- Faculty of Social Sciences
- School of Education
- Research degrees
Doctor of Education (EdD)
A Doctorate degree in Education (EdD) combines the research methodology of a PhD with a programme of taught modules.
The EdD provides you with the opportunity to reflect on educational issues through structured teaching and study, informed by the most up-to-date research and inspection findings. You will also engage in original research under the guidance of two supervisors.
As a Doctor of Education, you will gain an advanced understanding of a range of educational issues, developing the skills and knowledge required to conduct and evaluate independent research.
The EdD programme is comprised of a series of taught modules, including research methods which we assess through written assignments. You will also submit a thesis of 55,000 words based on your own research.
We designed the Doctorate in Education programme to meet the needs of professionals in education, and related disciplines, who wish to enhance their knowledge and understanding of educational issues, keep abreast of a range of educational topics, and refine and develop their research skills.
The EdD programme combines modular study with research, and comprises three components:
Taught modules
- Thesis preparation and an upgrade viva
- A research thesis
You will study:
- four research methods modules
- two specialist subject modules
- and then choose either a specialist subject or research methods module to complete the component.
You may take directed study modules for your specialist subject modules.
The EdD can be taken full-time (three years) or part-time (five years).
Areas of supervision
Postgraduate researchers are at the centre of the School of Education’s work.
We undertake impactful research in key areas of educational policy and practice, placing particular emphasis on the relevance of our work for practitioners and policymakers.
Our supervision offers a wide breadth of research activity across our research centres and groups:
- Collective for Curriculum, Pedagogy and Policy
- Digital Education
- Inclusion, Childhood and Youth
- Language Education
Many of our academic staff are also involved in the Leeds Social Science Institute which fosters interdisciplinary research collaborations and provides training for our postgraduate researchers.
The difference between an EdD and a PhD
The PhD and EdD are both supervised research degrees involving the submission of a thesis and a viva voce (oral) examination.
The PhD is awarded entirely on the basis of research, leading to a thesis of up to 100,000 words.
The EdD combines taught modules and research, leading to a thesis of up to 55,000 words, and is also called a professional doctorate.
The taught component of the EdD means that this route is suitable for people without a Masters degree.
The EdD programme forms part of our Continuing Professional Development provision.
We do not offer the EdD on a split-site basis or by distance learning due to the taught aspects of the course.
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PhD Education / Overview
Year of entry: 2025
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- Bachelor's (Honours) degree at 2:1 or above (or overseas equivalent); and
- Master's degree in a relevant subject - with an overall average of 60% or above, a minimum mark of 60% in your dissertation (or overseas equivalent)
Full entry requirements
Apply online
Please ensure you include all required supporting documents at the time of submission, as incomplete applications may not be considered.
Application Deadlines
For consideration in internal funding competitions, you must submit your completed application by 20 January 2025.
If you are applying for or have secured external funding (for example, from an employer or government) or are self-funding, you must submit your application before the below deadline to be considered. You will not be able to apply after this date has passed.
- For September 2025 entry: 30 June 2025
Programme options
Programme overview.
- 2nd in the UK for Education (Complete University Guide 2024).
- The University of Manchester was ranked in the top 10 in the UK for Education research (overall GPA, REF2021).
- Learn with research-active experts in the field of education and work with highly diverse cohorts of students and staff.
- Contribute to improvements in the overall wellbeing of students, their families and communities throughout the world through research.
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Our virtual week took place October 2024 – to find out about future sessions to explore postgraduate research opportunities across the university, please visit our study fairs and events page.
To stay up-to-date with future events and recorded sessions in the Faculty of Humanities, please join our postgraduate research email update list .
For entry in the academic year beginning September 2025, the tuition fees are as follows:
- PhD (full-time) UK students (per annum): £6,000 International, including EU, students (per annum): £22,000
- PhD (part-time) UK students (per annum): £3,000 International, including EU, students (per annum): £11,000
Further information for EU students can be found on our dedicated EU page.
Your fees will cover the cost of your study at the University, as well as charges for registration, tuition, supervision, examinations and graduation (excluding graduation robe hire).
Payment of tuition fees will also entitle you to membership of The University of Manchester library, the Students' Union and the Athletic Union.
Scholarships/sponsorships
There are a range of scholarships, studentships and awards to support both UK and overseas postgraduate researchers, details of which can be found via the links below.
To apply University of Manchester funding, you must indicate in your application the competitions for which you wish to be considered. The deadline for most internal competitions, including School of Environment, Education and Development studentships is 20 January 2025.
All external funding competitions have a specified deadline for submitting the funding application form and a separate (earlier) deadline for submitting the online programme application form, both of which will be stated in the funding competition details below.
You will need to be nominated by your proposed supervisor for a number of our scholarships. Therefore, we highly recommend you discuss these funding opportunities with your supervisor first, so they can advise on your suitability and ensure you meet nomination deadlines.
For more information about funding, visit our funding page to browse for scholarships, studentships and awards you may be eligible for.
- ESRC North West Social Science Doctoral Training Partnership (NWSSDTP) PhD Studentships 2025 Entry
- School of Environment, Education and Development Postgraduate Research Studentships 2025 Entry
- China Scholarship Council - The University of Manchester (CSC-UoM) Joint Scholarship Programme 2025 Entry
- Trudeau Doctoral Scholarships 2025 Entry
- Commonwealth PhD Scholarships (High Income Countries)
- School of Environment, Education and Development Enhancing Racial Equality (SERE) Studentship 2025 Entry
- Commonwealth PhD Scholarships (Least Developed Countries and Fragile States)
- President's Doctoral Scholar (PDS) Awards 2025 Entry
Contact details
Programmes in related subject areas.
Use the links below to view lists of programmes in related subject areas.
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You can find regulations and policies relating to student life at The University of Manchester, including our Degree Regulations and Complaints Procedure, on our regulations website .
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