phd education buckingham

Professional Doctorate in Education (EdD)

教育专业博士学位(EdD)

Jan/apr/sep.

Course duration

£16,200

Course Fees

Course information

The EdD programme at Buckingham brings together an exciting international research community. Our Doctoral Programme in Education promotes and endorses the highest level of knowledge, skills and experiences of leaders in schools and education in the belief that this recognition will impact significantly on practice. An EdD is at the same level as a PhD. Like a PhD the EdD requires students to make a unique contribution to knowledge. A distinguishing element of an EdD is that it is also required to ensure your study results in a tangible impact on practice.  This is because the EdD is a practitioner/professional doctorate which means that it is designed for professionals working in Education and that the focus of study should be on the nature of Educational practice.

Every student attends an Induction Programme and then is allocated two personal supervisors. You have a main supervisor who will be a critical friend through the process, and you will have approximately 12 hours of supervision each year. Students are supported by webinars and by two study days in November and another two study days in April. You are expected to attend these for the first three years. The online support guides you through some of the key elements of completing a doctorate, for example, research methodology, engaging with literature and philosophical frameworks.

The doctorate:

• Can be completed in 3-6 years part-time
• Involves itself in the professional practice of educational practitioners
• Can be achieved by the creation of a portfolio or a traditional thesis
• Has a highly competitive course fee
• Is available completely online

Course content

The University of Buckingham EdD is appropriate for experienced practitioners and postgraduate students who already hold an MA or equivalent. Doing a doctorate is likely to be one of the most intellectually challenging experiences of your professional career. Despite its challenges it is hoped that you will also find the experience hugely rewarding. The programme aims to enable those working in education to develop expertise through critical evaluation of research and scholarship in their chosen field of interest. Students will develop skills that allow them to critically analyse, engage in and reflect on educational issues. Whilst the intensity of the doctorate might seem daunting, the programme is designed for students to be able to complete study alongside their work in education.  Students will contribute to wider debate on education and reflect on the implications of their study for educators and learners. The expectation is that on average you will spend 15 hours a week studying.  This takes into account time spent with you supervisor, study days as well as your own independent research, reading and study.

We offer two routes to achieving the EdD at Buckingham:

• a traditional thesis; or
• a portfolio route

The choice of route will be decided in discussion with your supervisors.

Many people will be familiar with the structure of the doctoral thesis; it is a pathway that encompasses a review of literature followed by the pursuit of a research project and as the EdD is a professional thesis, this would also include an evaluation of the implications for practice that the work would have within a particular educational context. A thesis consists of a continuous narrative, divided up into chapters that form a whole. Each chapter contributes to the main idea and builds a logical sustained argument cumulatively from start to end.

By comparison a doctorate by submission of a professional portfolio reflects on a particular area of focus and interest through the production of a collection of different papers that together form a whole.  If you have already published articles and documents of different kinds, then the portfolio may be suitable for you.

It is important to recognise that both require the same level of academic rigour. A thesis is an extended piece of research that presents an argument supported by evidence and reference to relevant research. For the portfolio, it is the overriding argument that binds the varied contents of the portfolio together through use of linking documents. Both pathways also require an ability to be critical both in terms of one’s own position and also in the further development of your own critical voice when encountering a range of alternative views. Both pathways will also contribute something unique and original to your existing knowledge. Originality may lie in the discovery or collection of material never before used; or it may lie in a new approach to more familiar material.  Your progress with this work will be assessed at regular stages to determine your suitability to continue on the course.

Assessment for a doctorate is by the presentation of a 60,000 word thesis or portfolio that is examined by viva voce.

Entry requirements

To apply for this course, you must have:

• an Honours Degree or equivalent and a Master's Degree
• at least three years' experience as a practitioner in Education

Applicants must also pay a £300 non-refundable Registration Fee.

How to apply

Applicants are required to complete an application form (available via the 'Apply' button above) and to provide a doctoral proposal. On application, you will receive a form to be completed. This requires you to consider:

• the focus (topic) of your research and/or evidence (e.g. leadership, curriculum development, etc.)
• an introduction to existing literature reflecting your focus
• how at this point you think you will carry out the work
• the impact you feel this could have on educational practice
• your motivations for carrying out this work at this time and an introduction to your own educational context.

Your application will be assessed against a number of different criteria. These include:

• the suitability of your topic as one that has the ability to be developed at this level
• your ability to communicate effectively in English
• the way in which your area of interest relates to your own professional experience and background
• your academic record to date.

These applications will be reviewed and every applicant will then be interviewed by the Course Director. Applicants should have a focus linked to their professional remit and provide evidence that significantly contributes to the application of knowledge that is relevant locally, nationally and internationally.

Before being able to join us, you will need to supply:

• copy of your degree certificate
• copy of your Masters certificate
• copy of your passport photo page (and visa/work permit where necessary)
• head and shoulder style photo for your University identity card

The closing date for applications: 

  17 February 2024 for April 2024 entry

Enquire Apply

白金汉大学教育专业博士项目为申请人提供一个令人兴奋的国际研究社区。这个博士项目为那些来自学校和教育界的，代表了最高知识水平、技术和经验的行业领军人物背书。我们相信，获得该项目的认可将深远地影响行业实践。

教育专业博士学位（EdD）跟学术博士学位（PhD）是同等水平的。跟PhD一样，EdD也要求学生能够为新知识的发现做出贡献, 而EdD的不同之处在于，需要确保学习成果能够对实践产生明确的影响。这是因为EdD是一个针对实践者/专业人士的博士项目，换句话说，是专门为在教育领域工作的职业人士而量身定制的，其学习的重点理应侧重教育实践。

学生将参加入学导向活动，并得到两位导师的指导。这其中一位是主导师，将在整个项目的学习过程中发挥至关重要的良师诤友的作用。主导师每年的辅导时间是大概12个小时。学生将通过网络研讨会学习。每年的十一月和四月还分别有两个在线学习日。这些在线学习日在项目的前三年都要求实时参加。这些在线支持将指导学生完成博士学位的核心内容学习，比如研究方法、文献研究以及哲学框架等。

• 可在3-6年内兼读完成
• 与教育工作者的教育实践高度相关
• 可通过论文集（portfolio）或传统的博士论文（thesis）完成学业
• 课程学费极具市场竞争力
• 完全通过线上的方式完成

白金汉大学教育专业博士项目适合那些拥有硕士或者同等学历的有经验的教育从业者或研究生。读博士很有可能是很多人职业生涯中最具智力挑战性的经历之一，但我们希望这个经历也会让你收获颇丰。

项目旨在通过批判地评价兴趣领域的现有研究和理论，使学生发展自己的专业水准。学生将会发展批判分析的技能，并深入了解和反思不同的教育议题。虽然博士项目的学习强度让人生畏，但申请人可以放心，项目的设计确保了学生可以在工作的同时完成学业。

学生将为大的教育议题贡献自己的想法和研究并且反思自己的研究对于其他教育家和学习者的意义。我们希望学生能够每周平均花15个小时的时间用于项目学习，这包括与导师沟通的时间、必修的学习日以及自己的独立研究、阅读和学习的时间。

学生可通过以下两种方式毕业； 1.传统的博士论文，或 2.论文集

您将与导师讨论决定选择哪种方式完成博士学位。

很多人对于博士论文的结构比较熟悉。这个路径包含文献研究和开展自己的研究项目。教育专业博士论文作为一个专业论文，它还将包括该项研究对于特定教育背景下的教育实践的意义。论文是分割成不同章节的连续叙述，所有章节构成一体。每一个章节对于文章主旨皆有所贡献并且从头到尾在逻辑上持续推进。相比较而言，通过提交不同主题的小论文形成的专业作品集而获得的博士学位则可以反映出学生的关注重点和研究兴趣领域。如果你已经发表过不同类型的文章，那由论文集完成博士学习可能是适合你的路径。

需要承认的是，两种路径都要求学生有同样的学术严谨度。论文是有关一项研究的长篇论述，作者的观点通过综述相关研究成果和提供各类佐证来证明。作品集有一个凌驾于所有内容之上的一个论断，并通过使用把不同内容的文章串联起来的文件使之形成一个整体。 两个路径都要求学生在碰到不同观点时，保持对于自己所处环境偏见的敏感性并努力发展自己的批判性观点。 两个路径都要求对现有观点贡献与众不同和原创的新发现。原创性既可以来此与从未应用过的材料的发现和搜集，也可以来自与对于现有材料的新的研究方法。学校将对学生的研究进行规律的测评以确保你继续该项研究的适当性。

对于博士学位的测评是通过一个6万词的博士论文或通过演讲展示的论文集完成的。

申请该项目，你需拥有：

• 荣誉学士学位或同等学位和硕士学位
• 教育行业三年（含）以上的从业经验

除此，申请人还需支付£300的不可退还的申请注册费。

费用发票将在课程开始的9月份开具。可以按学期或学年支付学费。如需按学期分期支付，可在收到发票时直接与财务部门确认。 

请点击页面底部的“申请”，或者联系招生官 [email protected] 开始申请。

申请者需要完成网上申请，并且提交博士阶段的研究计划。申请时，您会收到填写研究计划的统一表格模板。研究计划会要求您明确如下事宜：

• 研究主题及/或研究材料（比如领导力、课程开发等）
• 有关该主题的现有文献介绍
• 该项研究对与教育实践的意义
• 开展该项研究的目的以及本人教育背景的介绍

我们将就如下标准对你的申请进行评估：

• 是否有能力开展并完成该研究
• 是否有能力使用英语有效沟通
• 研究兴趣是否与职业经历和背景相关联

申请被审核后，每位申请人都将被邀请参加该项目的面试环节，面试官是该课程的课程主任。申请人的研究重点应该与自己的工作内容相关，并且可以提供证据证明这项研究成果对于当地、全国甚至国际上的知识都极具意义。

• 护照照片页复印件（如需要，另请提供相关签证/工作许可页面复印件）
• 用于大学学生证的证件照

申请截止日期： 

• 2024年4月入学：2024年2月17日

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University of buckingham: professional doctorate in education (edd).

The University of Buckingham is: - As pioneers of the two-year degree, we offer a condensed version of the traditional three-year degree, meaning you can gain a full honours degree and complete your studies a whole year earlier. Alternatively, you can complete both your undergraduate and master’s degree with us in just three years: saving you time and money.

Course Info The EdD programme at Buckingham brings together an exciting international community to study and research together. Our Doctoral Programme in Education promotes and endorses the highest level of knowledge, skills and experiences of leaders in schools and education in the belief that this recognition will impact significantly on practice. An EdD is at the same standard as a PhD. Like a PhD the EdD requires students to make a unique contribution to knowledge. A distinguishing element of an EdD is that it is also required to ensure your study results in a tangible impact on practice. This is because the EdD is a practitioner/professional doctorate which means that it is designed for professionals working in Education and that the focus of study should be on the nature of Educational practice.

Every student attends an Induction Programme and then is allocated two personal supervisors. You have a main supervisor who will be a critical friend through the process, and you will have approximately 12 hours of supervision each year. Students are supported by webinars and by two study days in November and another two study days in April. The online support guides you through some of the key elements of completing a doctorate, for example, research methodology, engaging with literature and philosophical frameworks.

The doctorate:

Can be completed in 3-6 years part-time Involves itself in the professional practice of educational practitioners Can be achieved by the creation of a portfolio or a traditional thesis Has a highly competitive course fee Is available completely online Course content The University of Buckingham EdD is appropriate for experienced practitioners and postgraduate students who already hold an MA or equivalent. Doing a doctorate is likely to be one of the most intellectually challenging experiences of your professional career. Despite its challenges it is hoped that you will also find the experience hugely rewarding. The programme aims to enable those working in education to develop expertise through critical evaluation of research and scholarship in their chosen field of interest. Students will develop skills that allow them to critically analyse, engage in and reflect on educational issues. Whilst the intensity of the doctorate might seem daunting, the programme is designed for students to be able to complete study alongside their work in education. Students will contribute to wider debate on education and reflect on the implications of their study for educators and learners. The expectation is that on average you will spend 15 hours a week studying. This takes into account time spent with you supervisor, study days as well as your own independent research, reading and study.

We offer two routes to achieving the EdD at Buckingham:

a traditional thesis; or a portfolio route The choice of route will be decided in discussion with your supervisors.

Many people will be familiar with the structure of the doctoral thesis; it is a pathway that encompasses a review of literature followed by the pursuit of a research project and as the EdD is a professional thesis, this would also include an evaluation of the implications for practice that the work would have within a particular educational context. A thesis consists of a continuous narrative, divided up into chapters that form a whole. Each chapter contributes to the main idea and builds a logical sustained argument cumulatively from start to end.

Professional Doctorate

Part-time, 3 years starts sep 2024, part-time, 3 years started apr 2024, part-time, 3 years started jan 2024, part-time, 3 years started oct 2023.

