Doctorate (PhD)
School of Education, Fremantle Campus
The University of Notre Dame Australia is dedicated to building a strong and innovative research culture. The Doctor of Education is a research degree that combines coursework in research training with a thesis of approximately 80,000 words in length. Previous experience in research is required for your acceptance into this degree, although additional research training is also provided in the coursework component.
The following criteria apply to students seeking admission to the Professional Doctorate program:
You may be required to demonstrate an ability to understand and communicate in both written and spoken English at a level adequate for the purpose of pursuing the program of study.
The Professional Doctorate is a research degree designed to meet the needs of professionals who aspire to achieve academic excellence and lead the development of knowledge within their profession. The program seeks to examine crucial professional topics and integrate professional experience with scholarly inquiry. In particular, it aims to generate a research-based approach, providing answers to questions relevant to the professions or industry and encouraging a systematic way of collecting, analysing and interpreting data. For this reason, we recommend you seek the support of a relevant professional body, employer or industry group in defining your research area.
The Professional Doctorate comprises coursework and a substantial research component leading to the submission of a thesis. The coursework component includes four compulsory research training courses to be completed as a prerequisite to your individual research project. The coursework will provide opportunities for you to formulate substantial elements of your planned research (e.g. topic refinement, identification and justification of the preferred research method(s), preparation of a draft proposal), and to develop personal competencies in critical analysis and scholarly writing relevant to your profession.
The completion of the coursework is facilitated by a course delivery schedule which takes into consideration that you may also be in employment during your candidature.
Full details of the program are contained in the Program Regulations.