School of Education | PhD Education

PhD Education at Durham University

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The School of Education are committed to providing both a stimulating and supportive environment for our research postgraduates. What differentiates us from other providers is the growing focus of many of our researchers on quantitative methodologies (random controlled trials, impact studies, etc.), intercultural education, the arts in education and the psychology of education.

A PhD can be a major step in either launching your career or in reaching your employment aspirations. The Durham University School of Education PhD programme, consisting of both training and supervised research, is perfect for those graduates who aspire to an academic career in educational research teaching in higher education institutions or to positions of professional leadership and responsibility in the field of education.

Even though all PhD topics are different, all students will research a subject in great depth, acquire advanced skills in practical and intellectual problem-solving and critical analysis of theories and evidence, and contribute to an extensive piece of original work (a dissertation of up to 100,000 words) to the field of education.

Your research topic could relate to any aspect of the theory, policy or practice of education and may be drawn from any phase of education, including early years and post-compulsory education. As all doctoral students agree their topics with their supervisory team, the topic you choose must align with the research interests of a potential supervisor at the time of application.

While most of our PhD candidates study full-time, we also accept part-time applicants. Completion of the PhD usually takes three years for full-time study and six years for part-time study. As the staff research areas suggest, we can offer supervision in a broad range of areas. What's more, we welcome applications from varied disciplinary backgrounds, not just from those students possessing qualifications in education-related subjects.

We are looking for exceptional candidates who learn quickly, have the potential to contribute to the School of Education's vibrant research culture, and will go on to accomplish remarkable things in their careers. You will need to have a clear idea of what you would like to research and why, as well as an awareness of recent research in that particular field.

Students who graduate from the School of Education are placed in the strongest position to pursue a successful career in a wide range of different sectors.

Our Education Studies opens up routes into a diverse range of careers including teaching, educational research, publishing, education administration, policy, management as well as a range of careers in the commercial or public sector.

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