X

Doctorate in Education (EdD)

This is the page for Doctorate in Education (EdD)

Menu

  • What does our EdD ‘look like’?

doctorate in education ucl

This diagram provides an overview of the five year cycle of an EdD – and it demonstrates how you start with taught modules and gradually work more with your supervisory team too, but always retaining those links to your cohort through regular workshops from year 1 onwards.

  • February 2024
  • EdD Student Blog : Kelly Stokes
  • EdD Student Blog: Kate Williams
  • EdD Student Blog: Ola Aralepo
  • EdD Student Blog: Sam Vernede
  • EdD Student: Alex Baird
  • Why study for an EdD?

Main navigation

UCL Portico statue

Being a student at UCL is about so much more than just acquiring knowledge. Studying here gives you the opportunity to realise your potential as an individual, and the skills and tools to thrive.

  • Undergraduate prospectus
  • Graduate prospectus
  • Short courses
  • Study abroad
  • Centre for Languages & International Education

UCL Bartlett Research

Find out more about what makes UCL research world-leading, how to access UCL expertise, and teams in the Office of the Vice-Provost (Research, Innovation and Global Engagement).

  • Engage with us
  • Explore our Research
  • Initiatives and networks
  • Research news

UCL Print room

Through a progressive approach to teaching and research, our world leading academics, curious students and outstanding staff continually pursue excellence, break boundaries and make
an impact on the w

  • Business partnerships and collaboration
  • Community and public engagement
  • Global engagement
  • News and Media relations
  • Public Policy
  • Schools and institutes

UCL welcome quad

Founded in 1826 in the heart of London, UCL is London's leading multidisciplinary university, with more than 13,000 staff and 42,000 students from 150 different countries.

  • President and Provost
  • Active parent page: Departments and centres
  • Innovation and Enterprise

Centre for Doctoral Education

Researching the past, present and future of doctoral education.

Head of Centre: Professor  Richard Freeman

The Centre for Doctoral Education (CDE) undertakes research to inform, challenge and develop doctoral education internationally.

Our work explores the experiences, practices and achievements of doctoral students, supervisors and early career researchers. We draw on this expertise to offer doctoral programmes within our own institution, supporting the largest concentration of doctoral students studying education and related social sciences in the UK.

Our research

Publications.

  • 100 years of the UK PhD  

CDE academic team

Faculty graduate tutor.

  • Professor  Jane Perryman

Academic Head of Learning and Teaching

  • Dr Sandra Leaton-Gray  

CDE academic staff

  • Nazlin Bhimani 
  • Dr  Olga Cara
  • Dr  Richard Freeman
  • Dr  Will Gibson
  • Dr  Golo Henseke
  • Dr  Maria Kambouri
  • Dr  Sveta Mayer
  • Dr  Joseph Mintz
  • Professor Martin Oliver
  • Dr  d’Reen Struthers
  • Dr Adam Unwin
  • Professor  Tom Woodin

CDE administrative team

Programme services manager, programme services coordinator.

  • Hazel Croft

Department PGR administrators

  • CCM: Arsala Ghani
  • CPA: Gary Ford
  • EPS: Tim Robins
  • DLL: Sarah Hunt
  • PHD: Michelle Brown
  • SRI: Michelle Brown
  • Online MPhil/PhD and Integrated MPhil/PhD: Gary Ford
  • EdD: Sanchita Paul
  • DEdPsy: Linh Dong and Qendresa Osmani
  • MRES: Gary Ford
  • PGDip Social Science Research Methods: Arsala Ghani
  • Research Training Programme: Bob Grist

Back to top  

Study with us 

  • Graduate research programmes
  • Social Science Research Methods PG Dip
  • Social Research MRes
  • Departmental Graduate Tutors
  • Programme leads

Activities 

Our Centre builds on a strong history of research into doctoral education, drawing on new areas of interest in the wider impact of doctoral studies.

Student poster conference

The Centre hosts an annual poster conference for doctoral students to showcase their research.

