Doctor of Education (DEDU) - EdD

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Program focus

The Doctor of Education is appropriately regarded as the advanced study of professional practice, set within a research context. It combines structured coursework with research. Areas of specialisation for selection of research topics include: Curriculum and Pedagogy, Early Childhood Education, Education Technology, Online Education and Flexible Learning, Further Education and Training, Guidance and Counselling, Language Education, Leadership and Management in Education, Mathematics Education, Primary Middle and Secondary Schooling, Science Education, Second Language Learning and Teaching, Special Education, Bilingual Education and CALL, Teacher Professional Development.

Program objectives

The goal of the Doctor of Education degree is to develop leading professionals in education.

The specific objectives are to:

• promote the advancement of knowledge relating to professional practice and leadership in education

• enable competent, committed educational professionals to pursue personal goals of advanced scholarship in relation to their areas of specialisation

• provide opportunities for doctoral students whose preferences for learning incorporate both individual and collegial processes of inquiry.

Admission requirements

Places in the Doctor of Education are limited by the availability of supervision and entry is competitive.

Applications close 31st of May and 31st of October each year.

To be considered eligible for admission to the Doctor of Education, applicants must:

• have completed a Master of Education (8 Units) or equivalent degree with better than a 'credit' average (GPA of at least 5.2 on the USQ 7 point scale or GPA of at least 3.5 on a 4 point scale) or an Honours (I or IIa) degree in Education from a recognised university

• have a minimum of three years professional experience in education or training and be currently employed in professional educational practice

• have submitted a completed application form and an addendum that addresses the five questions posed by the Faculty of Education.

  • 1. The features of your vocational background which provide you with a foundation for doctoral study and research relating to professional leadership in education (150 words).

  • 2. The features of the USQ professional doctorate that appear to suit your particular needs in undertaking doctoral study (75 words).

  • 3. The ways you consider that the development of your capabilities as a professional educational leader and researcher in the Doctor of Education program might contribute to your future career (150 words).

  • 4. The key factors that will enable you to study successfully at the doctorate level for the next five years and any possible difficulties you might have (100 words).

  • 5. The research topic that you are most likely to be working on (though it is appreciated that your research focus may change) and a critique of the current literature in the field to outline some of the issues involved (800-1000 words).

  
  

International applicants must meet the University's requirements for English proficiency.

How to apply

International students

This program is offered to international students. An international student is a person who is not an Australian or New Zealand citizen and not an Australian permanent resident. Please refer to USQ International for information about entry requirements, visa arrangements and how to apply.

Domestic students

Application for postgraduate programs may be made directly to USQ. You should ensure you submit your application by the closing dates.

Program fees

Tuition fee

Domestic fee-paying places are funded entirely through the tuition/direct fees paid by the student. Tuition/direct fees vary depending on the courses that are taken. For more information about Tuition Fees, including the calculation of fees for a particular program of study, refer to USQ Fees.

International fees

International students pay tuition fees. For details about international student fees, refer to the International Fee Schedule provided by USQ International.

Research training scheme (RTS)

The Research Training Scheme (RTS) provides Commonwealth-funded higher degree by research (HDR) students with an ‘entitlement’ to an exemption from course fees for the duration of an accredited HDR program. As there may be limited RTS places available, some students may be required to pay fees. The USQ Office of Research and Higher Degrees will advise students of their eligibility for an RTS place.

Program structure

To be awarded a doctorate in the Faculty of Education, a student must have normally completed all designated research courses, that is, dissertation-type courses at level 9, and all designated coursework courses, such as research methods, at level 8 or 9.

Required time limits

Students have a maximum of 8 years to complete this program.

Major studies

Specialisations cover a wide range of areas and, depending upon the availability of research supervision, may include:

Recommended enrolment pattern

Continuing students

The Doctor of Education program was re-accredited during 2004. As part of that process, the four-unit courses that were offered in 2004 and previous years were replaced by combinations of two-unit courses. Continuing students should refer to the following table when planning their enrolment for 2007 and beyond.

Notes

Applications close in October for the intake in the following year.