Professional Doctorate in Education (EdD)

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 online study days in November and another two online 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 3.5-6 years part-time – the average length of time to complete is usually 4-5 years.
• 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.

Doctoral Students will need to have demonstrated:

• The creation and interpretation of new knowledge, through original research or other advanced scholarship, of a quality to satisfy peer review, extend the forefront of the discipline, and merit publication.
• A systematic acquisition and understanding of a substantial body of knowledge which is at the forefront of an academic discipline or area of professional practice.
• The general ability to conceptualise, design and implement a project for the generation of new knowledge, applications or understanding at the forefront of the discipline, and to adjust the project design in the light of unforeseen problems.
• A detailed understanding of applicable techniques for research and advanced academic enquiry.
  (QAA, The Frameworks for Higher Education Qualifications of UK Degree-Awarding Bodies, 2024).

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 at least 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:

1. a traditional thesis; or
2. 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, all at Level 8 standard, 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.