  • View voxpops from the 2024 Student Poster Conference
  • View voxpops from the 2023 Student Poster Conference

We currently have a number of research projects ongoing, which have been presented at joint seminars with the Centre for Higher Education Studies :

CHES-CDE doctoral seminar (session 1 of 4)

  • Evolving doctoral identities through peer writer identity analysis Dr Jim McKinley , Associate Professor with Agata Mikolajewska, Josef Mueller, Lesley Price, Nathan Thomas, Dandan Zhu.
  • Becoming Public Ethnographers: Chronicling an Attempt Dr Alfonso Del Percio , Associate Professor.

CHES-CDE doctoral seminar (session 2 of 4)

  • Researching educational experiences of Vietnamese PhD students dropping out of their doctoral programmes: methodological reflections Dr Hao Phan, Research Fellow, Department of Education, Practice and Society.
  • The institutional culture of doctoral writing: a new framework for writing support at UCL, IOE Dr Will Gibson , Reader in Social Research.

CHES-CDE doctoral seminar (session 3 of 4)

  • Supervisor pedagogy, relationships and challenges Dr Susan Taylor , PFHEA, Associate Professor of Doctoral Education & Dr Tom Woodin , Reader in the Social History of Education.
  • Disclosure dances: the experience of PhD students with invisible disabilities in higher education Dr Nicole Brown , Lecturer in Education.

CHES-CDE doctoral seminar (session 4 of 4)

  • How to trace and hear from doctoral alumni Dr Giulio Marini , Lecturer (Teaching) & Dr Tatiana Fumasoli , Associate Professor of Higher Education Studies.
  • One Hundred voices: Understanding the Lived Experiences of Black Students on their Journey to a PhD Dr Victoria Showunmi , Lecturer in Education, Chair of Athena Swan at the UCL Institute of Education.

Recent projects include:

  • Early career social science researchers: experiences and support needs for the ESRC by Professor William Locke, Dr Richard Freeman and Dr Anthea Rose  
  • Making space to study: student experiences of managing time and space in an Online MPhil/PhD by Dr Richard Freeman and Professor Martin Oliver

Recent publications include:

  • Taylor, S. (2018). The UCL EdD: an apprenticeship for the future educational professional?  London Review of Education
  • Kehm, B., Freeman, R.P.J. and Locke, W. (2018) ‘Growth and Diversification of Doctoral Education in the United Kingdom’, in Shin, J.C., Kehm, B.M. and Jones, G.A. (eds) Doctoral Education for the Knowledge Society: Convergence or Divergence in National Approaches? , The Netherlands: Springer, 105-121
  • Locke, W., Freeman, R.P.J. and Rose, A. (2018). Early career social science researchers: experiences and support needs. London: Centre for Global Higher Education
  • Hawkes, D., & Taylor, S. (2016). Redesigning the EdD at UCL Institute of Education: Thoughts of the Incoming EdD Program Leaders . In V. A. Storey (Ed.), International Perspectives on Designing Professional Practice Doctorates: Applying the Critical Friends Approach to the EdD and Beyond (pp. 115-126). UK: Palgrave Macmillan

100 years of the UK PhD

In September 2017, the Centre for Doctoral Education hosted a symposium marking 100 years of the UK PhD.

Recordings of presentations and subsequent panel discussions are available below:

  • “ A brief history of the UK PhD ” by Dr  Richard Freeman (UCL Institute of Education)
  • “ Doctorates in the digital university ” Professor  Martin Oliver (UCL Institute of Education) 
  • “ The Changing Landscape of Doctoral Research: Diversify, Differentiate, Collaborate ” by Dr  Rebekah Smith McGloin (Coventry University)
  • Panel discussion (morning)
  • “ Doctoral education: Equipping our researchers to thrive in academia and beyond ” by Dr  Janet Metcalfe (Vitae)
  • “ The Truth ” by John Wakeford (Missenden Centre)
  • Panel discussion (afternoon)

Back to top

Latest news

Being human and being kind: IOE at the Bloomsbury Festival

Being human and being kind: IOE at the Bloomsbury Festival

IOE academics shared their expertise at the Bloomsbury Festival in October through activities exploring the science behind ‘humanness’ and kindness, as well as the history of student life at UCL.

08 Nov 2024

“Beware of anyone who claims to know it all.”

“Beware of anyone who claims to know it all.”

As human beings, how do we learn? In this episode, Dr Rebecca Gordon explores how educational neuroscience can be used in the classroom.

