The Doctor of Education is a 108-unit program, comprising coursework and research, which is offered by the Faculty of Education, Humanities and Law for domestic and international students.

Up to 36 units of credit may be granted for appropriate topics completed towards one of the masters programs offered by the School of Education, or towards an approved equivalent qualification from another institution.

Admission requirements

Applicants must normally:

  • hold a masters degree from an approved tertiary institution, or hold an equivalent qualification. Qualifications must include the equivalent of 36 units at fifth year higher education level.
  • have at least five years' relevant work experience in education or a related field; and
  • demonstrate evidence of commitment and innovation or other evidence of creative and intellectual activity in professional practice in their field at the appropriate level.

 

Note: Applicants must submit a written statement and other relevant evidence addressing the above admission criteria with their application form.  Please see Application Guidelines for EdD (PDF 110KB)

Any applicant who is currently enrolled in the PhD at Flinders University, and who wishes to undertake an EdD will be considered on a case by case basis. In determining whether admission will be offered, The Doctor of Education Admissions Committee will consider how the student could draw upon his/her practical experience to theorise and research the educational questions which are posed throughout the EdD, in addition to considering whether the applicant meets the normal admission criteria.

Course aims

The Doctor of Education program aims to:

  • provide students with the competencies that will enable them to become the face of their profession
  • increase the social and intellectual capital in the communities to which graduates contribute
  • foster innovations and advances to fields of and related to education
  • encourage the dissemination of new knowledge created through and as a result of activity within the program 
  • promote connectivity between fields of and related to educaton and to the wider world to improve social wellbeing
  • provide valuable and engaging learning experience for students that contributes to the achievement of the learning experience.

Learning outcomes

It is expected that a graduate of The Doctor of Education should be able to:

  • plan and conduct a research study to investigate issues related to their profession or field of activity
  • evaluate research in their relevant professional arena
  • evaluate the impact of global, national and contextual issues and trends on their profession or field of activity
  • respond appropriately to events in terms of public information
  • disseminate knowledge appropriately to academic and professional audiences
  • contribute to debate in their professional arenas in a critical and constructie way
  • critique and construct policy that is relevant to their profession or field of activity.

Program of study

To qualify for The Doctor of Education, a student must complete 108 units with a grade of P or NGP or better in each topic, normally comprising:

Part A

36 units of masters level topics (credit may be granted for study completed at this level)

