Doctor of Education

Welcome and congratulations to our newly admitted Doctor of Education (EdD) students!

Meet our academic experts!

Graduate Programs in Education is here to support you as you progress through your EdD program and develop into a scholar of the profession who leads research-informed and research-active change and innovation in your educational community.

Your EdD program components include course work, candidacy, research, and completion of a dissertation. This is a blended (consisting of face-to-face and online delivery) program designed to accommodate working professionals and students who reside in or outside of the city of Calgary.

Program Progression

EdD students have up to six years to complete all degree requirements. The first three years of your program include course work.

Year 1

Year 1 involves coursework in your area of specialization and research methods. These courses have been designed to develop your competencies as a “critical consumer of educational research”, and to develop skills in conducting field-focused research.

Year 2

The objective of Year 2 is to design and engage students in an in-depth analysis of an identified research focus in their specialized areas of practice. Students advance their knowledge through coursework in your area of specialization and research methods.

You will work with your supervisor on preparing for and determining the date for your candidacy exam.

Year 3

Year 3 has been designed to support students in synthesizing the field-focused research projects they developed in Year 2 into a dissertation.

Years 4-6

Years 4-6 are spent on preparing for your dissertation examination, and on completing all degree requirements.

Program Details

Fees for the EdD program are outlined in the University of Calgary calendar.

Students are eligible for some internal and external scholarships. See the awards page for details. 

Learn more

As a Graduate Student you are expected to devote the time, effort, and energy necessary to engage in scholarship.  As a graduate student, you will determine the specific milestones and requirements of your program of study in consultation with the Faculty of Graduate Studies Calendar and with your graduate supervisor. 

An integral part of the masters experience is working closely with a supervisor on the development and completion of a research project.  A graduate supervisor mentors graduate students through regular meetings and research training aimed at research, scholarship, teaching and professional development. Graduate supervisors support students in the timely completion of their programs.  As a Graduate Student, you are expected to meet with your graduate supervisor on a regular basis.  While each student-supervisor relationship is unique, graduate supervisors can assist graduate students in a number of ways: advising on course selection, applying for awards and scholarships, obtaining research funds, applying for teaching assistant and sessional teaching opportunities, developing track records in refereed publications and conference presentations, getting involved in leadership and service, and encouraging and supporting apprenticeship in a research community of practice (collaborative review of papers, grants, academic writing, and data analysis). 

In the EdD program a supervisor is normally appointed at the time of admission.

Please visit the candidacy and dissertation section of our website for information.

Specializations offered

Please note that not all specializations and topics are offered each year.