Home Higher Degrees Doctor in Education (EdD)
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Doctor in Education (EdD)

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    NIE offers the Doctor in Education (EdD) programme, designed for professionals in education and education-related fields, who would like to extend their expertise and training and develop skills in research, evaluation and reflection on practice.

    Assistant Dean, Doctor in Education, assists the Associate Dean, Higher Degrees and Strategic Partnerships in overseeing the implementation, and academic and student matters, for the programme.

    Assistant Dean,
    Doctor in Education

    assc-prof-hairon_salleh

    Assistant Professor
    Hairon Salleh

  • The programme will be open for the January 2019 with application period from 2 April - 18 June 2018.

  • The National Institute of Education Doctor in Education (NIE EdD) programme is based within Singapore’s national education institute with a strong reputation in teacher education and educational research. With the mission of nurturing leaders for change in the education professions, the NIE EdD received its first intake of students in 2012. The programme took its inspiration from the Doctor in Education (Dual Award) programme with the Institute of Education, University College London, which began in 2007. The impetus for the inception of the NIE EdD was motivated by the desire to create a professional doctorate in education for leaders in education that is uniquely NIE. Since its inception, the Office for Graduate Studies and Professional Learning at NIE has continually taken steps to review and renew the programme. Several revisions on the programme have been carried out to ensure that graduates of the EdD receive equally rigorous scholarly preparation as graduates of the PhD.

    The current programme structure with a total of nine specialisations is a significant step forward in expanding the impact of the NIE EdD as a doctorate for professionals in education and education-related fields. The programme affords deeper learning in six courses (each of 4 Academic Units) with the total coursework requirement remaining at 24 Academic Units. Working with a Research Supervisor, students continue to complete a dissertation of 60,000 words and conduct rigorous and in-depth research to make significant contribution to the scholarship and advancement of educational practice. The revision of the fee structure in 2018 from semester-based to course-based will afford greater flexibility to students in terms of pace and scope of learning without compromising depth of learning, thus maintaining the high quality of doctoral work by our students.

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  • The Doctor in Education (EdD) programme is designed for professionals in education and education-related fields. It is targeted at professionals who have a commitment to improvements at their workplace, and in extending and honing their professional expertise in their respective fields of education in both research and practice domains. It acknowledges expertise that candidates have attained in their field by respecting and building on the wealth of their professional knowledge, while at the same time inviting them to examine and investigate their professional knowledge in a reflective, collaborative, critical and research-based way so as to make meaningful significant impact on professional practice, and on their own professionalism and professional identities. The programme also prepares candidates for leadership in managerial and administrative positions who can use and extend existing knowledge to solve educational problems. It is of value to academic staff in universities and colleges, school leaders and teacher leaders in both private and public organizations, and professionals engaging in education and education-related work in private and public settings. It has the rigour and expectations of a PhD, but with a professional focus. The EdD programme seeks to engender professional leaders who can demonstrate that they have critically reflect and examine the professional knowledge in their respective fields of education, yet make significant contribution to the scholarship of educational professional practice. It also seek to empower professional leaders to demonstrate advancement in the investigation of educational professional practice through the conduct of systematic and rigorous inquiry into a field-based issue or problem, and in so doing, provide a good response to current and emerging complex real world problems.

    The NIE's EdD programme, benchmarked against educational doctorates from international universities with highly reputable graduate schools of education, has the following key design and delivery characteristics:

    • A view of learning as located within communities of knowledge and practice, through the deliberate building of a cohort community among students,
    • A teaching programme with a clear purpose and coherence, staged in such a way that it takes students' rich and diverse professional knowledge and expertise as a starting point for their academic investigations into professional practice, and scaffolds, through carefully staged and incrementally organized coursework and assignments, their capabilities to critically examine and to research dimensions of this practice,
    • A course-intensive programme (in which the coursework component makes up a substantial portion of the degree) that prepares students for, and eases the passage into dissertation research,
    • Rather than a one-size-fits-all curriculum, the provision of flexibility, choice and focus through a programme that offers both core courses as well as nine specialisations,
    • Coursework component can be completed within 1 yrs (full-time) and 1.5 yrs (part-time), and that the necessary content and research capacities for the dissertation component have already been built-up by the time the final course is complete, and
    • A dissertation that demonstrates students' mastery of the skills of rigorous and in-depth research into their professional context and a specific aspect of their practice, and provides original insight and improvement in practice.

