Program of Study

This program is fundamentally a full-time program; therefore, registered students are expected to pay full-time fees for the duration of their program (see Requirements for Degree Programs). An academic year consists of three terms, which are fall, winter, and summer. All doctoral students registering initially as a full-time student, must pay full-time fees at least for the first six terms, whatever their registration status. After that time the Faculty and the School of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs will consider applications for a transfer from full-time to part-time status for reasons such as (1) the student has an opportunity for full-time professional employment or (2) there has been a change in the student’s personal circumstances that prevent his/her studies from being pursued on a full-time basis (see Transfers from Full-Time to Part-Time Status).

All students will be required to meet regularly with their supervisor, and to maintain appropriate levels of communication in order to maintain sufficient academic progress.

The minimum time to complete the Ph.D. in Education program is nine academic terms. Students normally take courses, and complete their comprehensive examinations, within the first two years of initial registration. It is expected that full-time students will complete all degree requirements within four years.

Students will follow a program with the following components:

• Coursework: Students must complete five graduate courses, which includes EDUC-900*. The four other required courses are to be selected in consultation with the student’s supervisor and with the approval of the Faculty’s Associate Dean of Graduate Studies. Students are encouraged to take one graduate course in another department, and may be required by their supervisory committee to take further courses beyond the five normally required.
• Personal Program Plan: In conjunction with their supervisory committee, students will compile a personal program plan of appropriate research and development goals and these will be tracked through the Annual Ph.D. Progress Report Form.
• Comprehensive Examination: The comprehensive examination will comprise a set of two tasks. It is expected that these tasks will be completed within the first two years of enrollment. The first task will be negotiated among the student, the supervisory committee, and the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies, Faculty of Education. It will take the form of one of the following: (a) the writing of a literature review on one or more specified topics; (b) the novel analyses of existing data or consideration of methodological issues; or (c) a grant proposal on one or more specified topics. For the second task each student will submit a dissertation proposal. Following submission of this proposal, an oral candidacy exam will be held. Both the written proposal and the student’s competency at the oral candidacy exam will be evaluated for this task. All parts of the examination will be marked by the supervisory committee.
• Dissertation: The dissertation research must be original and contribute to knowledge in the field. The defense of the dissertation will be an oral examination conducted according to the General Regulations of the School of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs (see Thesis).