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Professional Doctorate in Education - EdD

Currently viewing course to start in 2024/25 Entry .

Are you interested in undertaking research into your own professional practice in education? Then our professional doctorate in Education, the EdD, is the course for you.

• Level Postgraduate Research
• Study mode Part Time
• Location City South
• Start date September 2024
• Fees View course fees
• School School of Education and Social Work
• Faculty Faculty of Health, Education and Life Sciences

This course is:

What's covered in this course?

On the course you will get a grounding in the essential skills required to articulate and interrogate the key issues relating to education policy, the changing role of social institutions, aspects of pedagogy, and the implications for multiple and fluid professional identities on everyday education practice in a context of global interconnectedness and interdependence.

During the course you will improve your practice and make a significant contribution to your continuing professional development. We know you’re busy practitioners, so the course is tailored to that and will enable you to embed your research in your everyday practice.

You’ll explore the relationship between knowledge, theory and practice and demonstrate your understanding of how it is possible to make and influence change. To do this we’ll help you develop creative and innovative approaches for integrating academic and professional knowledge as well as design and implement research which draws upon your appreciation of knowledge that occurs in professional settings.

This intensive course offers a range of teaching and learning approaches in small groups, led by academics who are writing and publishing in a range of related areas. This course encourages innovative and creative approaches to educational research and draws on a wider pool of experts from across the University to support work in visual methods and new media.

On completion of the course, our aim is that you have developed intuitive judgement, foresight and ability to conceptualise problems that typically impact on organisations, are able to develop appropriate solutions to problems by applying theoretical concepts, and a range of research skills and approaches that you’re able to employ. You’ll also have skills to communicate academic principles and concepts effectively to professional colleagues and the scholarly community.

Join us on campus where you'll be able to find out more about postgraduate research at BCU, meet our academics and learn more about financing your research degree. Booking for the next event isn’t open yet. Register your interest below and we’ll email you as soon as booking goes live.

Next Event: 29 June 2024

Research Interests

Research interests .

We offer supervisory expertise in the following areas of research interests, which all tend to be related to professional practice in education:

• Childhood Studies
• Early Years
• Post-16 Provision
• Education Policy
• Music Education
• Professional Learning and Development
• Workplace Learning
• Student experience in higher education
• Teaching and learning in higher education
• Management and leadership in education
• Historical research into education

Fees & How to Apply

• International Student

UK students

Annual and modular tuition fees shown are applicable to the first year of study. The University reserves the right to increase fees for subsequent years of study in line with increases in inflation (capped at 5%) or to reflect changes in Government funding policies or changes agreed by Parliament. View fees for continuing students .

Starting: Sep 2024

• £2,393 in 2024/25
• Apply Online

International students

Sorry, this course is not available to International students.

If you’re unable to use our online application form for any reason, please email [email protected] .The University reserves the right to increase fees in line with inflation based on the Retail Prices Index or to reflect changes in Government funding policies or changes agreed by Parliament up to a maximum of five per cent.

Research proposal

Applicants are required to submit as part of their application an EdD Research Proposal which identifies a particular area for potential research and some of the related literature. The Research Proposal should also discuss – if only briefly – other related interests in methodology and theory that may be relevant for the research area. Your Research Proposal should be no more than 1500 words (excluding bibliography/references).

Download the research proposal template

Course in Depth

Critical Perspectives 1

This module will enable participants to develop a critical understanding of the contexts within which professional practice is situated and to relate them to a critical examination of the contexts of, and the implications for, their own professional practice.

The course content is organised around four inter-related themes:

• Institutions
• Professional identities

The four themes are explored within two over-arching frameworks:

• Processes of change
• Theories and evidence

Critical Perspectives 2

This module aims to introduce students to an array of new techniques and emerging philosophies available for critical analysis of practice and interrogation of existing theoretical concepts that underpin them.

The module is grounded in theoretical and epistemological foundations of educational research. There are two key elements, related to i) national and international debates on the nature of inquiry, values and positions of researchers; and ii) diverse underpinning epistemologies, theories and methodologies.

i) This element concerns the nature of educational research as a diverse and evolving multi-disciplinary field of endeavour. It addresses questions of ontology, epistemology and theory, as well as concerns about the usefulness and relevance of educational research. This leads to consideration of national and international debates about the nature of evidence and evidence-based practice and tensions that relate to paradigmatic divisions. Questions are raised about the identities of researchers, their moral judgements and values, as well as those of their sponsors. Hence, issues of ethics and politics are introduced and ways forward are considered.

ii) This element considers positivist and interpretive world views that are linked to quantitative and qualitative research (empiricism, post-positivism, critical realism, critical theory, postmodernism and social constructivism). Ways of bridging these world views are debated and the potential impact of digital research on educational inquiry is considered.

Pilot Enquiry

This module will enable participants to practise the skills of advanced academic enquiry by

• Justifying the selection of an area worthy of study in a relevant area
• Appling their knowledge of the methodological, epistemological and ontological perspectives found in educational research
• Distinguishing between and critically evaluating different research paradigms and the methods and techniques associated with them and positioning their work within these debates
• Taking and justifying an ethical stance on the research process
• Disseminating the outcomes of research to a range of audiences

You will also be required to complete a Doctoral Thesis.

PG Certificate in Research Practice

In the second year of your EdD you will undertake the PGCert in Research Practice, which is a taught and compulsory part of the EdD programme. You will meet with your supervisors and attend classes every week. This is an essential part of the EdD which will help you to get your research started and set you up for the rest of your EdD journey. The PGCert programme covers literature review and research methods which are specific to your faculty.

Download course specification

Course structure.

You will be introduced to an array of new techniques and emerging philosophies that are available to develop your ability to critically analyse practice and the relevance of theoretical concepts which underpin them. Furthermore you will investigate the relevance of digital technologies as a means to deepen your understanding of the mobility of people, ideas, networks and meanings derived from multiple geographical and historical origins.

A major outcome will be that you will enhance your own professional skills and be in a position to influence others in the development of your organisation. At the same time and notwithstanding national policy requirements and professional practices, you will recognise a global reconfiguring of social relationships largely disconnected from national origins.

Central to this will be the need to engage in reflective and reflexive practice in order to understand the potential consequences of actions and plan for professional change in the context of the global circulation of educational ideologies, discourses and practices.

The framework of the programme incorporates components intended to develop research skills and a willingness to adopt an approach which is explicitly enquiring and involves the critique of existing practice and encourages challenges to established theory. Assessment strategies will provide you with opportunities to develop and demonstrate a range of doctoral level skills including multi-model approaches (visual and verbal) in addition to the more traditional forms of critical writing.

You will be awarded a professional doctorate on successful demonstration of the following:

• The creation and interpretation of new knowledge and contribution to professional practice through scholarly research of a quality to satisfy peer review, extend the forefront of the subject and merit publication;
• Significant development in key aspects of professional practice;
• A systematic acquisition and understanding of a substantial body of knowledge which is at the forefront of an area of professional practice;
• The general ability to conceptualise, design and develop a project for the generation of new professional knowledge, and to modify and influence practice in the light of contextual considerations, as appropriate;
• A detailed understanding of applicable techniques for both research and advanced academic enquiry.

The EdD programme is undertaken in three phases.

Phase 1  - you will undertake the first two Critical Perspectives modules through which you are introduced to key concepts in educational research methodology within the policy and political contexts of educational practice.

Phase 2  - in the second phase you will extend your experience of research methodologies and engage with a range of contemporary and experimental approaches and undertake a pilot project in an area of your choice. In phase 2 you will also undertake the university-wide PG Certificate in Research Practice which provides the opportunity to discuss and write a research proposal for the EdD thesis.

Phase 3  - you will complete a 50,000 word thesis in an area of your choice.

Employability

Employment opportunities.

After you've completed this course, you will be able to make informed judgements on complex issues in specialist fields, often in the absence of complete data, and be able to communicate your ideas and conclusions clearly and effectively to specialist and non-specialist audiences.

You'll also continue to undertake theoretical and/or applied research and development at an advanced level, contributing substantially to the development of new techniques, ideas, or approaches.

The course will also give you the qualities and transferable skills necessary for employment requiring the exercise of personal responsibility and largely autonomous initiative in complex and unpredictable situations, in professional or equivalent environments.

Facilities & Staff

Our facilities

Our School of Education and Social Work is based at our City South campus in leafy Edgbaston.

We’ve spent £41million expanding the education facilities at City South. These facilities offer hands-on practical experience, replicating the spaces you will come across in professional practice. Alongside classrooms and lecture theatres, we also have a range of specialist teaching and learning spaces for specific subjects including science, design and technology, drama and physical education.

As well as subject-specific rooms, our facilities include the Primary Innovation Lab, which houses £24,000 worth of LEGO. This room is a special resource for our education students, offering an innovative and creative way to approach subjects across the curriculum – from computing to English, mathematics to art. The lab responds to research that children and young people learn best from practical experience.

Our Social Work students have access to a home environment room and mock hospital wards which offer an opportunity to gain experience of working with service users in different situations.

Computer facilities

The Seacole building has two open-access IT Suites which offer PCs, printers, photocopiers and scanners. There is also an IT Helpdesk for quick and easy help with your computing or internet issues.

Our PCs utilise the latest Intel i5 core technology, all with:

• Fast (unrestricted) internet connectivity
• Ability to save files to USB, DVD & CD
• Microsoft Office software
• Research and statistical software
• Storage space which can be accessed from any PC across the University and from home

Our PCs are also designed to support students who may have difficulties with reading and writing, featuring specialised software with zooming/magnification and screen reading capabilities, which may also be customised for individual student needs.

In addition to desktop PCs, we also offer a laptop loan facility, allowing students to borrow a laptop for up to six hours while on campus.

Dr Anthony Armstrong

Director of PGR Degrees in Education and Social Work

Tony's teaching and supervision commitments are undertaken at doctoral level which involves our EdD and PhD provision. He also teaches at Level 7 on the PG Certificate in Research Practice which is offered to doctoral candidates in the early stages of their research work.  Tony worked for many years in the area of Initial Teacher...

Dr Amanda French

Amanda has worked in higher, further, adult education and the voluntary sector for 30 years as a lecturer, writing developer and researcher. Her research interests include academic writing, learner development in higher education, participatory research, transition experiences in education, employment literacies, widening participation and social...

• E: Contact the Doctoral Research College

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Qualification, university name, phd education in england.

114 degrees at 57 universities in England.

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• PhD Education
• PhD Adult and Community Education
• PhD Career Change and Access
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• PhD Personal and Self Development
• PhD Self Development
• PhD Sociology Of Education
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Teacher Education PhD

University of gloucestershire.

What is Teacher Education Our research strengths lie in curriculum studies, early years, leadership and diversity in education, learning Read more...

• 4 years Full time degree: £5,100 per year (UK)
• 6 years Part time degree: £3,400 per year (UK)

University of Hull

About our programmes We offer postgraduate research options across a broad variety of topics ranging from technology enhanced learning, Read more...

• 3 years Full time degree: £4,712 per year (UK)
• 5 years Part time degree: £2,356 per year (UK)

PhD Postgraduate research opportunities in Education

Liverpool john moores university.

Excellent research opportunities await at the School of Education, enabling you to work at the forefront of developments with leading Read more...

• 4 years Full time degree: £4,712 per year (UK)
• 7 years Part time degree: £2,356 per year (UK)

PhD Education Research

Manchester metropolitan university.

As a PhD student you will design, undertake, and write-up an in-depth independent research study, supported by your supervisory team. Each Read more...

• 6 years Part time degree

University of Roehampton

We have a long and distinguished history in educational research, working to ensure that all young people are able to benefit from Read more...

• 4 years Full time degree: £4,711 per year (UK)

PhD Postgraduate Research in Social Work

University of east anglia uea.

We are a top tier, research-led university and are committed to making a substantial impact on the global challenges facing society. Our Read more...

• 6 years Part time degree: £2,356 per year (UK)

PhD in Education

University of bath.

This course gives you the opportunity to research a topic in depth and contribute new knowledge to the academic community. You will be Read more...

• 2 years Full time degree: £4,800 per year (UK)
• 3 years Part time degree: £2,400 per year (UK)

PhD/MPhil Professional Education

City, university of london.

This Professional Education PhD/MPhil allows you to closely examine a specific area of higher education. You will conduct research or Read more...

• 2 years Full time degree: £4,770 per year (UK)
• 3 years Part time degree: £5,010 per year (UK)

Medical Education MPhil/PhD

University of worcester.

We welcome applications to undertake research towards MPhil and PhD degrees in Medical Education Research at Worcester has grown Read more...

• 3 years Full time degree: £4,950 per year (UK)
• 5 years Part time degree: £2,475 per year (UK)

Education, MPhil/PhD

Faculty of education, health and human sciences, university of greenwich.