    1. You must hold a Bachelor's and Master's degree with good grades from an approved university which we judge to be of satisfactory standing, plus at least four years' relevant experience in education or education-related fields.

    2. You may, in addition, be required to pass an approved English language test at a specified level and other prescribed tests.

    You will be interviewed by the Academic Group that offers your selected specialisation courses, and may be required to have gained educational and work experience as a prerequisite to these courses.

    For international applicants, more information on the entry requirements can be found here. 

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  • The programme comprises 24 Academic Units inclusive of 3 core courses, 2 specialisation courses in one of the nine specialisations of your choice, 1 open elective course, and a dissertation.

    Core Courses

    • NEDD901 Literature Review Methods
    • NEDD902 Quantitative Research Methods
    • NEDD903 Qualitative Research Methods


    Specialisation Courses


    Curriculum and Teaching

    • EDCT901 Inquiry into Curriculum and Teaching
    • EDCT902 Advanced Studies on Assessment and Learning


    Educational Leadership and Change

    • EDLC901 Current and Emerging Theories and Practices in Leadership and Management
    • EDLC902 Ethics for Leaders


    English

    • EDEL901 Sociolinguistic Perspectives on the Classroom
    • EDEL902 Language and Literature Education


    Humanities and Social Studies

    • EDHS901 Issues and Research in Humanities Education
    • EDHS902 Curriculum Leadership in Social Studies


    Learning and Motivation

    • EDLM901 Theory, Research, and Practice in Teaching and Learning
    • EDLM902 Understanding Learner Motivation: Theory, Research and Practice


    Mathematics

    • EDME901 Theoretical Perspective and Issues in Mathematics Education Research
    • EDME902 Curriculum Studies in Mathematics


    Science

    • EDSC901 Foundations of Science and Science Education
    • EDSC902 Science Curriculum Change and Curriculum Evaluation
    • EDSC903 Science as Practice
    • EDSC904 Assessment of Students’ Alternative Conceptions and Conceptual Change
    • EDSC905 Science Discourse: Language, Literacy and Argumentation
    • EDSC906 Representations and New Media in Science Education
    • EDSC907 Critical Studies in Science Education


    Technologies and Technology-Mediated Learning Environments

    • EDTM901 Trends and Issues in the Use of ICT in Education
    • EDTM902 Theoretical Foundations of Technology-Mediated Learning Environments


    Visual and Performing Arts

    Art Focus: 

    • EDVP901 Research and Issues in Art Education
    • EDVP902 Visual Arts and Creativity


    Drama Focus: 

    • EDVP911 Drama Education, Curriculum and Assessment
    • EDVP912 The Teacher as Facili-Actor


    Music Focus: 

    • EDVP921 Issues in Music Education
    • EDVP922 Philosophy of Music Education


    Open Elective

    One elective course from the general graduate offerings at NIE to be chosen in consultation with the Research Supervisor.


    Dissertation

    A 60,000 word research-on-practice based dissertation.

    pdf-thumbnail  Download the course descriptions for Doctor in Education



    Important note for matriculated students:
    Please refer to the ISAAC system for the programme structure relevant to your intake during Course Registration or consult your programme leader if you need clarifications.

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  • The Doctor in Education is offered on both part-time and full-time basis. The candidature periods are as follows:

    Full-time

    Up to a maximum of 5 years

    Part-time

    Up to a maximum of 7 years

  • Our tuition fees are subject to revision on a yearly basis. More details can be found here.

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  • There is generally only one intake for this programme, in January. You are advised to visit the website and look out for NIE’s announcements in May to confirm if the programme will be open for application at any particular intake.


    Applications may be made online.

    More information on required documents for application can be found here.

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  • Outstanding students aiming to pursue the Doctor in Education with NIE may apply for the Tan Poey Quee Doctor in Education (NIE-EdD) Scholarship. For further information and to apply, please click here.

    For enquiries, please e-mail Assistant Professor Hairon Salleh at hairon.salleh@nie.edu.sg.

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  • To view, please click here.

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  • Please click on the Youtube link to watch the videos in full screen

    Doctor in Education (EdD) Video




    Hear from our students

    Doctor in Education (EdD) experience by Dr Chue Kah Loong




    Sharing Sessions at NIE Postgraduate Fair 2016

    • Overview of Doctor in Education (EdD)


    • Doctoral Programmes: EdD and PhD by Policy and Leadership Studies Academic Group


    • Empowering teaching, training and learning using technologies


    For more sharing sessions videos taken at NIE Postgraduate Fair 2016, please click here.