07 Nov 2024

New BA degree in Youth, Society and Sustainable Futures launching at UCL

New BA degree in Youth, Society and Sustainable Futures launching at UCL

Young people worldwide increasingly want a role in addressing global issues, living sustainable lives and securing future employment. IOE, UCL’s Faculty of Education and Society, is launching the new BA in Youth, Society and Sustainable Futures to respond to this social need.

Centre for Doctoral Education IOE, UCL's Faculty of Education and Society University College London 20 Bedford Way London WC1H 0AL

email:  [email protected]

Related links

Centre for Doctoral Education (CDE) Blog

Graduate research

IMAGES

  1. UCL Doctorate in Education (EdD)

    doctorate in education ucl

  2. Introducing the Education EdD doctoral degree at the UCL Institute of Education

    doctorate in education ucl

  3. Applying for doctoral study

    doctorate in education ucl

  4. Doctoral Students Resources

    doctorate in education ucl

  5. UCL Doctorate in Educational Psychology and Child Psychology (DECPsy)

    doctorate in education ucl

  6. Postgraduate study and the Centre for Doctoral Education

    doctorate in education ucl

VIDEO

  1. Studying a PhD at UCL School of Management: Marketing & Analytics Research Group

  2. UCL

  3. UCL Chevening Scholars

  4. Music PGCE: a taster

  5. Mia’s recipe to Disagreeing Well: The surprising skill that experts use

  6. UCL

COMMENTS

  1. Education MPhil/PhD

    The viva examination takes place in-person at UCL or online. Education MPhil/PhD students engage in self-directed learning. Duration of full-time study is 3 years and part-time study is 5 years. Typically, full-time students engage in their doctoral studies for at least 35 hours a week, whilst part-time students engage in at least 15 hours a week.

  2. Study a Research degree at UCL

    Since 1997, our EdD (Doctor of Education) has provided a route into practice-based research for professionals working in education to engage in part-time doctoral research while working in a professional context. ... UCL has been awarded the University of the Year 2024 by the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide. Image credit: UCL ...

  3. UCL Doctorate in Education (EdD)

    Welcome to the Doctor of Education (EdD) Since 1994, the EdD has provided a route into practice-based research for professionals working in education roles to engage in part-time doctoral research while working in a professional context. An EdD differs from a PhD route because students start by undertaking taught courses with a cohort of fellow ...

  4. Why study for an EdD?

    If you are interested in studying for an EdD then we'd like to hear from you, but it's important to think about what studying at doctoral level really 'looks like'. It can help to sit and think about the following:

  5. Education, Practice and Society MPhil/PhD

    The UCL Institute of Education (IOE) offers world-leading doctoral programmes in education and related social sciences. Our MPhil/PhD students undertake research projects, working closely with their supervisors to develop each stage of their research, and undertake a tailored programme of training courses and activities.This programme is available to study both face-to-face and online.

  6. Education, Practice and Society MPhil/PhD

    IOE, UCL's Faculty of Education and Society offers world-leading doctoral programmes in education and related social sciences. Our MPhil/PhD students undertake research projects, working closely with their supervisors to develop each stage of their research, and undertake a tailored programme of training courses and activities. This programme is available to study both

  7. What does our EdD 'look like'?

    This diagram provides an overview of the five year cycle of an EdD - and it demonstrates how you start with taught modules and gradually work more with your supervisory team too, but always retaining those links to your cohort through regular workshops from year 1 onwards.

  8. Centre for Doctoral Education

    In September 2017, the Centre for Doctoral Education hosted a symposium marking 100 years of the UK PhD. Recordings of presentations and subsequent panel discussions are available below: " A brief history of the UK PhD " by Dr Richard Freeman (UCL Institute of Education)

  9. Centre for Doctoral Education

    In September 2017, the Centre for Doctoral Education hosted a symposium marking 100 years of the UK PhD. Recordings of presentations and subsequent panel discussions are available below: " A brief history of the UK PhD " by Dr Richard Freeman (UCL Institute of Education)

  10. UCL Institute of Education

    The UCL Institute of Education (IOE) is the faculty of education and society of University College London (UCL). It specialises in postgraduate study and research in the field of education and is one of UCL's 11 constituent faculties.Prior to merging with UCL in 2014, it was a constituent college of the University of London.The IOE is ranked first in the world for education [3] in the QS World ...