The PhD in Education is an international degree that links the student, the Faculty of Education, and the University to the international scholarship in their field of study. It is an activity that is intellectually demanding, time-consuming, and sometimes a little threatening in that there are risks associated with developing and seeing the project through to completion, and gaining final acceptance.
The PhD degree is a course of advanced study and research, culminating in the submission of a thesis that incorporates an original contribution to the field of education and meets internationally recognized standards of such work. The focus of the PhD programme in Education is on producing professional researchers who will advance both the scholarship and practice of the field of education. This full-time programme of supervised research is aimed at graduates who aspire to positions of professional educational leadership and responsibility, or to a career in educational research, and wish to develop research skills and knowledge in depth of a particular field.
We have a large number of doctoral students (around 120 including those in the EdD programme), many of whom study part-time, combining their academic research with professional careers in the world of education, training and lifelong learning. By bringing together research expertise from across the School, and enabling students to benefit from interaction with their peers and experienced researchers, this doctoral programme maintains and fosters a research community of high standing.
The PhD at The University of Auckland is a thesis-only degree, consequently, there is an expectation that a doctoral candidate would have a clear idea of their research focus, a reasonable handle on the relevant literature related to the focus area, and relevant educational research experience prior to embarking on their doctoral study.
The main part of the PhD is the research thesis and this will be on a topic that would be negotiated in consultation with relevant supervisors. Each student works with two supervisors: a main supervisor and associate supervisor. A suitable main supervisor should be able to provide advice and expertise in the field in which the student is interested in conducting the research. In order to facilitate this process of identifying potential and appropriate supervisors, the application process requires that the PhD applicants submit a detailed research proposal (see Guide - PhD Topic Overview).
Contact
Dr Eleanor Hawe
Faculty PhD Programme Adviser
Faculty of Education, Epsom Campus
The University of Auckland,
Private Bag 92601, Symonds Street
Auckland New Zealand
(+64) (9) 623 8899, extn 48733
e.hawe@auckland.ac.nz
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