The University of Exeter has one of the top graduate education departments in the United Kingdom. As part of this tradition of excellence, the university offers a Ph.D. and a Master of Philosophy (M.Phil.) in education. The Ph.D. is a 4-year full-time program that can be obtained alone or as part of a joint-degree program that allows students to also obtain the M.Phil. Students pursuing both degrees have up to 7 years to complete both programs. The program requires that students work closely with a supervisor or mentor and uses a wide variety of instruction methods including discussion groups, class sessions, online learning, workshops, seminars and student presentations. Students have leeway regarding research topics but can join on-campus research groups in order to facilitate research ideas. Research groups include areas such as educational dialogue; language and literacy; and education, culture and identity.
Admissions Office
Graduate School of Education
University of Exeter
Heavitree Road
Exeter EX1 2LU
England
+44-0-1392-724986
education.exeter.ac.uk
The University of Southampton offers a slightly different approach to its education Ph.D. model. The difference in the Southampton model is that it places much more emphasis upon the teaching element of the program. This contrasts with the traditional British model where students almost exclusively engage in research. Students are still required, however, to develop a dissertation topic as part of the program. Research areas include research skills and processes, data collection, philosophical issues in education research, data analysis, communicating and disseminating research, quantitative methods, qualitative analysis, action research, case study research and policy and program evaluation research.
School of Education
University of Southampton
Highfield
Southampton
SO17 1BJ
United Kingdom
+44-0-23-8059-3475
www.education.soton.ac.uk
Durham University also offers the Ph.D. in education. Entry to the program is dependent upon a master's degree or its equivalent in the area of research methods in education. Research areas offered by the program are only limited by the research interests of faculty members who serve as supervisors in the research and construction of a dissertation. Research areas most often supervised by faculty members include psychological issues and perspectives in education, assessment, evaluation and effectiveness, philosophical and critical approaches to education, intercultural studies and education (education and the arts) and math and science education.
School of Education
Durham University
Leazes Road
Durham
DH1 1TA
United Kingdom
+44-0-191-334-8401
www.dur.ac.uk