The Doctor of Education program serves the needs of top-level education professionals who wish to consolidate their theoretical understandings and to apply these in educational practice.

Entry requirements are completion of a Master degree with Honours in Education, a Master of Education, Master of Educational Administration, Master of Education in Teaching, Master of Higher Education or an appropriate degree of Bachelor with Honours in Education or a related discipline.
Evidence of a capacity to conduct research is essential.

The aim of the Doctor of Education program is to serve the needs of top-level education professionals who wish to consolidate, refine and expand their theoretical understandings and to apply these in educational practice. The orientation of the program is therefore towards the improvement of professional practice by the application of research findings to the problems, issues and development of teaching, learning, and educational management and politics.

Candidates are required to complete five coursework components, normally including two research methodology courses, plus a thesis. The EdD degree may be completed over 3 years full-time or 6 years part-time.

EDST5015 - Modes of Thought and Their Instructional Implications
EDST5031 - Research Methods 1
EDST5032 - Research Methods 2
EDST5801 - EdD Project

For course descriptions, please refer to the Online Handbook - Postgraduate Coursework Study section (see Courses by Subject Area: EDST).

1. The degree of Doctor of Education may be awarded by the Council on the recommendation of the Research Committee of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (hereinafter referred to as the Committee) to a candidate who has completed a specified program of advanced study and demonstrated ability to conduct research by the submission of a thesis embodying the results of a substantial original investigation.

2. (1) (a) A candidate for the degree shall have been awarded a Master degree with Honours in Education, Master of Education, Master of Educational Administration, Master of Education in Teaching, Master of Higher Education or an appropriate degree of Bachelor with Honours or a qualification considered equivalent from another university or tertiary institution at a level acceptable to the Committee; and
(b) have completed at least three years' professional experience in a branch of education, or in some other area that is judged by the Committee to be appropriate; and
(2) In exceptional cases an applicant who submits evidence of such other academic and professional qualifications as may be approved by the Committee may be permitted to enrol for the degree.

3. (1) An application to enrol as a candidate for the degree shall be made on the prescribed form which shall be lodged with the Registrar.
(2) In every case before making the offer of a place the Committee shall be satisfied that initial agreement has been reached between the School of Education and the applicant on the topic area, provision of adequate facilities and any course work to be prescribed, and that these are in accordance with the guidelines for promoting postgraduate study within the University.

4. (1) A candidate for the degree shall be required:
(a) to undertake a course of study in which the candidate shall be required to pass, at a standard acceptable to the Committee, such courses as may be required;
(b) to undertake a substantial original investigation on an approved topic;
The candidate may also be required to undergo such assessment and perform such other work as may be prescribed by the Committee.
(2) The investigation shall be carried out under the direction of a supervisor and where possible a co-supervisor appointed from among the members of the academic staff of the school or under other appropriate supervision arrangement approved by the Committee.
(3) (a) An approved candidate shall be enrolled as a full-time or part-time student.
(b) No candidate shall be awarded the degree until the elapse of six academic sessions from the date of enrolment in the case of a full-time candidate, or twelve academic sessions in the case of a part-time candidate.
(c) The Committee may in special circumstances approve other variations to the period of study.

5. The progress of the candidate shall be considered by the Committee following report from the School in accordance with the procedures established within the School and previously noted by the Committee.
(i) The research proposal for the thesis will be reviewed as soon as feasible after the completion of the course work. This review will focus on the viability of the research proposed.
(ii) Progress in the course will be reviewed within twelve months after the first review. As a result of either review, the Committee may cancel enrolment or take such other action as is considers appropriate. Thereafter, the progress of the candidate will be reviewed annually.

6. (1) On completing the program of study a candidate shall submit a thesis embodying the results of the investigation.
(2) The candidate shall give in writing to the Registrar two months' notice of intention to submit the thesis.
(3) The thesis shall present an account of the candidate's own research. In special cases work done jointly with other persons may be accepted, provided the Committee is satisfied about the extent of the candidate's part in the joint research.
(4) Four copies of the thesis shall be presented in a form which complies with the requirements of the University for the preparation and submission of theses for higher degrees.
(5) It shall be understood that the University retains the four copies of the thesis submitted for examination and is free to allow the thesis to be consulted or borrowed. Subject to the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968, the University may issue the thesis in whole or in part, in photostat or microfilm or any other copying medium.

7. (1) There shall be no fewer than three examiners of the thesis, at least two of whom shall be external to the University, who shall be appointed by the Committee.
(2) At the conclusion of the examination each examiner shall submit to the Committee a concise report on the thesis and shall recommend to the Committee that:
(a) the thesis be noted as satisfactory; or
(b) the thesis be noted as satisfactory subject to specified minor corrections being made to the satisfaction of the head of school; or
(c) the thesis requires further work on questions posed in the report. Should performance in this further work be to the satisfaction of the Committee, the thesis would be noted as satisfactory; or
(d) the thesis be noted as unsatisfactory, but the candidate be permitted to resubmit the thesis in a revised form after a further period of study and/or research. The revised thesis should be subject to reexamination: or
(e) the thesis be noted as unsatisfactory. The thesis does not demonstrate that resubmission would be likely to achieve a satisfactory result.
(3) If the performance at the further work recommended under (2)(c) above is not to the satisfaction of the Committee, the Committee may permit the candidate to re-present the same thesis and submit to further examination as determined by the Committee within a period specified by it but not exceeding one year.
(4) The Committee shall, after consideration of the examiners' reports and any further reports on the thesis it sees fit to obtain and the results of any further examination and of the prescribed course of study, recommend whether or not the candidate be awarded the degree. If it is decided that the candidate be not awarded the degree the Committee shall determine whether or not the candidate may resubmit the thesis after a further period of study and/or research.

8. A candidate shall pay fees as may be determined from time to time by the Council.

For information regarding fees for UNSW programs, please refer to the following web-page:  https://my.unsw.edu.au/student/fees/FeesMainPage.html