Elective - Part A Masters level topics

Select 36 units from the topics listed

 DSRS9060  Intellectual Disability  (4.5 units)
 DSRS9061  Management of Physical and Multiple Disabilities  (4.5 units)
 DSRS9062  Transition from School to Adult Life for Students with Disabilities  (4.5 units)
 DSRS9063  Autism Spectrum Disorder: Theory and Practice  (4.5 units)
 DSRS9064  Technology and Disability  (4.5 units)
 EDUC9129  Contemporary Issues in Special Education  (4.5 units)
 EDUC9307  Educational Planning and Assessment for Students with Special Needs  (4.5 units)
 EDUC9408  The Professional Specialist Educator  (4.5 units)
 EDUC9409  Intervention for Students with Numeracy Difficulties  (4.5 units)
 EDUC9501  Understanding Behaviour in Educational Contexts  (4.5 units)
 EDUC9502  Assessment, Planning and Teaching in Behaviour  (4.5 units)
 EDUC9503  Supporting Behaviour Change  (4.5 units)
 EDUC9504  Supporting Positive Behaviour in Schools  (4.5 units)
 EDUC9511  Complex Communication Needs and Augmentative and Alternative Communication  (4.5 units)
 EDUC9513  Designing Individualised Functional Curriculum  (4.5 units)
 EDUC9521  Educating Children with Learning Difficulties  (4.5 units)
 EDUC9522  Intervention for Students with Literacy Difficulties  (4.5 units)
 EDUC9531  Current Perspectives in Early Intervention  (4.5 units)
 EDUC9532  Early Intervention: Learning From and Through Play  (4.5 units)
 EDUC9542  Studies in Vision Impairment 2  (4.5 units)
 EDUC9543  Studies in Braille: Research and Practice  (4.5 units)
 EDUC9544  Studies in Orientation and Mobility: Research and Practice  (4.5 units)
 EDUC9551  Introduction to Sensory Impairment  (4.5 units)
 EDUC9552  Collaborative Consultation  (4.5 units)
 EDUC9601  Strategic Thinking and Planning  (4.5 units)
 EDUC9602  Leaders and Leadership  (4.5 units)
 EDUC9603  Theories of Organisational Change  (4.5 units)
 EDUC9604  Managing Human Resources  (4.5 units)
 EDUC9605  Knowledge Management for Organisational Learning  (4.5 units)
 EDUC9606  Planning Change in Organisations  (4.5 units)
 EDUC9608  Globalisation: Issues and Challenges  (4.5 units)
 EDUC9609  Leadership and Management in Rural Contexts  (4.5 units)
 EDUC9610  Developing People in Organisations  (4.5 units)
 EDUC9611  Managing Innovation in Organisations  (4.5 units)
 EDUC9701  Effective Use of ICT for Learning and Teaching  (4.5 units)
 EDUC9702  Building Positive Mental Health in School Communities  (4.5 units)
 EDUC9703  Postgraduate Education: Purposes and Practices  (4.5 units)
 EDUC9704  Exploring Languages Pedagogy - Theory and Practice  (4.5 units)
 EDUC9705  Developing Literacies Through Intercultural Language Learning  (4.5 units)
 EDUC9706  Visualising Language Learning  (4.5 units)
 EDUC9707  Leading Change in the Digital Age (4.5 units)
 EDUC9731  Motivation, Cognition and Metacognition in Learning  (4.5 units)
 EDUC9732  Teaching to Develop Motivation, Cognition and Metacognition  (4.5 units)
 EDUC9733  The Psychology of Learning and Instruction  (4.5 units)
 EDUC9734  Applications of Psychology to Learning and Instruction  (4.5 units)
 EDUC9735  Research Design in Cognition and Instruction  (4.5 units)
 EDUC9736  Research Application in Cognition and Instruction  (4.5 units)
 EDUC9761  Approaches to Research  (4.5 units)
 EDUC9762  Introduction to Statistics  (4.5 units)
 EDUC9763  Survey and Questionnaire Methods  (4.5 units)
 EDUC9764  Methods in Ethnography  (4.5 units)
 EDUC9765  Researching Texts and Documents  (4.5 units)
 EDUC9766  Multivariate and Multilevel Statistics for Educational Research  (4.5 units)
 EDUC9767  Assessment in Education  (4.5 units)
 EDUC9791  Gifted Education: Conceptions of Giftedness, Intelligence and Creativity  (4.5 units)
 EDUC9792  Gifted Education: Curriculum and Differentiation  (4.5 units)
 EDUC9793  Gifted Education: Program Design and Evaluation  (4.5 units)
 EDUC9794  Gifted Education: Affective Development  (4.5 units)
 EDUC9821  IBMYP Curriculum Foundations  (4.5 units)
 EDUC9822  IBMYP Curriculum Processes  (4.5 units)
 EDUC9823  Teaching, Learning and Assessment in the IBMYP  (4.5 units)
 EDUC9824  Classroom Diversity and the IBMYP  (4.5 units)
 EDUC9851  Constructions of Education and Social Justice  (4.5 units)
 EDUC9852  Ethics in Education  (4.5 units)
 EDUC9881  Studies of Asia Across the Curriculum: An Introduction  (4.5 units)
 EDUC9882  Studies of Asia: Premodern Asian Societies and Cultures  (4.5 units)
 EDUC9883  Studies of Asia: Contemporary Issues and Values  (4.5 units)
 EDUC9884  Studies of Asia: Arts Learning Area 1 (Sources and Contexts)  (4.5 units)
 EDUC9885  Studies of Asia: Arts Learning Area 2 (Contemporary Arts of Asia)  (4.5 units)
 EDUC9886  Studies of Asia: English Learning Area 1 (Literatures from Asia)  (4.5 units)
 EDUC9887  Studies of Asia: English Learning Area 2 (Contemporary Asian Literature)  (4.5 units)
 EDUC9888  Studies of Asia: Utilising In-Country Experience  (4.5 units)
 EDUC9921  Issues in Professional Learning  (4.5 units)
 EDUC9922  Models of Professional Learning  (4.5 units)
 EDUC9923  Leading Professional Learning  (4.5 units)
 POAD9037  Financial Management  (4.5 units)
 POAD9135  Project Management  (4.5 units)

