, EdD graduates are highly regarded as potential employees. The skills and attributes gained in the degree can be the entry to a post doctoral career at a university, and an EdD is also valued highly for positions in the education and other related sectors.
International Students:
International students are not eligible to undertake the Doctor of Education.
- The Doctor of Education consists of 4 coursework units and a thesis. The course is 30% coursework and 70% research.
- All students who are enrolled in an EdD should be enrolled in the EdD program and also complete the coursework units EPA950, EPA951, EPA952, and EPA953 in order. Students typically undertake one unit per semester.
- From the beginning of enrolment, and throughout the course, supervisors and students should be in ongoing discussions about the research component of the degree. The last two units are designed to ensure that you acquire specific skills and knowledge needed to complete your particular project and hence are guided by the supervisors.
The four units that comprise the EdD coursework are:
- EPA950 – Understanding Educational Inquiry
This unit develops an understanding of education in a global society as well as an understanding of how we know about education and, how to read, and act on, educational research in order to strengthen the nexus between research and practice. It recognises the cross-disciplinary approach that characterises work in this field. A primary concern of the unit is the development of students' awareness of research concepts, methods, and techniques as they are applicable to the social and behavioural sciences.
The unit is taught with students enrolled in ESH714. A unit coordinator teaches the unit and assesses the work.
- EPA951 – Foundations of Educational Research
This unit provides an introduction to research approaches and techniques relevant to undertaking research projects in education. The unit is designed to engage students at a sufficient breadth and depth to enable them to (a) identify a researchable issue, topic or question, (b) identify and plan a research approach appropriate for a project, (c) conceptualise and construct a human ethics application and (c) argue a coherent methodology.
The unit is taught with students enrolled in ESM708. A unit coordinator teaches the unit and assesses the work.
- EPA952 – Critical Review of Literature
This unit is designed for EdD candidates in the first stage of coursework to prepare them to situate themselves as researching professionals and at the same time enhance their own expertise in developing a literature review. The unit provides students with the opportunity to engage with relevant research literature and develop an argument using the literature, which relates to the study.
The unit is negotiated between student and supervisor, and will specifically be adapted to the student’s selected field of study and relevant literature for that field.
The Graduate Research Coordinator is the nominal unit coordinator but supervisor/s teach the unit and assess the work.
- EPA953 – Research Methods and Data Analysis
Like EPA952, this unit is designed for EdD candidates in the first stage of coursework to prepare them to situate themselves as researching professionals and at the same time enhance their own expertise in relevant methodological techniques and/or approaches. The unit provides students with the opportunity to engage with relevant research literature related to methodology. The unit is negotiated between student and supervisor, and will specifically be adapted to the student’s selected field of study and relevant methodology for that field.
The Graduate Research Coordinator is the nominal unit coordinator but supervisor/s teach the unit and assess the work.
Enrolment details
To enrol in each of EPA950, EPA951, EPA952, and EPA953, students need to email an enrolment request for the relevant unit to Judith Hoff at the Graduate Research Office (Judith.Hoff@utas.edu.au), copying the email to Education.Research@utas.edu.au and their supervisors. Online enrolment is not possible.
The University of Tasmania offer a range of exciting research opportunities and we seek to provide quality supervision and a supportive and stimulating research culture for all candidates.
A Higher Degree by Research provides candidates with an opportunity to undertake focussed research under supervision for several years in order to make a significant contribution within the chosen research area.
Applications may be submitted anytime throughout the year. Applications are assessed by a committee at the end of each month.
If you would like to apply for a Higher Degree by Research please first submit an Expression of Interest.
- The Expression of Interest is not intended to be a final or worked up version of the research you may eventually do.
- Submitting the Expression of Interest does not guarantee a place in our degrees.
- Following the completion of an Expression of Interest, applications for a Higher Degree by Research is made to the Education Faculty Research Office.
- Once applications have been appraised by the faculty, they are forwarded to the university graduate research office for decision.
- The graduate research office will communicate application results with applicants.