Explore new avenues for education by undertaking a research degree (MPhil/PhD) supported by experts in the field. Our research degree in Read more...

MPhil PhD Education

University of east london.

Studying for a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) with the UEL School of Education and Communities will push you to the limit - and you'll be Read more...

• 36 months Full time degree: £5,740 per year (UK)
• 60 months Part time degree: £2,870 per year (UK)

Integrated PhD Management Studies

University of essex.

Our Integrated PhD Management Studies (at our Southend Campus) provides a route to doctoral study if you do not have a master’s degree, or Read more...

• 5 years Full time degree

Education MPhil, PhD

Newcastle university.

We have expert supervision available in a wide variety of education subjects. Our research areas range from early year's policy through to Read more...

• 36 months Full time degree: £4,712 per year (UK)
• 72 months Part time degree: £2,356 per year (UK)

Applied Linguistics with English Language Teaching PhD

University of nottingham.

Applied linguistics offers a fascinating opportunity to study the interaction between language and the real world. You will be supervised Read more...

• 48 months Distance without attendance degree: £5,100 per year (UK)
• 96 months Distance without attendance degree
• 48 months Full time degree: £5,100 per year (UK)
• 96 months Part time degree

University of Plymouth

The PhD from the Plymouth Institute of Education allows you to join a vibrant research community where you can explore a question about Read more...

• 3 years Full time degree: £4,500 per year (UK)
• 4 years Part time degree: £3,030 per year (UK)

PhD/MPhil/MSc by Research in Informatics Postgraduate Research

University of salford.

The Informatics Research Centre at the University of Salford builds on the history, success and achievements of the research in Computer Read more...

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Higher Education PhD

University of surrey.

Why choose this programme At the Surrey Institute of Education, our aim is to produce the next generation of researchers, ready to address Read more...

• 8 years Part time degree: £4,712 per year (UK)

Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities - PhD

University of kent.

The Centre offers excellent opportunities for full or part-time research in intellectual disability and community care leading to higher Read more...

Education PhD

Brunel university london.

Research profile The Education department strives to be the most innovative in London. Based on the oldest teacher training colleges in Read more...

• 3 years Full time degree

London South Bank University

As a research student you'll become part of our thriving academic community. Explore the staff, facilities and more at the Centre for Read more...

• 6 years Distance without attendance degree: £4,820 per year (UK)
• 3 years Full time degree: £4,820 per year (UK)
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Doctor of Philosophy in Education

Additional Information

• Download the Doctoral Viewbook
• Admissions & Aid

The Harvard Ph.D. in Education trains cutting-edge researchers who work across disciplines to generate knowledge and translate discoveries into transformative policy and practice.

Offered jointly by the Harvard Graduate School of Education and the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, the Ph.D. in Education provides you with full access to the extraordinary resources of Harvard University and prepares you to assume meaningful roles as university faculty, researchers, senior-level education leaders, and policymakers.

As a Ph.D. candidate, you will collaborate with scholars across all Harvard graduate schools on original interdisciplinary research. In the process, you will help forge new fields of inquiry that will impact the way we teach and learn. The program’s required coursework will develop your knowledge of education and your expertise in a range of quantitative and qualitative methods needed to conduct high-quality research. Guided by the goal of making a transformative impact on education research, policy, and practice, you will focus on independent research in various domains, including human development, learning and teaching, policy analysis and evaluation, institutions and society, and instructional practice.   

Curriculum Information

The Ph.D. in Education requires five years of full-time study to complete. You will choose your individual coursework and design your original research in close consultation with your HGSE faculty adviser and dissertation committee. The requirements listed below include the three Ph.D. concentrations: Culture, Institutions, and Society; Education Policy and Program Evaluation; and Human Development, Learning and Teaching . 

We invite you to review an example course list, which is provided in two formats — one as the full list by course number and one by broad course category . These lists are subject to modification. 

Ph.D. Concentrations and Examples

Summary of Ph.D. Program

Doctoral Colloquia  In year one and two you are required to attend. The colloquia convenes weekly and features presentations of work-in-progress and completed work by Harvard faculty, faculty and researchers from outside Harvard, and Harvard doctoral students. Ph.D. students present once in the colloquia over the course of their career.

Research Apprenticeship The Research Apprenticeship is designed to provide ongoing training and mentoring to develop your research skills throughout the entire program.

Teaching Fellowships The Teaching Fellowship is an opportunity to enhance students' teaching skills, promote learning consolidation, and provide opportunities to collaborate with faculty on pedagogical development.

Comprehensive Exams  The Written Exam (year 2, spring) tests you on both general and concentration-specific knowledge. The Oral Exam (year 3, fall/winter) tests your command of your chosen field of study and your ability to design, develop, and implement an original research project.

Dissertation  Based on your original research, the dissertation process consists of three parts: the Dissertation Proposal, the writing, and an oral defense before the members of your dissertation committee.

Culture, Institutions, and Society (CIS) Concentration

In CIS, you will examine the broader cultural, institutional, organizational, and social contexts relevant to education across the lifespan. What is the value and purpose of education? How do cultural, institutional, and social factors shape educational processes and outcomes? How effective are social movements and community action in education reform? How do we measure stratification and institutional inequality? In CIS, your work will be informed by theories and methods from sociology, history, political science, organizational behavior and management, philosophy, and anthropology. You can examine contexts as diverse as classrooms, families, neighborhoods, schools, colleges and universities, religious institutions, nonprofits, government agencies, and more.

Education Policy and Program Evaluation (EPPE) Concentration

In EPPE, you will research the design, implementation, and evaluation of education policy affecting early childhood, K–12, and postsecondary education in the U.S. and internationally. You will evaluate and assess individual programs and policies related to critical issues like access to education, teacher effectiveness, school finance, testing and accountability systems, school choice, financial aid, college enrollment and persistence, and more. Your work will be informed by theories and methods from economics, political science, public policy, and sociology, history, philosophy, and statistics. This concentration shares some themes with CIS, but your work with EPPE will focus on public policy and large-scale reforms.

Human Development, Learning and Teaching (HDLT) Concentration

In HDLT, you will work to advance the role of scientific research in education policy, reform, and practice. New discoveries in the science of learning and development — the integration of biological, cognitive, and social processes; the relationships between technology and learning; or the factors that influence individual variations in learning — are transforming the practice of teaching and learning in both formal and informal settings. Whether studying behavioral, cognitive, or social-emotional development in children or the design of learning technologies to maximize understanding, you will gain a strong background in human development, the science of learning, and sociocultural factors that explain variation in learning and developmental pathways. Your research will be informed by theories and methods from psychology, cognitive science, sociology and linguistics, philosophy, the biological sciences and mathematics, and organizational behavior.

Program Faculty

The most remarkable thing about the Ph.D. in Education is open access to faculty from all Harvard graduate and professional schools, including the Harvard Graduate School of Education, the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, the Harvard Kennedy School, the Harvard Law School, Harvard Medical School, and the Harvard School of Public Health. Learn about the full Ph.D. Faculty.

Jarvis R. Givens

Jarvis Givens studies the history of American education, African American history, and the relationship between race and power in schools.

Paul L. Harris

Paul Harris is interested in the early development of cognition, emotion, and imagination in children.

Meira Levinson

Meira Levinson is a normative political philosopher who works at the intersection of civic education, youth empowerment, racial justice, and educational ethics. 

Luke W. Miratrix

Luke Miratrix is a statistician who explores how to best use modern statistical methods in applied social science contexts.

Eric Taylor

Eric Taylor studies the economics of education, with a particular interest in employer-employee interactions between schools and teachers — hiring and firing decisions, job design, training, and performance evaluation.

Paola Uccelli

Paola Ucelli studies socio-cultural and individual differences in the language development of multilingual and monolingual students.

View Ph.D. Faculty

Dissertations.

The following is a complete listing of successful Ph.D. in Education dissertations to-date. Dissertations from November 2014 onward are publicly available in the Digital Access to Scholarship at Harvard (DASH) , the online repository for Harvard scholarship.

• 2022 Graduate Dissertations (265 KB pdf)
• 2021 Graduate Dissertations (177 KB pdf)
• 2020 Graduate Dissertations (121 KB pdf)
• 2019 Graduate Dissertations (68.3 KB pdf)

Student Directory

An opt-in listing of current Ph.D. students with information about their interests, research, personal web pages, and contact information:

Doctor of Philosophy in Education Student Directory

Introduce Yourself

Tell us about yourself so that we can tailor our communication to best fit your interests and provide you with relevant information about our programs, events, and other opportunities to connect with us.

Program Highlights

Explore examples of the Doctor of Philosophy in Education experience and the impact its community is making on the field:

Reshaping Teacher Licensure: Lessons from the Pandemic

Olivia Chi, Ed.M.'17, Ph.D.'20, discusses the ongoing efforts to ensure the quality and stability of the teaching workforce

Lost in Translation

New comparative study from Ph.D. candidate Maya Alkateb-Chami finds strong correlation between low literacy outcomes for children and schools teaching in different language from home

Doctoral Education: Pressures for Change and Modernisation

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• Barbara M. Kehm  

Part of the book series: Issues in Higher Education ((IHIGHER))

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In Europe and in North America doctoral training and education have become the subject of scrutiny, policy formulation and reform initiatives in recent years. There is widespread dissatisfaction with the traditional forms of doctoral education and training. This is not only due to a considerable increase in the number of doctoral degree holders but also to changes in the policy context for this phase of advanced academic education. Globalisation, the shift towards knowledge-based economies and the resulting increase in competition for best talent have contributed to such a shift. Due to the fact that doctoral degree holders are expected to support the shift to a knowledge-based society and economy, another policy change can be observed. It is expected that far more trained researchers than before will seek and will have to seek jobs outside academia and research institutions. The relevance of research topics and the acquisition of additional skills and competences for non-academic labour markets have therefore become key challenges in doctoral education and training.

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University of Twente, The Netherlands

Jürgen Enders

Egbert de Weert

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Kehm, B.M. (2009). Doctoral Education: Pressures for Change and Modernisation. In: Enders, J., de Weert, E. (eds) The Changing Face of Academic Life. Issues in Higher Education. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230242166_9

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PGCert Practice Education

• Course Details
• Entry Requirements
• Employability
• Teaching Team
• Study Mode: Part Time
• Location: High Wycombe
• Duration: One Year
• Start Date: September 2024

This course will help you to develop the essential skills to successfully support learning and teaching in contemporary professional contexts. You'll have the opportunity to tailor learning to your individual environment and graduate with a recognised postgraduate qualification that allows for further study or professional recognition.

While studying with us, you'll have opportunities to reflect on and showcase your practice in the workplace. This ‘real life’ aspect of the programme ensures that your studies support your continued professional development in a way that's relevant to your role and professional aspirations.

Why study at Buckinghamshire New University?

This course is unique in its outward facing approach and engages with contemporary issues in practice education. BNU can draw on the significant experience of its team to deliver professional education and up to date skills, working alongside key local healthcare trusts.

Collaboration between fellow students and lecturers plays a big part in the learning and teaching strategy of this course. This way, we showcase how best to develop professional relationships and give a broader perspective on critical issues.

Professional conversations in the form of supervisory meetings with an appropriately qualified and experienced member of the course team, will also be scheduled throughout the programme. These discussions will provide you with opportunities to tailor your studies to meet your requirements and interests.

In addition to the unique benefits this course at BNU brings you, there are other benefits to studying at BNU too, such as our prime location 30 minutes from London, our apps anywhere service that allows you to work at home, and the big deal which offers you free events, trips and societies.

Colleagues who completed the course recommended it to me, so I choose to do it myself. I feel very supported by my tutors and have access to the resources I need. We have stimulating discussions during class and I would really recommend this course because of the flexibility it allows me.

Why study this subject?

Our PGCert Practice Education provides a valuable qualification for those who have education and/or training responsibilities in the practice setting. Its so important to those working in this field to keep on top of current methods and practices. It’s important you’re the best you can be. Choosing to undertake higher study in practice education is a great step towards meeting your key responsibilities and advancing your skillset to the appropriate level.

The programme content is focused on learning and teaching in professional environments and is particularly suited to nursing educators, community practice supervisors and assessors. It may also benefit those in adjacent fields, including social work or allied healthcare education.

I chose BNU because it's a great location for me and has a good reputation with local organisations in Buckinghamshire. They really practice what they teach on this course and it provides an authentic experience which has helped me in my role already.

How will I be taught and assessed?

A range of assessment approaches are used, and these are designed to test your knowledge of the learning objectives. Assessments are designed to provide opportunities to show off your professional development against the relevant sector frameworks.

The focus of your engagement with the assessment process will be negotiated with a member of the course team. This will ensure that assessed work both meets your interests as well as evidencing the programme learning objectives.

