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.

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.

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

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.

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

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 2022/2023 Book and for each module in the Book of Modules, 2022/2023.

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.