The Cohort PhD in Education is a full-time cohort-based programme which runs for 48 months from the date of first registration for the programme.

(i) Suitably qualified candidates (at least a Second Class Honours, Grade I, primary degree, and an appropriate Postgraduate Diploma and/or Master's with at least Second Class Honours) may apply. In exceptional circumstances applicants with suitable professional qualifications and substantial education-related professional experience may be considered;
(ii) Applicants must have at least three years relevant professional experience in Education or cognate field;
(iii) In addition, candidates must demonstrate evidence of good writing ability (i.e. 1,000 word Statement of Intent with application);
(iv) All candidates who meet short-listing criteria will be interviewed.

• Academic qualifications
• Professional experience
• Reflectiveness about professional experience
• Research focus, purpose and rationale
• Quality of writing in statement of intent: style, coherence, connections to literature and conceptualisation
• Ability and willingness to commit to cohort experience

Scale: 1 = not acceptable; 2 = poor; 3 = fair; 4 = good; 5 = excellent

Applicants must be able to satisfy the Selection Committee as to their ability to undertake full-time study to the value of 90 credits per annum. In some circumstances, arrangements can be made to take the programme on a part-time basis, with an equivalent workload of 60 credits per year. In such circumstances, coursework will be taken as for the full-time programme, but the thesis will be submitted in year 6. In the case of part-time study, fees will be calculated on a pro rata basis.

The programme involves the completion of high-level research work leading to the submission and examination of a PhD Thesis (up to a maximum of 60,000 words), work on which is undertaken over the 48 months of the programme. The thesis will be completed and submitted for assessment at the end of Year 4. To support preparation of the thesis candidates take a minimum of coursework/research training modules to the value of 40 credits over the first three years of the programme as outlined below.

Year 1
Students take 20 credits as follows:
ED7107* Educational Inquiry and Philosophies of Educational Research (10 credits)
ED7108 Contemporary Issues in Education: Situating Educational Research Problems (10 credits)

Students undertake thesis research work which will be formally assessed at the end of Year 4.

* This module involves a one-week summer school.

Module Semester Information may be found here. Module descriptions may be found here.

Year 2
Students take 10 credits as follows:
ED7109 Advanced Research Methods for Contemporary Issues in Education (10 credits)

Students undertake thesis research work which will be formally assessed at the end of Year 4.

Year 3
Students take 10 credits as follows:
ED7106* Colloquium in Designing and Conducting Educational Research (10 credits)

Students undertake thesis research work which will be formally assessed at the end of Year 4.
* This module involves a one-week summer school.

Year 4
Students undertake thesis research work leading to completion and submission of a thesis (up to a maximum of 60,000 words) for examination.

Examinations
Full details and regulations governing Examinations for each programme will be contained in the Marks and Standards 2020/2021 Book and for each module in the Book of Modules, 2020/2021.

See also under the General Regulations for the PhD Degree.

Programme Learning Outcomes for Cohort PhD in Education (NFQ Level 10, Major Award)
On successful completion of this programme students should be able to:

• Undertake an empirical study, involving research and instrument design, data collection, data analysis and representation of findings, in their chosen research area;
• Participate in and contribute, in a critical fashion, to debates on contemporary issues in educational policy, leadership and pedagogy with particular focus on socio-cultural perspectives;
• Act as critically informed educational researchers in terms of designing and undertaking a research study on their chosen topic with a focus on writing for a national/international readership;
• Demonstrate emergent doctoral level proficiency in the fundamentals of advanced educational research;
• Demonstrate knowledge of, and utilise in educational research and critical debate, perspectives on research paradigms and research genres;
• Demonstrate doctoral level knowledge of the epistemological and ontological foundations underpinning educational research, and utilise these to develop educational research.
• Report research findings to various audiences: e.g. research, professional, policy audiences, in appropriate styles, e.g. research paper, discussion document, policy recommendations.