Some of the ways you will be assessed include

• practical and oral assessment, such as observed teaching sessions
• presentations
• professional conversations with a course team member

Lecturers are always willing to help, they are authentic, approachable and very welcoming. I've had very positive feedback from my learners utilising insights I've gained on this course.

What will I study?

The Postgraduate Certificate Practice Education is aimed at you if you are working in education and taking on training responsibilities in the practice setting. Our programme is focused on learning and teaching in professional environments and may also suit you if you work in adjacent fields, including social work or allied health care education. 

The course provides you with a sound understanding of the fundamental elements of learning and teaching: designing and planning learning, teaching and supporting learning, and assessment and feedback.

Important topics are explored which link directly to your current work. We explore many contemporary issues, such as mental health and wellbeing in education, and the impact the digital world has had on our practice. Inclusivity is a central theme to the programme, and you will actively consider both your responsibilities in promoting an inclusive environment and the impact of your approaches on minority and discriminated groups.  As an academic qualification, the Postgraduate Certificate Practice

Education is a valued and recognised certificate for professional development. You will be encouraged, through your assignments, to show your own professional development and its impact on learners and your organisation. Our teaching process is designed to support you and to help you achieve your personal and professional goals.

Postgraduate Certificate Practice Education Programme Specification

When I was looking at courses, I really liked the blended learning and assessment methods at BNU. The course is highly rated and includes lots of student support. I studied so much more beyond teaching and I've been able to cultivate a culture of education which has been a really positive experience for me.

What facilities can I use?

We’ve invested in a range of  state-of-the-art facilities  across our campuses to support your learning.

Our library is the perfect place to find the resources you need and a quiet place to study, filled with four floors of books, journals, computer suites and study rooms. Or, if you’d rather work off campus, e-Journals and resources are only a few clicks away using our Virtual Learning Environment.

The best thing about this course is its flexibility and the approachable lecturers. The admissions department is very thorough.

What are the course entry requirements?

Individuals with an undergraduate degree, typically 2.1 or higher, with an interest in developing a career in practice education or relevant adjacent field.

Individuals without an undergraduate degree but significant experience within an appropriate profession and evidence of being prepared for L7 study will be considered. This may include, for example, qualified nurses who entered the profession prior to the degree requirement being introduced.

This provides a guide of the modules that make up your course. You can find more information about how your course is structured on our  Academic Advice section .

This module helps you to reflect on the impact of inclusive practice on learners and learning. We’ll encourage you to consider methods for evaluating effective practice as well as critically engaging with quality assurance and enhancement policy and practice. You’ll also reflect critically on aspects of your practice via a Plan-Do-Review project.  

This module enables you to bring together prior learning and experience to showcase excellence as education professionals in practice. You’ll reflect critically on your professional context and how these inform your practice in conjunction with opportunities for CPD. We’ll also provide opportunities for you to develop and articulate your practice.   

What are the tuition fees

• Home, Academic Year 2024 - 2025: £2,880

Additional course costs and financial support

Most courses will involve some additional costs that are not covered by your fees. You could benefit from financial support through a bursary or scholarship during your time as a student. For more details visit our  financial support, bursaries and scholarships section .

Questions about fees?

If you have any questions about the fees above, contact our Enquiries team by calling 0330 123 2023 or emailing [email protected] .

What are my career prospects?

A postgraduate certificate is a recognised qualification that will provide you with opportunities for further study and career development. Once you complete the PGCert Practice Education you might choose to go on to study our  MA Education .

This course will prepare you for a wider range of responsibility in your current role and is really designed to push you to the next level of practice. Should you choose to pursue a different career later in your life, you will find the academic process of study and the transferable skills you gain here at BNU useful to you.

You may also use the programme as a framework to support your progression to further leadership roles within your organisation or another organisation.

• Associate Professor

• Senior Lecturer - Postgraduate Education

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Join our Postgraduate Open Day - Saturday 22 June

Education PhD

For 2024-2025 £4,778 full time (UK)  £2,389 part time (UK) £21,360 full time (International) £10,680 part time (International)

More  Fees and funding details.

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The School of Education has a national and international reputation as a centre of excellence and provides wide and varied opportunities for students to undertake full or part-time research.

The School of Education has a national and international standing as a centre of excellence for research in education which is recognised by consistently scoring high in the national assessment of the research (REF) which takes place across all UK universities approximately every 6 years. The results of the latest  2021 Research Excellent Framework (REF)  show that the School of Education is ranked 3rd in the UK for its research. 

The original Department of Education was founded in 1896 and became the School of Education in 1947. It is one of the largest research-led schools of education in the UK employing over 100 academic staff who teach more than 2,500 students. It is also home to a number of  departments and research centres . The university also has a Doctoral Training Centre (DTC) which has been accredited by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). 

Our strategy towards research and research degrees is centred on three key principles:

• Research should seek to combine scholarly and empirical work on fundamental issues with a concern for development work linked to practice; a dialogue between fundamental study and development work can enrich both
• Research should recognise the importance of professional practice and be pursued through active collaboration with schools, colleges, local authorities, and voluntary and other professional bodies in the UK and internationally
• Research is often a multidisciplinary activity and strong links across specialisms must be encouraged and supported

The interdependence of research with development and professional practice means that we particularly welcome the contribution of research students to our work. We provide a comprehensive programme of research training, together with opportunities to take part in research seminars where speakers with national and international reputations present work that is at the forefront of current debates within the field.

The Education PhD

A PhD requires a minimum period of study as a registered student of normally three years full-time or six years part-time. It is assessed by thesis only, and is examined by a work of a maximum of 80,000 words and an oral examination. You will be required to complete a research training programme, normally within the first two years of registration.

Please visit our school postgraduate research pages  to find out more about all our postgraduate research degrees, including our taught doctoral programmes. You will also be able to find out more about the support we can offer you whilst you are undertaking your research. You will also be able to view the profiles of some of our current doctoral researchers to find out more about their research topics.

We also encourage you to visit the school  research pages  to find out more about our current research.

Scholarships

Scholarships may be available.

I decided to apply for postgraduate study because I wanted to become a researcher and this job requires a postgraduate qualification. The UK maintains its leading status in educational research, and applying to the University of Birmingham, one of the leading research-intensive universities in the UK, was an obvious choice for me. Kristina Gruzdeva, PhD Education

Fees 2024 - 2025

• Code 2606 - £4,778 full-time
• Code 2607 - £2,389 part-time

International

• Code 2606 - £21,360 full-time
• Code 2607 - £10,680 part-time

The fees shown above are the annual fees for students starting their PhD in September in 2024. Please note that the annual fees for subsequent years on the course may increase due to inflation. 

Learn more about fees

Scholarships and Loans

Please visit our dedicated Postgraduate funding database for further information on scholarships you may be eligible to apply for or contact the Funding, Graduation & Awards Office via  online enquiries.  

Eligible Doctoral students can now apply for a government loan of up to £28,673 (for 2023/2024 entry) to contribute to overall costs. 

How To Apply

PhD applications will normally need to be received by June 2024 for a September start.

When applying for a PhD programme you will be required to submit a detailed proposal, which outlines the nature of your proposed study. This proposal will not be held as a final contract and may change in negotiation with your supervisor. However, it is an indication that you have the background ideas and knowledge to begin independent research in the broad area of your interest. It also enables us to send your application to appropriate members of staff for consideration.

• How to apply

To apply for a postgraduate research programme, you will need to submit your application and supporting documents online. We have put together some helpful information on the research programme application process and supporting documents on our how to apply page . Please read this information carefully before completing your application.

Our Standard Requirements

When you apply, the application system will ask you to upload a research proposal for submission together with your application. 

We require an IELTS 7 or other equivalent English language qualification with no less than 6.5 in any band.

Learn more about entry requirements

International Requirements

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and a Masters degree, with a GPA of 14/20 from a recognised institution to be considered. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Holders of the Licenciado or an equivalent professional title from a recognised Argentinian university, with a promedio of at least 7.5, may be considered for entry to a postgraduate degree programme. Applicants for PhD degrees will normally have a Maestria or equivalent

Applicants who hold a Masters degree will be considered for admission to PhD study.

Holders of a good four-year Diplomstudium/Magister or a Masters degree from a recognised university with a minimum overall grade of 2.5 will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Students with a good 5-year Specialist Diploma or 4-year Bachelor degree from a recognised higher education institution in Azerbaijan, with a minimum GPA of 4/5 or 80% will be considered for entry to postgraduate taught programmes at the University of Birmingham.

For postgraduate research programmes applicants should have a good 5-year Specialist Diploma (completed after 1991), with a minimum grade point average of 4/5 or 80%, from a recognised higher education institution or a Masters or “Magistr Diplomu” or “Kandidat Nauk” from a recognised higher education institution in Azerbaijan.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and a Masters degree, with a GPA of 3.0/4.0 or 75% from a recognised institution to be considered. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and will usually be required to have completed a Masters degree, with a CGPA of 3.0-3.3/4.0 or higher for 2:1 equivalency from a recognised institution to be considered for entry. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Students who hold a Masters degree from the University of Botswana with a minimum GPA of 3.0/4.0 or 3.5/5.0 (70%/B/'very good') will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees.

Please note 4-year bachelor degrees from the University of Botswana are considered equivalent to a Diploma of Higher Education. 5-year bachelor degrees from the University of Botswana are considered equivalent to a British Bachelor (Ordinary) degree.

Students who have completed a Masters degree from a recognised institution will be considered for PhD study.

A Licenciatura or Bacharelado degree from a recognised Brazilian university:

• A grade of 7.5/10 for entry to programmes with a 2:1 requirement
• A grade of 6.5/10for entry to programmes with a 2:2 requirement

Holders of a good Bachelors degree with honours (4 to 6 years) from a recognised university with a upper second class grade or higher will be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes.  Holders of a good Masters degree from a recognised university will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Holders of a good post-2001 Masters degree from a recognised university will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Students with a minimum average of 14 out of 20 (or 70%) on a 4-year Licence, Bachelor degree or Diplôme d'Etudes Superieures de Commerce (DESC) or Diplôme d'Ingénieur or a Maîtrise will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees.

Holders of a bachelor degree with honours from a recognised Canadian university may be considered for entry to a postgraduate degree programme. A GPA of 3.0/4, 7.0/9 or 75% is usually equivalent to a UK 2.1.

Holders of the Licenciado or equivalent Professional Title from a recognised Chilean university will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees. Applicants for PhD study will preferably hold a Magister degree or equivalent.

Students with a bachelor’s degree (4 years minimum) may be considered for entry to a postgraduate degree programme. However please note that we will only consider students who meet the entry guidance below.  Please note: for the subject areas below we use the Shanghai Ranking 2022 (full table)  ,  Shanghai Ranking 2023 (full table) , and Shanghai Ranking of Chinese Art Universities 2023 .

需要具备学士学位（4年制）的申请人可申请研究生课程。请根据所申请的课程查看相应的入学要求。 请注意，中国院校名单参考 软科中国大学排名2022（总榜） ，  软科中国大学排名2023（总榜） ，以及 软科中国艺术类高校名单2023 。  

Business School    - MSc programmes (excluding MBA)  

商学院硕士课程（MBA除外）入学要求

School of Computer Science – all MSc programmes 计算机学院硕士课程入学要求

College of Social Sciences – courses listed below 社会科学 学院部分硕士课程入学要求 MA Education  (including all pathways) MSc TESOL Education MSc Public Management MA Global Public Policy MA Social Policy MA Sociology Department of Political Science and International Studies  全部硕士课程 International Development Department  全部硕士课程

  All other programmes (including MBA)   所有其他 硕士课程（包括 MBA）入学要求

Please note:

• Borderline cases: We may consider students with lower average score (within 5%) on a case-by-case basis if you have a relevant degree and very excellent grades in relevant subjects and/or relevant work experience. 如申请人均分低于相应录取要求（5%以内），但具有出色学术背景，优异的专业成绩，以及（或）相关的工作经验，部分课程将有可能单独酌情考虑。
• Please contact the China Recruitment Team for any questions on the above entry requirements. 如果您对录取要求有疑问，请联系伯明翰大学中国办公室   [email protected]

Holders of the Licenciado/Professional Title from a recognised Colombian university will be considered for our Postgraduate Diploma and Masters degrees. Applicants for PhD degrees will normally have a Maestria or equivalent.

