UofC

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) – on campus

Please note: This degree requires a two year residency. Students must be available during the day to attend research seminars, courses, and to perform teaching and research related duties at the university campus for the first two years of their program.

In addition to the Faculty of Graduate Studies admission requirements, Graduate Programs in Education requires:

a) A thesis-based master’s degree in an appropriate field. Outstanding applicants holding master’s degrees without thesis may be considered.

b) A minimum grade point average of 3.50 on a four-point scale in a master’s degree program.

c) A written statement indicating the applicant’s reasons for wishing to pursue a graduate program.

d) Where appropriate, candidates will be expected to have, or to obtain, relevant practical experience in their area of specialization.

e) For applicants required to prove proficiency in English, a TOEFL score of 580 (written test), 93 (Internet-based test), a MELAB score of 82 or an IELTS score of 7.0.

f) Two reference letters.

Admission Portfolio

Applicants to the Doctor of Philosophy program are encouraged to submit an Admission Portfolio containing examples of their work. The purpose of the Admission Portfolio is to give applicants the opportunity to provide additional documentation that demonstrates their suitability and qualification for doctoral studies. The Admission Portfolio is particularly relevant for program applicants who do not hold a thesis-based master’s degree.

The Doctoral Admission Portfolio may contain the following:

a) Thesis (if applicable).

b) Reports.

c) Research grants or scholarships.

d) Articles.

e) Curriculum documents.

f) Non-print materials, (e.g. multimedia).

g) Evidence of relevant prior learning (see below).

h) Personal statement documenting research skills and interests.

The Doctoral Admission Portfolio must include a Table of Contents and an Executive Summary that outlines the contents of the Portfolio.

Relevant Prior Learning Considerations

In exceptional circumstances, individuals who do not meet formal academic requirements but who have significant life achievements may be considered for admission to the program. The candidates must provide Graduate Programs in Education with evidence demonstrating a potential to undertake successfully the proposed program of studies. Such candidates are advised to make early contact with Graduate Programs in Education, and supply additional supporting documents as part of their application package, such as:

a) Evidence of personal continuing education/training.

b) Results in these continuing education efforts.

c) Experience in a field related to the aspired degree.

d) Evidence of successful management of people, resources, finances, situations.

e) Increasing or varying responsible positions in organizations related to the aspired degree.

f) Work-related products, e.g. reports, programs of learning or training, handbooks, videos, manuals, workshops, seminars.

g) Evidence of personal growth in knowledge, understanding, management skills, and intellectual resources.

h) Evidence of innovation.

i) Evidence of leadership, co-ordination.

The deadline for the submission of complete applications to all programs is December 1 for September admission.

The applicant must make advanced credit request as part of the admission process. Credit will not be given for course work taken as part of another completed degree/diploma, or for courses taken to bring grade point average to a required level for admission.

In addition to the requirements of the Faculty of Graduate Studies, Graduate Programs in Education requires that students be available on campus for the first two years of their program.

a) Three 600- or 700-level half courses in research methods;

b) Additional graduate courses or seminars as required by the student's Specialization (see below);

c) Candidacy examination; and

d) Dissertation.

• Adult Learning requires three half courses selected from Educational Research 735.
• Curriculum and Learning requires Educational Research 782, and two additional half courses selected from either Educational Research 784 or 786.
• Languages and Diversity requires three half courses selected from Educational Research 768.
• Technology requires Educational Research 771, and two half courses at the 700 level in technology.

None.

Graduate Programs in Education does not normally accept undergraduate courses for credit toward graduate degrees.

Expected completion time for full-time students is four years with a maximum completion time of six years.

A supervisor is normally appointed at the time of admission.

Candidacy
Candidacy must be completed within 28 months from the program start date.
Admission to candidacy is an acknowledgement that a student is fully prepared to devote his/her full attention to the dissertation research. For admission to candidacy, the Faculty of Graduate Studies requires that (1) all mandatory course work has been completed, (2) an oral candidacy examination has been successfully passed, and (3) a dissertation research proposal has been approved by the student’s Supervisory Committee. For further information, please consult the Graduate Programs in Education website.

Dissertation
The Doctoral thesis is the focus of the degree program. In consultation with the supervisor, the student should formulate an appropriate thesis topic as early as possible in the program because the thesis proposal affects the choice and number of courses needed in order to complete the program.

Information on research proposals is available through the interim advisor/supervisor.

Ethics approval is required for all research projects involving the use of human subjects, before data collection begins. Prior to submitting an ethics application, students must complete Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans: A Concise, Online Tutorial, http://www.ucalgary.ca/research/ethics/CORE_Tutorial, and attach the certificate issued upon completion to the ethics application form.

To initiate the ethics approval process, the student must submit a copy of the application (available on the Research Services website) to the Conjoint Faculties Research Ethics Board or the Conjoint Health Research Ethics Board.

Consult the Graduate Programs in Education website.

None.

Financial assistance may be available to qualified students. For information on awards, see the Awards and Financial Assistance section of this Calendar. Students applying for scholarships must submit their applications to Graduate Program in Education by February 1.

For further information contact Graduate Programs in Education, http://werklund.ucalgary.ca/gpe/.

Current faculty members and their areas of interest can be found at http://werklund.ucalgary.ca/contact-us/directory/1-46929.