Doctorate (PhD)
This is a professional doctorate by research. It offers advanced study for experienced professionals in education and related fields and caters for people in, or aspiring to, leadership roles in educational settings.
A Doctor of Education (Research) from JCU will empower you to contribute your original ideas to the ever-developing field of Education. The advanced research skills and knowledge base that you accumulate will enhance your career as an educator.
With a Doctor of Education (Research), you might find a passion for educational research. Those who continue on as research and teaching academics contribute to an expanding body of research on educational strategies and pedagogy. You may find yourself presenting findings at conferences, both in Australia and internationally, and examining student data to identify and explore trends.
A Doctor of Education (Research) from JCU will also provide you with the knowledge and skills to progress your career within schools. You may return to the classroom and use the insights you have gained to further develop your teaching. You could explore opportunities within school leadership, as a Principal or Deputy Principal. Your high-level communication skills and experience managing workloads will assist you greatly in this pathway.
You may also find yourself working for various educational organisations, helping to supervise curriculum, teacher accreditation, or educational policy. Depending on your area of research specialisation, there are numerous opportunities for you to explore.
To be eligible for entry, applicants must have attained at least one of the following:
a) a Bachelor's degree with at least Second Class, Division A (Honours) in a degree program that included a total of at least a semester of supervised project work, the results of which contributed to the Honours grade;
b) a postgraduate qualification which included: (a) supervised research component(s) of at least one semester or equivalent and resulted in the production of output(s) graded at the equivalent of Distinction or better, and (b) at least one research methods subject;
c) a Research Masters degree, where at least two thirds of the degree consisted of a supervised research component and resulted in the production of a thesis or equivalent;
d) enrolment at this or another Australian university in a higher degree by research for the equivalent of at least 0.5 EFTSL with demonstrated satisfactory performance in the supervised research component(s);
e) a combination of qualifications, research training and experience, considered equivalent to the above by the Dean of the College to which the Candidate is applying, e.g., senior authorship of at least one peer-reviewed publication plus completion of an appropriate research methods subject.
Visit the Graduate Research School website for more information, and then complete an online application through our Online Application Portal.