Holders of a good bachelor degree with honours (4 to 6 years) from a recognised university with a upper second class grade or higher will be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes.  Holders of a good Masters degree from a recognised university will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Holders of a good Bacclaureus (Bachelors) from a recognised Croatian Higher Education institution with a minimum overall grade of 4.0 out of 5.0, vrlo dobar ‘very good’, or a Masters degree, will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Holders of a Bachelors degree(from the University of the West Indies or the University of Technology) may be considered for entry to a postgraduate degree programme. A Class II Upper Division degree is usually equivalent to a UK 2.1. For further details on particular institutions please refer to the list below.  Applicants for PhD level study will preferably hold a Masters degree or Mphil from the University of the West Indies.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a good Bachelors degree from a recognised institution with a minimum overall grade of 6.5 out of 10, or a GPA of 3 out of 4, and will usually be required to have completed a good Masters degree to be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Holders of a good Bakalár from a recognised Czech Higher Education institution with a minimum overall grade of 1.5, B, velmi dobre ‘very good’ (post-2004) or 2, velmi dobre ‘good’ (pre-2004), or a good post-2002 Magistr (Masters), will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a good Bachelors degree from a recognised institution with a minimum overall grade of 7-10 out of 12 (or 8 out of 13) or higher for 2:1 equivalence and will usually be required to have completed a good Masters/ Magisterkonfereus/Magister Artium degree to be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Holders of the Licenciado or an equivalent professional title from a recognised Ecuadorian university may be considered for entry to a postgraduate degree programme. Grades of 70% or higher can be considered as UK 2.1 equivalent.  Applicants for PhD level study will preferably hold a Magister/Masterado or equivalent qualification, but holders of the Licenciado with excellent grades can be considered.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and a Masters degree, with a GPA of 3.0/4.0 or 75% from a recognised institution. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Holders of a good Bakalaurusekraad from a recognised university with a minimum overall grade of 4/5 or B, or a good one- or two-year Magistrikraad from a recognised university, will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Students who hold a Masters degree with very good grades (grade B, 3.5/4 GPA or 85%) will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees. 

Holders of a good Kandidaatti / Kandidat (old system), a professional title such as Ekonomi, Diplomi-insinööri, Arkkitehti, Lisensiaatti (in Medicine, Dentistry and Vetinary Medicine), or a Maisteri / Magister (new system), Lisensiaatti / Licenciat, Oikeustieteen Kandidaatti / Juris Kandidat (new system) or Proviisori / Provisor from a recognised Finnish Higher Education institution, with a minimum overall grade of 2/3 or 4/5, will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a should hold a Bachelors degree and will usually be required to have completed a Masters/Maîtrise with a minimum overall grade of 13 out of 20, or a Magistère / Diplôme d'Etudes Approfondies / Diplôme d'Etudes Supérieures Specialisées / Mastère Specialis, from a recognised French university or Grande École to be considered for entry. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Holders of a Magister Artium, a Diplom or an Erstes Staatsexamen from a recognised university with a minimum overall grade of 2.5, or a good two-year Lizentiat / Aufbaustudium / Zweites Staatsexamen or a Masters degree from a recognised university, will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Students who hold a Bachelor degree from a recognised institution will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees. Most taught Masters programmes require a minimum of an upper second class degree (2.1) with a minimum GPA of at least 3.0/4.0 or 3.5/5.0 Students who have completed a Masters degree from a recognised institution will be considered for PhD study.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a good four-year Ptychio (Bachelor degree) with a minimum overall grade of 6.5 out of 10, from a recognised Greek university (AEI), and will usually be required to have completed a good Metaptychiako Diploma Eidikefsis (Masters degree) from a recognised institution to be considered for entry. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

4-year Licenciado is deemed equivalent to a UK bachelors degree. A score of 75 or higher from Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala (USAC) can be considered comparable to a UK 2.1, 60 is comparable to a UK 2.2.  Private universities have a higher pass mark, so 80 or higher should be considered comparable to a UK 2.1, 70 is comparable to a UK 2.2

The Hong Kong Bachelor degree is considered comparable to British Bachelor degree standard. Students with bachelor degrees awarded by universities in Hong Kong may be considered for entry to one of our postgraduate degree programmes.

Students with Masters degrees may be considered for PhD study.

Holders of a good Alapfokozat / Alapképzés or Egyetemi Oklevel from a recognised university with a minimum overall grade of 3.5, or a good Mesterfokozat (Masters degree) or Egyetemi Doktor (university doctorate), will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and will usually be required to have completed a Masters degree, with a 60% or higher for 2:1 equivalency from a recognised institution to be considered for entry. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Holders of the 4 year Sarjana (S1) from a recognised Indonesian institution will be considered for postgraduate study. Entry requirements vary with a minimum requirement of a GPA of 2.8.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and a Masters degree, with a score of 14/20 or 70% from a recognised institution to be considered. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and will usually be required to have completed a Masters degree from a recognised institution, with 100 out of 110 or higher for 2:1 equivalency from a recognised institution to be considered for entry. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Students who hold the Maitrise, Diplome d'Etude Approfondies, Diplome d'Etude Superieures or Diplome d'Etude Superieures Specialisees will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees (14-15/20 or Bien from a well ranked institution is considered comparable to a UK 2.1, while a score of 12-13/20 or Assez Bien is considered comparable to a UK 2.2).

Students with a Bachelor degree from a recognised university in Japan will be considered for entry to a postgraduate Masters degree provided they achieve a sufficiently high overall score in their first (Bachelor) degree. A GPA of 3.0/4.0 or a B average from a good Japanese university is usually considered equivalent to a UK 2:1.

Students with a Masters degree from a recognised university in Japan will be considered for PhD study. A high overall grade will be necessary to be considered.

Students who have completed their Specialist Diploma Мамаң дипломы/Диплом специалиста) or "Magistr" (Магистр дипломы/Диплом магистра) degree (completed after 1991) from a recognised higher education institution, with a minimum GPA of 2.67/4.00 for courses requiring a UK lower second and 3.00/4.00 for courses requiring a UK upper second class degree, will be considered for entry to postgraduate Masters degrees and, occasionally, directly for PhD degrees.  Holders of a Bachelor "Bakalavr" degree (Бакалавр дипломы/Диплом бакалавра) from a recognised higher education institution, with a minimum GPA of  2.67/4.00 for courses requiring a UK lower second and 3.00/4.00 for courses requiring a UK upper second class degree, may also be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes.

Students who hold a Bachelor degree from a recognised institution will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees. Most taught Masters programmes require a minimum of an upper second class degree (2.1) with a minimum GPA of at least 3.0/4.0 or 3.5/50

Holders of a good Postgraduate Diploma (professional programme) from a recognised university or institution of Higher Education, with a minimum overall grade of 7.5 out of 10, or a post-2000 Magistrs, will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and a Masters degree, with a score of 16/20 or 80% from a recognised institution to be considered. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Holders of a Bachelors degree from a recognised university in Libya will be considered for postgraduate study. Holders of a Bachelors degree will normally be expected to have achieved score of 70% for 2:1 equivalency or 65% for 2:2 equivalency. Alternatively students will require a minimum of 3.0/4.0 or BB to be considered.

Holders of a good pre-2001 Magistras from a recognised university with a minimum overall grade of 8 out of 10, or a good post-2001 Magistras, will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes

Holders of a good Bachelors degree from a recognised Luxembourgish Higher Education institution with a minimum overall grade of 16 out of 20, or a Diplôme d'Études Supérieures Spécialisées (comparable to a UK PGDip) or Masters degree from a recognised Luxembourgish Higher Education institution will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Students who hold a Masters degree will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees (70-74% or A or Marginal Distinction from a well ranked institution is considered comparable to a UK 2.1, while a score of 60-69% or B or Bare Distinction/Credit is considered comparable to a UK 2.2).

Holders of a Bachelors degree from a recognised Malaysian institution (usually achieved with the equivalent of a second class upper or a grade point average minimum of 3.0) will be considered for postgraduate study at Diploma or Masters level.

Holders of a good Bachelors degree from the University of Malta with a minimum grade of 2:1 (Hons), and/or a Masters degree, will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Students who hold a Bachelor degree (Honours) from a recognised institution (including the University of Mauritius) will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees.  Most taught Masters programmes require a minimum of an upper second class degree (2:1).

Students who hold the Licenciado/Professional Titulo from a recognised Mexican university with a promedio of at least 8 will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees.

Students who have completed a Maestria from a recognised institution will be considered for PhD study.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree, licence or Maîtrise and a Masters degree, with a score of 14/20 or 70% from a recognised institution to be considered. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Students with a good four year honours degree from a recognised university will be considered for postgraduate study at the University of Birmingham. PhD applications will be considered on an individual basis.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and will usually be required to have completed a Masters degree, with 60-74% or higher for 2:1 equivalency from a recognised institution to be considered for entry. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Holders of a good Doctoraal from a recognised Dutch university with a minimum overall grade of 7 out of 10, and/or a good Masters degree, will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Students who hold a Bachelor degree (minimum 4 years and/or level 400) from a recognised institution will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees.  Most taught Masters programmes require a minimum of an upper second class degree (2.1) with a minimum GPA of at least 3.0/4.0 or 3.5/5.0

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a good Bachelors degree from a recognised institution with a minimum GPA of B/Very Good or 1.6-2.5 for a 2.1 equivalency, and will usually be required to have completed a good Masters, Mastergrad, Magister. Artium, Sivilingeniør, Candidatus realium or Candidatus philologiae degree to be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and will usually be required to have completed a Masters degree, with a CGPA of 3.0/4 or higher for 2:1 equivalency from a recognised institution to be considered for entry. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Holders of a Bachelors degree from a recognised university in the Palestinian Territories will be considered for postgraduate study. Holders of Bachelors degree will normally be expected to have achieved a GPA of 3/4 or 80% for 2:1 equivalency or a GPA of 2.5/4 or 70% for 2:2 equivalency.    

Holders of the Título de Licenciado /Título de (4-6 years) or an equivalent professional title from a recognised Paraguayan university may be considered for entry to a postgraduate degree programme. Grades of 4/5 or higher can be considered as UK 2.1 equivalent.  The Título Intermedio is a 2-3 year degree and is equivalent to a HNC, it is not suitable for postgraduate entry but holders of this award could be considered for second year undergraduate entry or pre-Masters.  Applicants for PhD level study will preferably hold a Título de Maestría / Magister or equivalent qualification, but holders of the Título/Grado de Licenciado/a with excellent grades can be considered.

Holders of the Licenciado, with at least 13/20 may be considered as UK 2.1 equivalent. The Grado de Bachiller is equivalent to an ordinary degree, so grades of 15+/20 are required.  Applicants for PhD level study will preferably hold a Título de Maestría or equivalent qualification.

Holders of a good pre-2001 Magister from a recognised Polish university with a minimum overall grade of 4 out of 5, dobry ‘good’, and/or a good Swiadectwo Ukonczenia Studiów Podyplomowych (Certificate of Postgraduate Study) or post-2001 Magister from a recognised Polish university with a minimum overall grade of 4.5/4+ out of 5, dobry plus 'better than good', will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Holders of a good Licenciado from a recognised university, or a Diploma de Estudos Superiores Especializados (DESE) from a recognised Polytechnic Institution, with a minimum overall grade of 16 out of 20, and/or a good Mestrado / Mestre (Masters) from a recognised university, will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a good Bachelors degree from a recognised Romanian Higher Education institution with a minimum overall grade of 8 out of 10, and will usually be required to have completed a Masters degree/Diploma de Master/Diploma de Studii Academice Postuniversitare (Postgraduate Diploma - Academic Studies) or Diploma de Studii Postuniversitare de Specializare (Postgraduate Diploma - Specialised Studies) to be considered for entry. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Holders of a good Диплом Специалиста (Specialist Diploma) or Диплом Магистра (Magistr) degree from recognised universities in Russia (minimum GPA of 4.0) will be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes/PhD study.

Students who hold a 4-year Bachelor degree with at least 16/20 or 70% will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees.   

Students who hold a Maitrise, Diplome d'Etude Approfondies,Diplome d'Etude Superieures or Diplome d'Etude Superieures Specialisees will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees. A score of 14-15/20 or Bien from a well ranked institution is considered comparable to a UK 2.1, while a score of 12-13/20 or Assez Bien is considered comparable to a UK 2.2

Students who hold a Bachelor (Honours) degree from a recognised institution with a minimum GPA of 3.0/4.0 or 3.5/5.0 (or a score of 60-69% or B+) from a well ranked institution will be considered for most our Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees with a 2:1 requirement.

Students holding a good Bachelors Honours degree will be considered for postgraduate study at Diploma or Masters level.

Holders of a good three-year Bakalár or pre-2002 Magister from a recognised Slovakian Higher Education institution with a minimum overall grade of 1.5, B, Vel’mi dobrý ‘very good’, and/or a good Inžinier or a post-2002 Magister from a recognised Slovakian Higher Education institution will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Holders of a good Diploma o pridobljeni univerzitetni izobrazbi (Bachelors degree), Diplomant (Professionally oriented first degree), Univerzitetni diplomant (Academically oriented first degree) or Visoko Obrazovanja (until 1999) from a recognised Slovenian Higher Education institution with a minimum overall grade of 8.0 out of 10, and/or a good Diploma specializacija (Postgraduate Diploma) or Magister (Masters) will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Students who hold a Bachelor Honours degree (also known as Baccalaureus Honores / Baccalaureus Cum Honoribus) from a recognised institution will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees. Most Masters programmes will require a second class upper (70%) or a distinction (75%).