Part B

36 units of core topics. Attendance at EDUC9951, EDUC9952 and EDUC9953 is mandatory.

Core - Part B topics


 EDUC9951  Doctoral Symposium A: Issues in Education  (4.5 units)
 EDUC9952  Doctoral Symposium B: Education and Community Issues  (4.5 units)
 EDUC9953  Doctoral Symposium C: Education and Policy  (4.5 units)
 EDUC9954  Preparation for Research  (4.5 units)

plus select 18 units from the topics listed

 EDUC9761  Approaches to Research*  (4.5 units)
 EDUC9762  Introduction to Statistics  (4.5 units)
 EDUC9763  Survey and Questionnaire Methods  (4.5 units)
 EDUC9764  Methods in Ethnography  (4.5 units)
 EDUC9765  Researching Texts and Documents  (4.5 units)
 EDUC9766  Multivariate and Multilevel Statistics for Educational Research  (4.5 units)
 EDUC9767  Assessment in Education  (4.5 units)
 POAD9028  Evaluation Methods (4.5 units)

*It is recommended that students complete EDUC9761

Part C

36 units of research studies either as one 36 unit dissertation or two 18 unit dissertations which are cognate

Elective - Part C Research Studies topics

Select 2 x 18 unit Dissertations or 1 x 36 unit Dissertation from the topics listed

 EDUC9955  Dissertation A  (18 units)  
 EDUC9955A  Dissertation A  (9/18 units) 
 EDUC9955B  Dissertation A  (9/18 units)  
 EDUC9955C  Dissertation A  (4.5/18 units)  
 EDUC9958  Dissertation B  (18 units)  
 EDUC9958A  Dissertation B  (9/18 units)  
 EDUC9958B  Dissertation B  (9/18 units)  
 EDUC9958C  Dissertation B  (4.5/18 units)  
 EDUC9961  Dissertation  (18/36 units) 
 EDUC9961A  Dissertation  (18/36 units) 
 EDUC9961B  Dissertation  (9/36 units) 
 EDUC9961C  Dissertation  (9/36 units)  
 EDUC9961D  Dissertation  (9/36 units) 
 EDUC9961E  Dissertation  (9/36 units)  
 EDUC9961F  Dissertation  (4.5/36 units)  

All students must complete 36 units of research studies, usually requiring one or two projects stemming from core and elective studies and practice which shall be assessed by two examiners, both of whom will be external to the University. Students are expected to complete their coursework prior to commencing their research studies.

The research undertaken by students should be compatible with the research interests and expertise of staff in the School of Education in order to provide optimum supervision. Students will be encouraged and supported to publish their research studies.

Students who are unable to complete The Doctor of Education may apply to exit with a Master of Education, or one of its specialisations, or the Graduate Certificate in Education, or one of its specialisations, depending on the number of topics completed.

Except with the permission of the Faculty Board, students must complete The Doctor of Education program within twelve consecutive years. Failure to do so may constitute prima facie evidence of unsatisfactory progress for the purposes of the University's policy on student progress.