Programme of study for the degree of Doctor of Education 2024/25

Candidates may be accepted for study towards the degree of Doctor of Education in the School of Education. A management committee is responsible for the arrangements for research degree study in this school.

The following may be accepted as candidates for the degree of Doctor of Education:

• graduates of an approved university or equivalent institution who have been awarded at an appropriate standard, a masters degree in a subject area relevant to the proposed research
• graduates of an approved university or equivalent institution with an upper second class honours degree or above in a subject area relevant to the proposed research
• persons holding such other qualifications as may be deemed by the relevant committee, to be acceptable as equivalent to or in lieu of a degree. A candidate applying for acceptance for the degree under these provisions may be required to present evidence of a satisfactory general education or, in the absence of such evidence, may be required to pass an examination to be prescribed in each case by the relevant committee before their acceptance.

Postgraduate researchers (PGRs) who have achieved Masters level accreditation for study within an approved university or equivalent institution may apply for accreditation of up to a maximum of 90 credits in taught components of their EdD programme. PGRs on MA, MEd or MSc programmes in the School of Education, University of Leeds, who wish to cease their MA, MEd or MSc programmes and begin the EdD programme may applyfor accreditation of up to a maximum of 120 credits in taught component.

All applications for such accredited prior learning are considered on their merits and awards of credit transfer are made at the discretion of the management committee, in accordance with published guidelines for the degree, and subject to approval by the relevant University committee. The following will apply:

• a) applications should be made at the time of EdD application and, in all cases, applications must be processed by the end of the first semester
• b) for credit to be eligible for transfer it must have been awarded within five years prior to the commencement of EdD registration
• c) accredited prior learning may be granted only against the taught modules within the EdD programme and may be granted only in so far as the prior learning relates tothe applicant’s proposed EdD programme
• d) accredited prior learning is not allowable, in any circumstances, against the EdD thesis or the thesis preparation components
• e) other arrangements deemed acceptable by the relevant University committee, in lieu of points a) and point (d).

On entry to the degree candidates will declare a specialist field of study, this is a general area in which they will concentrate their studies, and from which they will develop the topic of their thesis. On entry every candidate will be appointed an individual academic supervisor charged with discussing and advising on the coherence of modular choices in relation to the intended thesis area (specialist field of study).

Examples of specialist fields of study include:

• Educational administration and management
• Educational psychology
• Mathematical education
• Policy studies
• Post-compulsory and continuing education
• Lifelong learning
• Primary education
• Science education
• Special education
• TESOL
• Teacher education and mentoring
• ICT in Education
• Vocational education
• Education and Training 14-19
• Adult and continuing education
• Higher and further education.

Additional fields of study will be approved from time to time.

Taught modules

Candidates are required to study modules totalling 150 credits in the absence of Accredited Prior Learning (APL) (this will normally be five 30 credit modules).

The composition of the taught modular courses will be as follows:

A 30-credit research module, depending on the candidate’s area of interest. Candidates should choose one of the following:

• EDUC5044 Research Skills in Education
• EDUC5862 Research with Children and Young People
• EDUC5271 Digital Education Research (online delivery).

Two 15 credit research modules:

• EDUC5062M Qualitative data: processes of collection, interpretation and analysis (15 credits)
• EDUC5063M Introduction to quantitative data analysis (15 credits).

90 credits of thesis-related specialist content modules. The modules available are listed in the University’s taught postgraduate catalogue.

Up to 30 credits of the total 150 credits may be a directed study. Candidates may take either:

• EDUC5053 Directed Study (30 credits) or
• EDUC5055 Directed Study (15 credits).

Part-time candidates upon successful completion of taught modules totalling 120 credits may submit a formal application to the Graduate Board for a six month break from their studies for the purpose of maintaining their professional career. The career break will normally be taken immediately after submission of work totalling 150 credits and never before.

Thesis preparation component and upgrade process

Candidates will in the first instance be accepted to the degree of Provisional EdD. Candidates are required to undertake a supervised study designed to yield the documentation necessary for consideration in the upgrade to full EdD registration process. It will include presentation of relevant literature, indication of research questions, indication of methodology and its rationale (design, including indication of proposed analysis) and a timeline.

The study requirements for all of the taught modules must be completed before the upgrade process can take place. Study requirements refers to attendance at classes, tutorials, etc. rather than to assignment completion or grading, since waiting for the latter could seriously delay the upgrading point. The upgrade point is the point at which the PGR’s progress through the programme components is assessed. For a part-time candidate this will normally be by no later than 36 months of study and for a full-time candidate this will normally be by no later than 24 months of study.

An assessment panel will be established, in accordance with the University’s Code of Practice for Research Degree Candidatures, to assess each candidate for transfer to full EdD registration. The PGR must be interviewed by the assessment panel and this assessment should take the form of a viva voce examination. The panel will assess, as part of the upgrade process, the thesis preparation component and an overall assessment of either satisfactory or unsatisfactory will be made.

A candidate who is initially unsuccessful in the upgrade process may be given, at the discretion of the transfer panel, one further opportunity for review normally within a period of three months (six months at the maximum). Notes for guidance on the preparation of a further submission will be given to the candidate by the transfer panel.

The thesis preparation component will not be graded on a mark scale and will thus not contribute to the profile of assessed module grades. However, a candidate must successfully complete the transfer review process before being permitted to continue with their studies. Following a successful transfer review a recommendation will be sent forward for consideration by the relevant University committee that a candidate be transferred to full EdD status, together with the name(s) of the supervisor(s) and proposed thesis title.

