PhD (Professional) Education

The PhD (Professional) Education is a doctoral research programme of equivalent standing to the traditional Doctor of Philosophy, with a focus on research and professional practice. The course is designed for current and future educators who wish to conduct original research relating to their professional context or area of educational practice, and aims to support the dissemination, development, and management of a range of professional practice and policy development. Students undertake four core modules and one optional module, followed by a thesis stage, during which they conduct field work, analyse their data in light of existing knowledge, and write a thesis for examination.

The modular stage aims to help students refine their research topic and identify specific research questions through a critical review of literature. Optional modules offer students the opportunity to design a pilot study for their thesis research or gain research experience by assisting on a research project led by academic staff. The thesis stage requires rigorous data collection and analysis in order to produce a 60,000-word thesis that systematically presents the research, learning, and contribution to knowledge.

Throughout the duration of the programme, students are part of a diverse, supportive, and intellectually challenging research environment in the School of Education. In addition to the programme requirements, all students are encouraged to engage in broader postgraduate training opportunities, present their work to academic audiences, and communicate the significance of their research to colleagues and peers. Achieving the award of PhD (Professional) is recognition not only of an original contribution to knowledge, but also of the students' ability to continue to undertake pure and/or applied research and development at doctoral level.