Holders of a Masters degree will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Holders of a Bachelor degree from a recognised South Korean institution (usually with the equivalent of a second class upper or a grade point average 3.0/4.0 or 3.2/4.5) will be considered for Masters programmes.

Holders of a good Masters degree from a recognised institution will be considered for PhD study on an individual basis.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and will usually be required to have completed a Masters degree, with 7 out of 10 or higher for 2:1 equivalency from a recognised institution to be considered for entry. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and will usually be required to have completed a Masters degree, with 60-74% or a CGPA 3.30/4.0 or higher for 2:1 equivalency from a recognised institution to be considered for entry. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Holders of a good Kandidatexamen (Bachelors degree) or Yrkesexamen (Professional Bachelors degree) from a recognised Swedish Higher Education institution with the majority of subjects with a grade of VG (Val godkänd), and/or a good Magisterexamen (Masters degree), International Masters degree or Licentiatexamen (comparable to a UK Mphil), will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Holders of a good "PostGraduate Certificate" or "PostGraduate Diploma" or a Masters degree from a recognised Swiss higher education institution (with a minimum GPA of 5/6 or 8/10 or 2/5 (gut-bien-bene/good) for a 2.1 equivalence) may be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and a Masters degree, with a GPA of 3.0/4.0, 3.5/5 or 75% from a recognised institution to be considered. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Holders of a good Bachelor degree (from 75% to 85% depending upon the university in Taiwan) from a recognised institution will be considered for postgraduate Masters study. Holders of a good Masters degree from a recognised institution will be considered for PhD study.

Students who hold a Bachelor degree from a recognised institution will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees.  Most taught Masters programmes require a minimum of an upper second class degree (2.1) Students who have completed a Masters degree from a recognised institution will be considered for PhD study.

Holders of a good Masters degree from a recognised institution will be considered for entry to our postgraduate research programmes.

Holders of a good Masters degree or Mphil from a recognised university will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Students with a Bachelors degree from the following universities may be considered for entry to postgraduate programmes:

• Ateneo de Manila University - Quezon City
• De La Salle University - Manila
• University of Santo Tomas
• University of the Philippines - Diliman

Students from all other institutions with a Bachelors and a Masters degree or relevant work experience may be considered for postgraduate programmes.

Grading Schemes

1-5 where 1 is the highest 2.1 = 1.75 2.2 = 2.25 

Out of 4.0 where 4 is the highest 2.1 = 3.0 2.2 = 2.5

Letter grades and percentages 2.1 = B / 3.00 / 83% 2.2 = C+ / 2.5 / 77%

Holders of a postdoctoral qualification from a recognised institution will be considered for PhD study.  Students may be considered for PhD study if they have a Masters from one of the above listed universities.

Holders of a Lisans Diplomasi with a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.0/4.0 from a recognised university will be considered for postgraduate study at Diploma or Masters level.

Holders of a Yuksek Diplomasi from a recognised university will be considered for PhD study.

Students who hold a Bachelor degree from a recognised institution will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees. Most Masters programmes will require a second class upper (2.1) or GPA of 3.5/5.0

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a good Bachelors degree / Диплом бакалавра (Dyplom Bakalavra), Диплом спеціаліста (Specialist Diploma) or a Dyplom Magistra from a recognised Ukrainian higher education institution with a minimum GPA of 4.0/5.0, 3.5/4, 8/12 or 80% or higher for 2:1 equivalence and will usually be required to have completed a good Masters degree to be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

The University will consider students who hold an Honours degree from a recognised institution in the USA with a GPA of:

• 2.8 GPA (on a 4.0 scale) for entry to programmes with a 2:2 requirement 
• 3.2 GPA (on a 4.0 scale) for entry to programmes with a 2:1 requirement 

Please note that some subjects which are studied at postgraduate level in the USA, eg. Medicine and Law, are traditionally studied at undergraduate level in the UK.

Holders of the Magistr Diplomi (Master's degree) or Diplomi (Specialist Diploma), awarded by prestigious universities, who have attained high grades in their studies will be considered for postgraduate study.  Holders of the Fanlari Nomzodi (Candidate of Science), where appropriate, will be considered for PhD study.

Holders of the Licenciatura/Título or an equivalent professional title from a recognised Venezuelan university may be considered for entry to a postgraduate degree programme. Scales of 1-5, 1-10 and 1-20 are used, an overall score of 70% or equivalent can be considered equivalent to a UK 2.1.  Applicants for PhD level study will preferably hold a Maestria or equivalent qualification

Holders of a Bachelors degree from a recognised Vietnamese institution (usually achieved with the equivalent of a second class upper or a grade point average minimum GPA of 7.0 and above) will be considered for postgraduate study at Diploma or Masters level.  Holders of a Masters degree (thac si) will be considered for entry to PhD programmes.

Students who hold a Masters degree with a minimum GPA of 3.5/5.0 or a mark of 2.0/2.5 (A) will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees.   

Students who hold a good Bachelor Honours degree will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees. 

In addition to our standard academic and English language requirements, applications to study a PhD in Education are judged on the quality of the research proposal submitted and we advise you to carefully read the information outlined below before applying. 

Your Research Proposal

Your research proposal should illustrate your ability to plan an independent research study in Education and  the relevance of your topic to the research interests and expertise of staff in the School of Education. You need to demonstrate that you understand the field that you plan to research, identify an interesting and original research question, develop a tentative plan of study and connect your work with our research in the School. It is critical that your research proposal is written to the guidelines specified below.

Guidelines for the Research Proposal

You are free to write your Research Proposal in a format that suits you, however it should be no more than 2,500 words, excluding references.

However, please be sure that your Research Proposal includes the following minimum information.  

• Provide a title for your proposed research
• Identify the Department  or Research Centre you wish to join and select two or three potential supervisors you would like to work with.
• Provide an overview of your research question, explaining why it is of academic and/or practical importance.
• Discuss the importance of previous related research and how your own research question might make a useful contribution to the area.
• State the main research techniques and data collection procedures you propose to answer the research question you have proposed. Justify why these are appropriate.
• Explain how you will collect data for your study. Justify why your strategy is a good one and explain how you can successfully collect the data you need in the timeframe.
• Outline your proposed timetable of activities.

Common mistakes made in a research proposal

• The research topic is too general. Your research proposal needs to state clearly what you plan to research, why and how.
• The proposal is not well-informed, theoretically. Your proposal may identify a real-world educational issue or problem, but it does not demonstrate its theoretical importance to the study of education. Your proposal must identify the theoretical insight your research will bring to our discipline. What will be the significance of your work? Why is your research question original and interesting?
• The research proposal does not fit with our academic expertise. 

The stages of a PhD application

• Develop your research proposal
• Ensure that your proposal matches our research expertise in the School of Education
• Identify a potential supervisor and department; list these clearly on your application form, in your personal statement and in your research proposal
• Make informal contact with your potential supervisor via email and discuss your proposed research with them if you wish
• Finalize all of the supporting material for your application (including a 2 – 3 page CV, a personal statement, academic references, copies of academic transcripts/degrees, evidence of a successfully completed English Language Test if applicable)
• Submit your application online

Perhaps the most important step in the formulation of your research project is to identify a member of academic staff with appropriate expertise to supervise your area of interest. Your supervisor will act as the main source of academic supervisory support and research mentoring during your time as a doctoral researcher at the University and as such, it is vital that you ensure that the department to which you are applying is able to offer appropriate supervisory support in your relevant research area. Before submitting your application to the University you will need to identify potential supervisors in your desired field of research and contact them directly about your research proposal.

Whilst we accept applications covering all aspects of educational research, we particularly welcome applications for our  current priority areas . Applicants are encouraged to view the research activity within each  department in the school  as well as on individual staff profiles. 

Individual staff research interests

Professor Julie Allan Disability and children’s rights, educational theory.

Professor Kalwant Bhopal Race, racism, gender, class, intersectionality, educational inequalities, schools and higher education, qualitative research, case study research, ethnography, Gypsy and Traveller groups, social justice, equity.

Dr Helen Breadmore Reading, spelling and writing. Causes and consequences of low literacy. Morphological awareness and processing. Evidence-based practice in literacy education. Randomised controlled trials.

Dr Laura Day Ashley Non-state education, Education in India, The history of schooling, Cross-cultural education, Alternatives to education and progressive education, Qualitative approaches, Ethnography, Case Studies, Anthropological approaches, education and marketisation / privatisation / the private sector; NGOs and education (especially developing countries).

Dr Laura D'Olimpio Moral education; Moral philosophy and applied ethics; Aesthetics; particularly aesthetics and ethics; Philosophy in schools; Media, mass art, technology and digital literacy; Philosophy of film and literature; Virtue ethics and character education; Public philosophy.

Professor Graeme Douglas Visual impairment; Educational outcomes and SEN; Transitions from school; Curriculum balance; WHO ICF model of disability; The views of disabled people; Technology and SEN / disability.

Dr Reza Gholami Impact of transnationality and diversity on education practice and policy; Citizenship education, subjectivity and social change in the contemporary/future world; Educational responses to extremism and counterextremism.

Dr Celia Greenway Early Years workforce reform; Early Years practitioners professional identity; Gender issues connected to the recruitment of males into Early Years; Leadership and Management within the nursery sector; Creative Curriculum with reference to young children’s social and emotional development; Outdoor learning and Forest schools.

Dr Karen Guldberg Technology Enhanced Learning for children with autism; social learning theory and inter subjectivity theory; Evidence Based Practice in Education; participatory methodologies

Mr Neil Hall Assessment and intervention in child and adolescent mental health; understanding how family mental health and trauma affects children’s learning and well-being, behaviour and development; teachers’ models of child and adolescent mental health.

Dr Sarah Hall Holocaust and genocide education within a school context, and post-holocaust theology in the classroom; Literary theory and re-reading narrative within Biblical texts especially through a feminist lens; RSE (Relationship and Sex Education): policy and school context; PSHE (Personal, Social, Health Education): policy and school context including work on RSE and Mental Health; Secondary School based subject mentors as ‘HEI teachers’ through their work with students undertaking professional courses; Tutoring and managing ‘the tutor’ in a HEI context.

Professor Michael Hand Philosophy of education; moral education; religious education; political education; teaching controversial issues; philosophy in schools.

Dr Tom Harrison Character, virtue, citizenship, cyber-phronesis, youth social action.

Dr Julie Howe Professional practice in educational psychology services; social constructionism with a particular interest in gender; anti-oppressive practice in educational psychology; the educational implications of acquired brain injury.

Dr Dina Kiwan Citizenship, civil society, activism, conflict, human rights, ethnic and religious diversity, disability, gender, sexuality, migration, refugees, intersectionality.

Dr Ben Kotzee Philosophy of education; virtue theory; ethics in education; professional education.

Professor Kristján Kristjánsson Moral education, virtue ethics, well-being, educational values, teacher/student emotions and self-concepts.

Dr Andrea MacLeod Adults with autism spectrum conditions; models of support; self-advocacy; higher education students with autism; participatory methodologies.

Dr Eleni Mariou Multilingualism in educational and social contexts; Language ideology and discourse; Cultural and political implications of English as an International Language; Language education.

Professor Jane Martin Biography, history and education, Comprehensive education, Gender and education, Education and politics, Education and social movements, Identities and social action, Teacher unions.

Dr Ian McGimpsey Youth Work.

Dr Kevin Myers History of education; history and heritage; social history of childhood and youth.

Dr Jawiria Naseem Dynamics of Higher Education and the labour market in France and Britain; Socio-economic inequalities among (female) graduates; Citizenship and belonging among second generation and Muslim minority ethnic groups.

Dr Prithvi Perepa Most topics related to autism, specifically Intersectionality of autism with different factors such as culture or ethnicity, bilingualism, gender and sexual orientation, and religion; educational support; family experiences and family support.

Dr Siân Roberts Twentieth century educational interventions with children and refugees in contexts of war or displacement; pedagogic contributions by refugee educationalists who arrived in the UK , 1914-1950; transnational interventions by British Quaker women in education, social justice and humanitarian aid, 1914-1950; visual representations of children by humanitarian and political activists; the history of educational broadcasting.

Dr Nicola Smith Children and families with EAL; children as researchers and parental involvement in early years education.

Dr Anita Soni Early years; Children's Centres; personal social and emotional development in young children; key person approach; supervision and group supervision.

