Doctor of Education

The professional doctorate is a relatively new concept in New Zealand, but it is well understood in other parts of the world. The Doctor of Education (EdD) is perhaps the best known of the professional doctorates.

The emphasis is on the words professional and practice. People who do this doctorate are senior practitioners in their fields. They are people who are proven excellent scholars and who, although they may be already at the top of their profession, want to commit themselves to supporting and developing their profession through research.

The EdD has two compulsory components,  a research portfolio and a 60,000 word thesis.

The EdD graduate will:

• Be an experienced and competent professional practitioner;
• Have an in-depth knowledge and understanding of the theoretical bases of empirical studies and professional practices in the relevant field of study to a level beyond that normally attained in masters programmes;
• Apply this knowledge and understanding in professional settings with the objective of enhancing the quality of teaching, learning and administration and the well-being of colleagues and students;
• Have produced advanced, original, applied research;
• Provide leadership at national and international levels in their field of practice; and
• Be able to present and defend their work in an appropriate academic and professional forum.

https://education.waikato.ac.nz/