The work contained within the thesis preparation component may subsequently be revised to form part of the thesis.

Research project

Candidates are required to submit a thesis for examination of up to 55,000 words in length in the area of their specialist field of study and satisfy the examiners as specified in Ordinance X and its associated regulations.

Except with the special permission of the relevant committee, every candidate is required to submit their thesis for examination for the degree of Doctor of Education by no later than:

• the end of the fourth year after their entry upon the approved course of full-time study and research or
• the end of the seventh year after their entry upon the approved course of part-time study and research.

Where the progress and quality of the candidate’s research justify it, the relevant committee is empowered to reduce the required minimum period of study, as specified in Article 5 of Ordinance X provided that no candidate shall submit for examination before the completion of:

• a total of two calendar years of full-time study or
• a total of three calendar years of part-time study.

Following examination, the examiners will be asked to make one of the following recommendations:

• a) Pass.
• b) Pass subject to the correction of ‘editorial and presentational corrections’ or ‘minor deficiencies’): these corrections must be made within four or twelve weeks respectively from the date of the oral examination. The internal examiner is responsible for ensuring that minor errors or minor deficiencies are corrected by the candidate. The degree will not be awarded until confirmation that the corrections have been completed is received.
• c) Referral. The recommendation of the examiners is subject to confirmation by the Graduate Board’s Examinations Group which will consider the examiners’ report.
• d) Fail: the candidate has no further opportunity for submission.

If the thesis is not considered to be of sufficiently high standard to recommend the award of the degree but there is evidence of the potential of a successful EdD submission, then on the recommendation of the examiners the candidate will be granted permission to resubmit the work in a revised form for the degree of EdD within a period of eighteen months, on one occasion only and on payment of an additional fee.

See the ‘learning outcomes’ section of this page for the learning outcomes for the degree of Doctor of Education.

Candidates will normally be deemed to have failed the programme and be asked to withdraw if:

• they fail to meet the requirements for modular study namely: marks at or above 60% in 60% of their credits and no mark below 50% in the remaining 40% of their credits
• they fail to satisfy the transfer assessment panel, or
• they fail to satisfy the examiners in the research thesis.

Learning outcomes for taught components

PGRs will be able to:

• demonstrate in-depth, specialist knowledge and mastery of techniques relevant to the discipline and/or to demonstrate a sophisticated understanding of concepts, information and techniques at the forefront of the discipline
• exhibit mastery in the exercise of generic and subject-specific intellectual abilities
• demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of techniques applicable to their own research or advanced scholarship
• take a proactive and self-reflective role in the working and develop professional relationships with others
• proactively formulate ideas and hypotheses and develop, implement and execute plans by which to develop these
• critically and creatively evaluate current issues, research and advanced scholarship in the discipline.

Learning outcomes for research components

PGRs will be able to:

• discover, interpret and communicate new knowledge through original research of publishable quality which would satisfy peer review and/or contribute to scholarship within a professional context
• independently and proactively formulate ideas and design, develop, implement and execute plans by which to evaluate these
• demonstrate systematic and extensive knowledge of the subject and expertise in generic and subject/professional skills
• critically and creatively evaluate current issues, research and advanced scholarship in the relevant field of education
• demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of techniques applicable to own research and engage with the relevant ethical or legal issues in the specialist educational field
• present and defend research outcomes which extend the forefront of the discipline and/or relevant area of professional practice
• take a proactive and self reflective role in working and develop professional relationships with others where appropriate.

PGRs will have had the opportunity to acquire the following abilities through the research training and research specified for the programme:

• the skills necessary for a career as a researcher and/or for employment in a senior and leading capacity in a relevant area of professional/clinical practice or industry
• evaluating their own achievement and that of others
• self-direction and effective decision making in complex and unpredictable situations
• independent learning and the ability to work in a way which ensures continuing professional development.

The learning context will include the critical analysis of, and decision making in, complex and unpredictable professional and/or clinical situations.

The structure of the programme will provide research and/or professional training, breadth and depth of study and opportunities for drawing upon appropriate resources and techniques. This will include clinical skills development.

Opportunities will be provided for PGRs to:

• develop to a high level interests and informed opinions
• develop to a high level their design and management of their learning activities
• develop to a high level their communication of their conclusions
• make an original contribution to the field.

PGRs will be expected to engage in the exercise of autonomous initiative in their study and work in professional environments.

Achievement will be assessed by the examination of the candidate’s thesis and performance under oral examination. During the course of the programme there will also be assessment of achievement by a variety of methods in accordance with the learning outcomes of any taught modules specified for the programme.

Final assessment will involve the achievement of the candidate in:

• evidencing an ability to conduct original and independent broad and in-depth enquiry within the discipline or within different aspects of the area of professional practice normally leading to published work
• drawing on and/or developing a range of research techniques and methodologies appropriate to enquiries into the discipline/area of professional practice
• demonstrating independent critical ability in the application of breadth and depth of knowledge to complex issues within the discipline or specialist area of professional practice
• drawing on a range of perspectives on the area of study
• evaluating and criticising received opinion
• making reasoned and well-informed judgements on complex issues within the specialism whilst understanding the limitations on judgements made in the absence of complete data
• the written style and overall presentation of the thesis.