Dr Tonie Stolberg Science education, Sustainable development education, Science and the creative arts, The teaching of and learning about controversial issues Religion and science, The impact of faith on teaching and learning, Cultural influences on education, Pedagogy, Values and education, Philosophy of education, Phenomenological education.

Dr Emmanouela Terlektsi Education of deaf and hearing impaired children, Literacy skills of deaf children and young people, socioemotional development of deaf children and young people.

Dr Ruth Wareham Philosophy of education, religious education and schooling, moral education, relationships and sex education, political education, citizenship education, human rights education, education policy.

Dr Kirsty Wilson Mathematics education; algebraic thinking; pedagogy and teachers' practices, including use of technology; primary and early years mathematics; primary teacher education.

As a postgraduate researcher you will have one-to-one supervision with a lead supervisor and also a second supervisor or academic advisor. Your supervisor is the key person in providing support and guidance in your research. Students who are involved in similar areas may also have some group supervision.

You will have 24 hour access to work space in our research suite, where there are computer and telephone facilities. You also have access to the University's libraries and computer facilities, as well as other entitlements such as grants towards conference attendance, printing and photocopying. Many of our postgraduate researchers work with supervisors in publishing articles and making their work public. Although students will register with the School of Education, they are also automatically members of the Graduate School, with access to facilities such as the Graduate Social Centre and the opportunity to meet with other researchers from a wide range of academic disciplines. As a doctoral student, you will also be able to join the College of Social Sciences Doctoral Training programme which has ESRC recognition.

The School of Education also runs an annual Doctoral Research Conference which is which brings together doctoral researchers, academics and practitioners to explore key issues and developments in educational research, theory, policy and practice. The conference, which is organised and run by the doctoral researchers, includes a keynote presentation, an expert panel debate, papers in parallel sessions and a poster exhibition.

Over the last five years, an impressive 95.8% of Education postgraduates have been in work and/or further study six months after graduation.

Birmingham’s Education graduates choose to work in variety of education roles in schools and administrative roles in public and private sector organisations. Some chose to continue their education and apply for professional courses such as teacher training. Some of our graduates are attracted to careers in education such as teaching, community and youth work or other public sector occupations such as social work, police, housing and probation. New opportunities in partnership enterprises within sport, leisure, education and community schemes appeal. Some graduates also consider work in the private sector such as retail, finance or marketing.

What type of career assistance is available to doctoral researchers in Education?

The College of Social Sciences, to which the School of Education belongs, has specially designated careers advisors and careers consultants who can provide guidance for doctoral researchers on career paths, CVs, training opportunities, application and interviews. The University’s central Careers’ Service also runs workshops and offers personally tailored advice and guidance including 1-1 careers advice and 1-1 CV advice. The Career’s Service runs CV writing workshops especially for postgraduates in the College of Social Sciences, giving advice on how to compile CVs for both employment and for academic roles. The University also has dedicated careers advisors who run workshops and provide networking opportunities with potential employers. These are especially popular with international postgraduate researchers.

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PhD Economics

• Please see the entry requirements tab below
• Doctor of Philosophy

Course Info

Entry requirements, teaching & assessment, after your course, fees & scholarships, accommodation, how to apply.

Buckingham has a growing and thriving community of research students studying for the PhD in Economics.

The Department of Economics has been a key part of the University since its foundation in the 1970s. We are a small, diverse and international department with specialisms in financial economics and banking, energy economics, economic history and behavioural economics.

Our academics publish regularly, in highly rated journals such as the Journal of Policy Modelling, International Journal of Industrial Organisation, Research Policy, Business Strategy and the Environment, Structural Change and Economic Dynamics and Business History Review. Our research has also been featured in the Wall St Journal, S&P Global Market intelligence and City AM.

The PhD programme offers a supportive environment to undertake original research and equips students with the theoretical and technical skills needed to produce quality research. You will join one or more of the wider networks of research economists in the Vinson Centre where you can attend workshops and seminars and network with specialists in international trade and development, monetary economics and central banking and entrepreneurial economics. You will have opportunities to present your work at a variety of seminars and sessions in the department. Travel funds are available for presentations in the UK and abroad.

The PhD is available in either full-time or part-time mode (3 years full-time and 6 years part-time). Students are registered initially for the degree of PhD (Doctor of Philosophy), although their status is probationary until the first Annual Review has taken place, normally between 12 and 18 months from first registration.

In addition to Economics, International Studies and Security and Intelligence Studies, the University offers other PhD programmes .

Full details in the Research Degrees Handbook

Applicants are normally expected to have a first or second class, upper division degree or significant experience. A Master’s degree is preferred.

Mature students

Age is no barrier to learning and we welcome all applications from suitably qualified students.

International students

We are happy to consider all international applications and if you are an international student, you may find it useful to visit our international pages for details of entry requirements from your home country.

The University is a UKVI Student Sponsor .

English levels

If English is not your first language, please check our postgraduate English language requirements . If your English levels don’t meet our minimum requirements, you may be interested in applying for our Pre-sessional English Language Foundation Programmes .

Selection process

Wherever possible, you will be invited to the University to meet the Admissions Tutor for an informal interview and to have a tour of our campus. If you are an international applicant, it may not be possible for you to visit in person, so if the Admissions Tutor has any queries about your application you may be conducted by Microsoft Teams, email or phone.

Research Proposals

Applications should be accompanied by a research proposal. Advice on submitting a proposal is available as a PDF document: DPhil prospectus .

Our Admissions Team will be happy to answer any questions you may have. Call us on +44 (0)1280 820227 or get in touch via our online form.

Student Contract for prospective students

When you are offered a place at the University you will be notified of the student contract between the University and students on our courses of study. When you accept an offer of a place on the course at the University a legal contract is formed between you and the University on the basis of the student contract in your offer letter. Your offer letter and the student contract contain important information which you should read carefully before accepting an offer.  Read the Student Contract.

Supervision

PhD students will work closely with their supervisors and will be expected to meet on at least one occasion per term with additional contact through online meetings and email exchanges.

The allocation of graduate supervision for this course is the responsibility of the Department of Economics and it is not always possible to accommodate the preferences of incoming graduate students to work with a particular member of staff. Under exceptional circumstances, a supervisor may be found outside of the Department of Economics.

Quality supervision

The aim of the Research Programme is to help students develop the following: a) a systematic and in-depth understanding in the subject area of choice of research by the student; b) the critical skills necessary to analyse and evaluate complex legal problems and related issues; c) To give students the opportunity to undertake a substantial independent research project at Level 7 of writing; d) research skills necessary to demonstrate familiarity with and understanding of the subject, its principal sources and authorities; e) To develop research skills necessary to display critical discrimination and a sense of proportion in evaluating evidence and the opinions of other authors in the subject.

High calibre staff

Most of our academic staff teach for three terms out of four, with the remaining term used for research . Because of this, we have no difficulty in attracting high calibre, highly respected lecturers, many of whom also have a background in business or industry and can offer networking opportunities for students.

Supervisory methods

Candidates spend a considerable part of their studies undertaking supervised research, at the end of which they submit a thesis embodying the results of that research. This thesis must demonstrate familiarity with, and an understanding of the subject, its principal sources and authorities. It should display critical discrimination and a sense of proportion in evaluating evidence and the judgements of others. The subject should be dealt with in a competent and scholarly manner. In addition to this:

• All postgraduate research students are required to take the Research Methods Course.
• All postgraduate research students must attend supervisory meetings
• All postgraduate research students must attend any other training required to assist with the completion of the PhD.

See the Research Degrees Handbook and the Regulations Handbook for further information.

Students undertake supervised but independent research, at the end of which they submit a thesis embodying the results of that research. This thesis must demonstrate familiarity with, and an understanding of the subject, its principal sources and authorities. It should display critical discrimination and a sense of proportion in evaluating evidence and the judgements of others.  A PhD thesis must embody an original contribution to the knowledge of the discipline either by the discovery of new knowledge or by the exercise of a new and independent critical approach.

Graduate destinations

The interests of the Department of Economics’ doctoral students are diverse, and this is reflected in the positions they take up after graduation including, tenure track or postdoc positions in academia; others find employment in government, international organisations, or the private sector. The international diversity of Buckingham’s doctoral programme also means that its PhD graduates have an impact in many different parts of the world.

We recognise the importance of helping doctoral students find suitable employment. The Department of Economics provides advice and help on all aspects of the job application process.

Graduate employment

Obtain a second degree in Germany

If you arrange to transfer to our partner university in Germany, you will receive a second Master’s degree after a further year of study. See here for details

The fees for this course are:

The University reserves the right to increase course fees annually in line with inflation linked to the Retail Price Index (RPI). If the University intends to increase your course fees it will notify you via email of this as soon as reasonably practicable.

Course fees do not include additional costs such as books, equipment, writing up fees and other ancillary charges. Where applicable, these additional costs will be made clear.

Postgraduate loan scheme

A system of postgraduate loans for Masters’ degrees in the UK is supported by the UK Government. The loan will provide up to £11,222 for taught and research Masters’ courses in all subject areas. The loans can be used for tuition fees, living expenses or both.

Scholarships

Details of scholarships can be found on our Bursaries and Scholarships page . You should make an application to study at the University and receive an offer letter confirming our acceptance of your application before applying for a scholarship.

You may also find it useful to visit our External Funding page .

Due to the mode of study on this course you will not normally need a room in University accommodation during your degree.

Apply directly

You can apply directly using our online application form – all you need to do is click the ‘apply’ button at the bottom of this page.

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Graduate Education in the Humanities: A National Convening

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Graduate Education in the Humanities: A National Convening will support the design, development, and implementation of a national convening on the state of, and prospects for, higher education in the humanities. Under the direction of a steering committee and related working groups, the national convening will provide participants the opportunity to explore current challenges and share best practices; offer guidance for graduate programs, departments, and other interested stakeholders; and help develop a strategic vision for graduate education in the humanities. In addition, the recipient will publish and disseminate a report based on the findings of the steering committee, working groups, and national convening.

The cooperative agreement will be awarded with federal matching funds. The recipient will be required to match the NEH financial contribution by raising an equivalent amount from third-party, non-federal sources.

Read the Notice of Funding Opportunity to ensure you understand the expectations and restrictions for projects delivered under this grant and that you are prepared to write the most effective application.

Application Materials

Graduate Education in the Humanities: A National Convening Notice of Funding Opportunity 2024 (PDF)

Graduate Education in the Humanities: A National Convening Grants.gov application package

Program Resources

Federal Matching Funds Guidelines | The National Endowment for the Humanities (neh.gov)

Certification of Gifts/Pledges (PDF)

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Follow the instructions outlined in the Notice of Funding Opportunity and in the Grants.gov instructions.

You will receive a confirmation from Grants.gov when you've successfully submitted your application.

After you submit your application, Grants.gov will send you up to five e-mail messages confirming receipt of your application. These messages represent different stages in the application acceptance process. You should verify that you have received all confirmation messages. Please note that email filters may send these messages to your spam or junk folder.

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Elizabeth Tetu, trailblazing graduate of the Teacher Learning, Research & Practice program, has more to share with new teachers

“Feelings of overwhelm and failure, a sense of having been inadequately prepared, and a reported lack of support to navigate these experiences,” said Tetu. She also experienced “tensions between what I had learned and come to value through my early justice-centered teacher preparation as an undergraduate, and the practices and expectations in my school environments.”

It was these tense experiences that led Tetu to first apply to graduate school, where she was able to unearth the focus of what her research and teaching would ultimately be.

“Both my research and teaching have come to focus on supporting new teachers to find community and self-efficacy to support them to enact their values,” she said. 

With an abundance of opportunities to work with pre-service teachers in the Elementary Education program and the School of Education’s commitment to equity, inclusion, diversity and justice, Tetu was drawn to the research potential that the Teacher Learning, Research & Practice (TLRP) program offered. 

The TLRP program area offered Tetu a unique opportunity “to learn from/in a community of faculty and graduate students who care deeply AND theorize richly about teachers and teaching,” she said. “Being in community with peers and mentors who move with great authenticity and integrity has taught me ways of integrating my values and ways of being into my identity as a scholar.”

This integration of values that Tetu has learned to harness and utilize in her work were applied well in her time teaching in the Elementary Education program. 

“Elizabeth’s attention to equity and justice has been a hallmark of the courses she has designed and taught in the undergraduate Elementary Education program,” said her award nominators, Associate Professors Jamy Stillman and Melissa Braaten.

Gaining the respect and admiration of her faculty mentors, peers and students, Tetu was proudly nominated as the recipient of the 2024 PhD Outstanding Teaching Award. 

“Elizabeth’s concerted focus on teaching and teacher education — including her efforts to empirically explore questions about teaching/teacher education in the context of her own practice — have resulted in teaching excellence that far exceeds what is typical for doctoral students.” said Tetu’s nominators. “Elizabeth has excelled as a course instructor while making immeasurable contributions to the Elementary Teacher Education program through her teaching, course development, leadership, and scholarly activities.”

