Education research at Nottingham Trent University (NTU)

The Professional Doctorate in Education (EdD) is designed for those in a range of education and education-related professions and provides an opportunity to study part-time for a doctorate in an area connected to professional practice.

Designed to combine with the work commitments of full-time professionals, the professional doctorate is a part-time modular programme which culminates into the submission of a doctoral thesis and examined by a viva voce oral examination.

The programme of study supports students to produce research that generates new knowledge within professional domains in order to advance the field. Research is developed in stages and students will, through a process of supervision and cohort workshops, produce and submit a series of documents based around a research topic with direct relevance to the candidate’s own professional interest and working life.

What you'll study

This course will provide you with an opportunity to undertake a research study in a subject that supports your practice and contributes to academic and professional knowledge.

The Doctor of Education is convened into two main stages: pre-thesis stage and thesis stage. In the first part of the doctorate you will study two modules that will help support the development of your research plans. The first module will support the development of your research plan and proposal. The second more substantive module will support the gradual development of your research through the production of three documents consisting of a critical literature review, a methodological rationale and approaches in data collection and analysis.

On completion of modules 1 and 2, you will transfer to stage 2 of the Doctor of Education. At stage 2, you will work towards your final thesis and a reflexive document that closes the gap between theory and practice in relation to your final thesis.

Supporting the processes at all stages of the research process are a series of workshops that align to the modules you study and the documents you submit. They are:

• Research workshop one: Research plan, questions, aims, professional context and ethics
• Research workshop two: Critical literature review
• Research workshop three: Research design and methodology
• Research workshop four: Generating data and data analysis
• Research workshop five: The thesis, the viva and being the reflexive researcher

How will I be assessed?

Unlike the PhD, which is assessed by a single thesis delivered at the end of the project, the professional doctorate structure involves students in shaping their research project around a sequence of four documents. The first two documents are submitted and assessed during the first four years of the programme of study. The remaining two documents are completed during the remainder of your time with us and are assessed by a viva voce examination.

Careers and employability

The EdD is designed to enhance knowledge and practice for a range of professionals including practitioners, policy-makers, leaders and managers, academics, teachers and teaching-related staff. It is suitable for professionals working at all levels of education from early education, primary and secondary sectors, adult and further education, higher education as well as alternative sectors of education such as community education and alternative education.