Educational Research
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
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Program overview
The Doctor of Philosophy degree prepares scholars for leadership careers in research and teaching. Students engage with established and emerging ideas in the theory and practice of pedogogy, leading to comprehensive and specialized understanding of their area of study. Through original research, students help to open and extend the field of educational research. By critiquing and building upon scholarly and practical research and contemporary discourses in education, students will participate in creating the next generation of ethical and ecologically sustainable educational systems. A two-year, on-campus residency is required for this research-intensive and thesis-based program, which is delivered on-campus only.
Outcomes and next steps
Professor, Research and Not-for-profit organizations, Bilingual Education, Intercultural Communication, English Language Arts, Media Education, Culture Studies, Curricular Consultant, Public and Private Education, Community and Non-governmental agencies, School management, Policy and governance.
A PhD in educational research is usually considered a final degree.
Degree at a glance
Completion requirements
Thesis-based
Courses
Five core courses, and up to three electives depending on specialization
Program requirements
Class delivery
Classroom
Commitment
Four years full-time; six years maximum
Supervisor
A supervisor is required, but is not required prior to the start of the program
Fees and funding
Flat annual fee; funding may be offered
Related programs
If you're interested in this program, you might want to explore other UCalgary programs.
Supervisors
A supervisor is required for this program. Students are not required to identify potential supervisors prior to applying to the program.
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Gregory Lowan-Trudeau
- Indigenous Environmental Education
accepting inquires
Janet Groen
- Adult Learning
accepting inquires
Jennifer Lock
- E-Learning
- ICT Integration
- Change and Innovation
- Educational Development in Higher Education
- Makerspaces
accepting inquires
Kim Koh
- Building Teacher Capacity in Classroom Assessment
- Teacher Assessment Literacy and Professional Development
- Problem-based Learning and Assessment in Teacher Education
- Test and Survey Development, Adaptation, and Validation
accepting inquires
Kim Lenters
- Literacy Studies
accepting inquires
Maren Aukerman
- Meaning-making, literacy, classroom discourse
accepting inquires
Additional supervisors may be available. Contact the Faculty of Graduate Studies for more information.
Completion requirements
Adult Learning
Students take courses in research methods, advanced topics in adult learning and electives.
Language and Literacy
Students take courses in research methods and on theory and research in language and literacy.
Learning Sciences
Students take courses in research methods and electives in educational research from the learning sciences specialization.
Curriculum and Learning
Students take courses in research methods, interpretive study of curriculum and additional seminars.
Leadership
Students take courses in research methods, a seminar in educational leadership and electives in educational research.
Candidacy and Thesis
Students complete a research proposal and oral and written candidacy exams, and submit and defend an original thesis.
Admission requirements and information
Requirements for the Educational Research Program
GPA
A minimum of 3.5 GPA on a 4.0 point system, over the past two years of full-time study (a minimum of 10 full-course equivalents or 60 units) of the undergraduate degree.Minimum education
A thesis-based master's degree in an appropriate field.Work samples
NoneAdmission Portfolio
Applicants to the Doctor of Philosophy program are encouraged to submit an Admission Portfolio containing examples of their work.The Doctoral Admission Portfolio may contain the following:
Thesis (if applicable).
Reports.
Research grants or scholarships.
Articles.
Curriculum documents.
Non-print materials, (e.g. multimedia).
Evidence of relevant prior learning (see graduate calendar).
Personal statement documenting research skills and interests.
Documents
- A written statement indicating the applicant's reasons for wishing to pursue a graduate program
Reference letter
TwoTest scores
NoneEnglish language proficiency
An applicant whose primary language is not English may fulfill the English language proficiency requirement in one of the following ways:
- TOEFL score of 97 (Internet-based). Our institution code is 0813.
- IELTS score of 7.0 (Academic version)
- MELAB score of 83, or higher
- By successfully completing Tier 3 of the University of Calgary's International Foundations Program
- Tests must have been taken within the last two years
Deadlines
For admission on September 1
Canadian and permanent residentDec. 1 Application deadline
InternationalDec. 1 Application deadline
If you’re not a Canadian or permanent resident make sure to read and learn about international specific requirements
Tuition fees and funding
All graduate students must pay general fees each year, as well as program fees.
Fees
Estimate for full-time students
Canadian and
permanent resident
International
student
General fees
12 months of study
$1,758 CAD
$1,758 CAD
Program fees
First 12 months of study
$5,593 CAD
$12,695 CAD
Total fees
For first year of studies
$7,351 CAD
$14,453 CAD
What are annual continuing fees?
Domestic Continuing Fees: $1,627 CAD
International Continuing Fees: $3,693 CAD
Continuing fees apply in the first term following completion of candidacy requirements.
Funding availability
The Werklund School of Education and the Faculty of Graduate Studies (FGS) at the University of Calgary provide a range of financial assistance to students in GPE.
Fees listed here are estimates only, and have been rounded to the nearest dollar. These amounts should not be considered accurate. All amounts are in Canadian Dollars.
Fees are subject to change.
For more details and the most accurate information go to the Academic Calendar
For more general information, see our Fees and Funding Guide
Highlights of the Educational Research Program
Learning from the 2013 flood
Faye Bres is working with the City of Calgary on management practices and lessons learned from the 2013 flood
Open-source project used to explain complex systems
Pratim Sengupta developed DigiPlay @ WSE Public, a project to create aparticipatory space where anyone can modify and create complex systems
Understanding how we learn to love - or hate - mathematics
Jo Towers and her team are investigating where and how our personal relationships with math are established
Learn more about this program
Werklund School of Education
Education Tower, Room 1202A
2500 University Drive NW
Calgary, ABT2N 1N4
403.220.5639
Educational Research
Education Tower, Room 114
2500 University Drive NW
Calgary, ABT2N 1N4
403.220.5675
Go to our contact page and connect with the right person to answer any questions you might have
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