Doctor of Education

The Doctor of Education (EdD) will extend your academic knowledge and expertise so that it can be applied in the wide range of settings in which educators work. This programme is specifically designed for professional educators who have at least three years of experience as an educator and who have a desire to further their knowledge and skills in their educational practice and gain a doctorate.

Globally, this qualification has the same status as the PhD and is a benchmark in terms of researching education policy and practice. The EdD programme brings together professionals from a range of education contexts and backgrounds. This diversity adds richness to the learning experience and enhances your ability to engage in robust and innovative research.

Most educators study for the EdD part-time over 6-8 years whilst continuing their educational practice, but full-time study over 3-4 years is possible.

The EdD has two parts, a series of taught papers followed by supervised research. Part 1 comprises four taught papers, within which you can explore your specific study interest. These include choosing 2 out of 3 optional papers listed below (choice may be limited to when the papers are offered):

• EDUCA981 Advanced Education Inquiry: Pedagogies and Practices for Social Justice
• EDUCA982 Advanced Education Inquiry: Leading Educational Transformation
• EDUCA983 Advanced Education Inquiry: Policy, Context, Discourse

You will also need to complete the two compulsory papers listed below:

• EDUCA980 Advanced Education Inquiry: Research Paradigms and Theories
• EDUCA990 Advanced Education Inquiry: Research Design

You need to obtain an average grade of at least B+ across your first three papers and pass Research Design (EDUCA990) to qualify for Part 2.

Part 2 is supervised, independent research into an aspect of your educational practice, and builds on your learning in Part 1. It culminates in writing a thesis about your research.

If you are not sure about whether a full Doctor of Education is for you, or you are unsure about a research focus for your EdD, you can still get started with Advanced Education Studies through three other Advanced Education Studies pathways; Postgraduate Diploma in Education, Postgraduate Certificate of Education and Individual Paper Credit, outlined below.

Postgraduate Diploma in Education or Postgraduate Certificate of Education

A set of four taught papers that are selected from those available for Part 1 of the EdD above, with the exception of EDUCAT990, which is specific to the EdD.

This Postgraduate Diploma in Education qualification allows you to get started on your papers whilst considering or searching for supervision. Once supervision has been secured you will be eligible to apply to transfer to the EdD, gaining credit for any of these papers that you have passed.

Or you may not wish to complete the whole Doctor of Education and instead take four Advanced Education Studies papers to get a qualification. This requires you to successfully pass four of these papers, normally within two years of part-time study.

A further alternative pathway is to successfully pass two of the Advanced Education Studies paper and take out a Postgraduate Certificate of Education, normally within one year of part-time study.

Individual Paper Credit

A single paper selected from available for Part 1 of the EdD, with the exception of EDUCA990, which is specific to the EdD.

This credit allows you to test the waters in doctoral study. The paper is completed within one trimester of study. If you study goes well and you wish to continue, you can then transfer this credit to the Postgraduate Certificate (two papers required), Postgraduate Diploma (four papers required) or full EdD (subject to supervision availability) depending on how much further you wish to go.

Flexibility and Planning

These pathways offer flexibility of study programmes to suit your circumstances. You may also be able to pause your study between papers when required. For further information or to discuss a study plan, please contact the EdD Coordinator, Chris Eames (c.eames@waikato.ac.nz), or the EdD Administrator, Jinah Lee (educ_grad@waikato.ac.nz).

Graduate outcomes

As a graduate of the EdD you will be able to contribute to the national and international scholarship of your chosen field as an experienced and competent professional practitioner. You will have developed an in-depth knowledge and understanding of the theoretical bases of empirical studies and professional practices in the relevant field of study to a level beyond that normally attained in master's programmes. You will apply knowledge and understanding gained in professional settings with the objective of enhancing the quality of teaching, learning and leadership and the well-being of colleagues and students.

You will have produced advanced, original, applied research and will be able to provide leadership at national and international levels in your field of practice. You will confidently present and defend your work in an appropriate academic and professional forum.