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  • “NIE’s academic team has long established research in Singapore’s education and political economy arena. For example, Professor Gopinathan and Professor Jason Tan, whose works are relevant to my work in WDA.

    The research journey was the best learning experience I have ever had. I was exposed to interdisciplinary theories which include education, sociology, political economy and praxeological analysis. The learning journey has developed my critical thinking and analytical capability which I deem as fundamental competencies for the 21st century.

    The academic members were most patient and nurturing throughout the journey. I was most fortunate to be assigned Associate Professor Lee Yew Jin as my supervisor. I would not be able to complete my EdD journey without his guidance.”

    Dr Gog Soon Joo
    EdD (Dual Award) graduate of Natural Sciences and Science Education (NSSE) Academic Group
    - Getting to Know Series, 2016
          (click to read more)

    “I am able to apply some of the knowledge, concepts and strategies gained through my research work in enhancing some of the educational, social and training programmes of Mendaki Sense. In fact, the research skills that I have gained have helped me to become a better leader; becoming more thorough, methodological and systematic in planning and execution alike.”

    Mr Md Heikal Yusope
    current EdD student of Psychological Studies (PS) Academic Group
    - Getting to Know Series, 2016
          (click to read more)

    “The programme gave me the same sort of structuring that I felt I needed, and it gave me the opportunity to work with lots of other very interesting people, and to feed off their ideas and to share thoughts and experiences with them. ”

    Ms Linda Mary Hanington
    Head, Teacher's Language Development Centre of English Language and Literature (ELL) Academic Group
    NIE student from 2012 - 2016
    Tan Poey Quee NIE-EdD Gold Medal Winner

    “We really do have quite an international mix of people here and multicultural perspectives, so it's a way that we can kind of look at the world through an Asian lens, or a Singaporean lens, but also an international lens, and I think that's really unique to NIE. ”

    Ms Naylor Andrea Lyne
    Vice-Principal, Canadian International School
    current EdD student of Curriculum, Teaching and Learning (CTL) Academic Group

    “It's a reassuring feeling that you get. You can count on your professors to give you a second opinion or to help you through some problems that you faced when writing your dissertation. ”

    Mr Chue Kah Loong
    Adjunct Lecturer, Singapore Institute of Management Global Education, and NIE
    NIE student from 2012 - 2016
    Tan Poey Quee NIE-EdD Book Prize Winner

    “I think without the multi-disciplinary focus, we will not be able to tap from NIE professors, from different disciplines, from experts from own fields. And without that body of knowledge, and that multi-dimensionality of knowledge, I will never be able to achieve the successes and the research outcomes that I was after.”

    Mr Pang Yew Huat, Christopher
    Senior Lecturer, Nanyang Polytechnic
    current EdD student of Curriculum, Learning Sciences and Technologies (LST) Academic Group

    “The orientation in NIE is that the breadth and depth of readings can come from any part of the world. So I think that is the part that is precious, you know, that we see the intersection between research done in any part of the world, and in relation to Singapore. That is why I chose to study in NIE in Singapore.”

    Ms Lim Pik Ying, Elaine
    Former Director of Humanities Branch
    Curriculum Planning and Development Division, Ministry of Education
    current EdD student of Curriculum, Teaching and Learning (CTL)  Academic Group

    “It had been a great privilege for me to study at the NIE! I benefited much from interacting with some of the most experienced educators in the region. The scholarly and professional conversations in class provoked much though and deepened my appreciation for our collective "wisdom of practice". Special thanks to all our caring professors and mentors!.”

    Dr Johnny C. Go
    Society of Jesus, Philippines
    EdD (Dual Award) Class of 2017

    “The EdD course work introduced me to qualitative research methods and has enhanced my ability to collect, manage and interpret rich and illustrative data that are often missing in quantitative methods. Currently, I am using qualitative methods in some of my research work especially in understanding the ideas and concerns of my patients and students.”

    Associate Professor Tham Kum Ying
    Education Director, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore
    EdD (Dual Award) Class of 2017

    “My EdD experience provided the socialisation into the research and academic worlds in a rigorous manner - bridging the divide between research and educational practice. I now draw from my practitioner experience and the academic world to develop new ideas and perspectives. In the process, I have a stronger sense of my professional self and greater personal work satisfaction.”

    Dr. Theresa Thor
    Deputy Principal, Curriculum, Raffles Institution
    EdD (Dual Award) Class of 2017