As the first graduate of the TLRP program, Tetu’s trailblazing contributions to the Elementary Education program during her doctoral program are only the beginning, and she is excited to be returning to the School of Education as an Assistant Teaching Professor at the end of this summer.

Before Tetu returns to the Elementary Education program, she has another important goal to accomplish in Europe this summer, hiking the famed Camino de Santiago.

In her own words

Please tell us a bit about yourself

I grew up and attended public schools in southeastern Pennsylvania, and I attended college/graduate school in NYC. I was an elementary school teacher and administrator for nine years in New York City. In my different roles, I saw (and experienced myself) some common themes in the first year of teaching: feelings of overwhelm and failure, a sense of having been inadequately prepared, and a reported lack of support to navigate these experiences. In my own early teaching career, I also experienced tensions between what I had learned and come to value through my early justice-centered teacher preparation as an undergraduate, and the practices and expectations in my school environments. This problem is what made me want to apply to graduate school, and ultimately both my research and teaching have come to focus on supporting new teachers to find community and self-efficacy to support them to enact their values. I chose CU Boulder for a few reasons: (1) the TLRP program area and the unique opportunity it offered to learn from/in a community of faculty and graduate students who care deeply AND theorize richly about teachers and teaching, (2) the school's commitments to equity, inclusion, diversity, and justice, and (3) the abundant opportunities available here to teach and work with pre-service teachers in the elementary education program."

What is one of the most significant lessons from your time at CU Boulder that you’ll carry with you into the next chapter of your life?

I came to graduate school with very little knowledge about the academy and learned very early on that there are strong pressures in academic spaces to produce rather than humanize, perform rather than listen, and achieve rather than learn. My time at CU Boulder, especially being in community with peers and mentors who move with great authenticity and integrity, has taught me ways of integrating my values and ways of being into my identity as a scholar. I feel that this integration is the only way to do justice-centered work and remain whole in the academy, and I'm grateful to everyone who has helped me to see that."

What is your best piece of advice for incoming students?

Doctoral education is full of difficult experiences: critically reflecting on your teaching, having conversations across infinite lines of difference, the big milestones (comps and dissertation) and so much more. Although these experiences contribute to a lot of individual growth and accomplishment, you in fact navigate them with peers and mentors. And there are SO many wonderful people teaching and working at CU Boulder. If I could give an incoming student one piece of advice, it would be to find people that you both respect and trust. Having the right people on your committees and collaborative teams can turn all of the challenges into precious gifts, as you are transformed by the expertise and generosity of others."

What are your next steps after graduation?

First, I'm going to take half the summer off to hike the Camino de Santiago! I see it as an opportunity to reconnect with myself before moving into the next phase of my career. In the fall, I am returning to CU Boulder as an Assistant Teaching Professor in Elementary Education."

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Online Graduate Law Programs London Study Tour 2024

Adjunct professor Marc Goodman and Online Programs director Veronica Basadre led a group of online graduate law students through a five-day study tour in London, England. The course examined the roots of the US legal and governmental systems, within a comparative analysis framework of the US and UK systems. The students reviewed UK political history, which provided a foundation for a deeper exploration of the structure of the UK government and political systems and its unwritten constitution. Students examined the elements of the UK systems that the Founding Fathers found both attractive and problematic, resulting in the necessary compromises leading to the drafting of the US Constitution with its three branches of government.

During the study tour, the class visited Buckingham Palace, Tower of London, Big Ben, Whitehall, Benjamin Franklin’s house, and the London Mansion House. The class's learning highlights included attending a Supreme Court hearing and visiting the Inns of Court, which are the professional associations for barristers. All barristers must belong to one of the four Inns of Court, which are Gray’s Inn, Lincoln’s Inn, Inner Temple, and Middle Temple. The students met with the director of education at Middle Temple, learned from Lauren Suding, a barrister and Middle Temple member, and then toured the Royal Courts of Justice. 

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UK grad ‘soars back’ after 40 years, becoming 1st to earn Ph.D. in aerospace engineering

April 30, 2024

“When I started at UK almost 45 years ago, I could not have imagined in my mind — nor even in any theoretical parallel universe — that I would be getting an aerospace Ph.D. from here,” Sinha said. “Much less to be the first recipient of the degree with an aerospace major. When you get older, you start to think about legacy, and this is a legacy that will endure.”

After receiving his bachelor's degree from UK 40 in 1983, Sujit Sinha returned more than 40 years later to become the first to earn a Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering.

From the earliest days of childhood, there are those who seem to possess an unwavering clarity about their future.

Whether it's the child who dreams of exploring the cosmos or the budding artist who finds solace in strokes of color, there's a profound sense of direction.

It’s as if the essence of who they are, their passions, and their talents, are woven into the very fabric of their being.

At just 7 years old, Sujit Sinha’s aspirations were bold — and specific. “My late mother always told me that I said, ‘I’m going to work in mission control at NASA one day.’”

Despite growing up in the small town of Morehead, Kentucky, for Sinha, working in aeronautics didn’t seem out of reach.

That spark of passion was further ignited during a family trip to the Sunshine State.

“It was the summer of 1968. And of course, a must-stop was a visit to the Kennedy Space Center during the heyday of the Apollo program,” he said. “We got to tour the historic mission control building, and that was all I needed to establish my ultimate career aspiration.”

From that moment on, Sinha could often be found spending his free time building model planes and rockets. “All the way through high school, I built rockets — striving to construct ones that flew higher and higher.”

Sinha's desire to become a mechanical engineer was fueled by his unwavering determination. Yet, he recognized the importance of furthering his education, especially if he was going to land his NASA dream job.

That’s when, in August of 1979, Sinha’s journey as a Wildcat began.

“As with many students, the first two years were quite an adjustment. Since this was long before first-year engineering courses and living learning programs, it was difficult to meet other students in my major,” he continued. “As time went on, the courses were a struggle. Then, sophomore year was one of those ‘look into the abyss’ moments, where you feel like you are just about to go into freefall.”

With family support, Sinha completed those two years. And in his junior year, he found a second family at UK.

“I met many other students in mechanical engineering, and we formed a study and social group,” Sinha said. “Now, I always advise prospective students to join a study group.”

He continued to excel socially and academically, and in 1983, Sinha proudly crossed the Commencement stage with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering.

Not unlike many recent graduates, Sinha was unclear about the path forward. He was both eager to begin his career and to continue his education.

“The education I received at UK provided me with the knowledge to take my career wherever I wanted,” Sinha said. “I stress this fact with prospective UK students. But of course, you must also be relentless in the pursuit of your goals — and have just a bit of luck.”​

As luck would have it, NASA came calling.

“I received a job offer from the Marshall Space Flight Center after only having a brief discussion with a NASA recruiter on campus,” Sinha recalled. “But I learned the role was exactly the dream job planted in my mind back in 1968. It would put me in the Launch Control Center, interacting with the mission control team in Houston.”

Those in mission control are often the underappreciated champions behind every successful space mission — navigating the intricate nuances of space travel with unparalleled precision.

At just 21 years old, Sinha found himself striving to anticipate challenges before they would arise and devising split-second contingency plans.

“During a launch, I managed the Main Propulsion System (MPS) console, with responsibility of fueling the large, brown shuttle external tank with liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen," he explained. "Between launches, I designed the ascent flight trajectory for each space shuttle mission. Essentially, you need to get the shuttle into orbit without breaking the wings off of the orbiter, while keeping the aero-heating on the external tank (ET) within safety limits. You may recall, the reentry failure of the Shuttle Columbia was due to a piece of the ET coming off and hitting the wing of the orbiter during ascent. I also performed post-flight trajectory reconstruction after each shuttle mission.”

During that time, NASA would pay for Sinha to get a master’s degree in mechanical engineering. While completing evening courses at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, he also continued to excel in his career — holding many positions and filling many roles at NASA throughout the '80s.

A turning point came on Jan. 28, 1986 — the day of the Space Shuttle Challenger tragedy.

“Everything changed,” Sinha said.

The challenger broke apart 73 seconds into its flight, killing all seven crew members aboard. The spacecraft disintegrated 46,000 feet above the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Cape Canaveral and was the first fatal accident involving an American spacecraft while in flight.

“As a result, I served on the Presidential Commission’s Challenger Accident Analysis Team. As an engineer, I helped to identify and explain the technical failure that occurred, but what I did not readily comprehend was the managerial thinking that contributed to the failure,” Sinha said. “Following the accident, I decided I needed to better understand how and why business and management decision-making differs from engineering and technical decision-making.”

After six years at NASA, Sinha left to pursue an MBA from the Wharton School of Business, at the University of Pennsylvania, which ultimately led to new ventures.

“I served as a civilian consultant to the Department of Defense at the Pentagon for a couple of years,” he said. “I was mentored by a retired three-star general. He established many of the management principles for leading large organizations that I now call my own.”

Despite aspirations to continue his education, life’s demands and opportunities continued to lead Sinha down a different path — applying his mechanical engineering expertise in practical settings.

“In NASA terminology, the pursuit of a Ph.D. went into an ‘unplanned 32-year hold.’”

When asked about his career highlights, Sinha describes his time spent as a management consultant, which involved working with various high-tech and aerospace CEOs and senior executives.

“A few examples include: determining if a commercial helicopter manufacturer should introduce a new product to the market; assessing if a major aerospace firm should purchase a corporate jet maker; deciding how a U.S. commercial launch manufacturer should partner with a Russian launch provider; etc.”

Sinha also led information technology strategy, architecture and innovation at Motorola, which invented cell phones. “Leading IT innovation was exciting, as I was able to introduce many new collaboration and mobile technologies globally,” he said.

Sinha held numerous roles over the course of his illustrious career, applying his expertise in diverse capacities.

And before he knew it, years had gone by since he was an apprehensive graduate — 40 years, to be exact.

Still, Sinha considered himself a lifelong learner. So, he “retired,” began to focus more on work-life balance and contemplated his next move.

“I always had a desire to teach. So, I was definitely planning on continuing my education and earning my Ph.D.,” he said. “My parents always stressed the importance of education as a core family value. I figured that a Ph.D. was the highest degree that could be obtained in engineering, and therefore, I should certainly aim to seek this level of education.”

In 2021, the Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering launched undergraduate and graduate degree programs in  aerospace engineering .

Aerospace plays a significant role in Kentucky’s economy. In fact, aerospace exports are the top export in the state and number three in the United States — behind only California and Washington. According to the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development, Kentucky exported more than $14.6 billion in aerospace products in 2019.

Additionally, the Commonwealth is home to 79 aerospace-related facilities, which employ more than 19,000 people, including Belcan Corp., General Dynamics, General Electric, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon and Sikorsky Aircraft Corp.

Housed in the  Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering , the degree pathways foster research and innovation by enhancing collaborations between UK and the local aerospace industry.

“As a member of the engineering alumni board, over time, I learned about all of the great aerospace research going on at UK,” Sinha said. “And I began to think, once again, about finishing my Ph.D.”

So, after four decades, Sinha made the bold decision to return to UK and pursue his long-deferred dream.

Despite his commitment, being a student again wasn’t without challenges.

“You have to remember, during my undergrad I didn’t even have the internet,” Sinha exclaimed. “But the biggest challenge was re-learning all the calculus. When I would study with the “kids,” they would fly through the math associated with solving problems, so I would have to stop them and have them walk me through it. I certainly would have never completed my degree without the support of my fellow, much younger, and clearly smarter, students.”

This time around, Sinha also had the support of his two sons who attended college at the same time and graduated within a year of each other.

“There is an old tenet at the Pentagon that you should not ask the troops to do something that you are not willing to do — a leadership by example approach,” he said. “This principle is another reason I went back to finish my Ph.D., since I wanted to show my boys that I was willing to challenge myself to study along with them.”

Lastly, Sinha contributes his academic success to his mentors. “I actually had four advisors (Sean Bailey, Jesse Hoagg, Alexandre Martin and Suzanne Smith) for my Ph.D.,” he said. “The support from the faculty and college administration was invaluable to completing my degree.”

From the earliest days of childhood, Sinha seemed to possess an unwavering clarity about his future.

As for his definition of success, however, he now believes that comes in many forms.

Yes, Sinha’s latest accolade could help advance his future career aspirations. But he says it was never about salary or status.

Instead, his degree represents something more intangible.

The May 2024 Commencement Ceremonies will be held on Friday and Saturday, May 3 and 4, at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. More information can be found  here .

“It was the summer of 1968. And, a must-stop was a visit to the Kennedy Space Center," Sinha said. "That was all I needed to establish my ultimate career aspiration."

In 1983, Sinha proudly crossed the UK Commencement stage with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering.

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