Accreditations (PSRB)

Does the Programme have any approved exemptions from the University General Regulations
(Please see General Regulations)

No

Programme Specific Regulations

General

The EdD will be awarded to students who have accumulated a total of 540 credit points at doctoral level (D-points). The award requires the successful completion of nine taught doctoral modules (270 D-points) and a research dissertation (270 D-points).
All candidates must take at least four research modules (including three compulsory modules), plus a further five modules.
EdD students are subject to the University’s General Regulations: University Calendar for Postgraduate Students: students taking the taught element are subject to Section IV: Study Regulations for Postgraduate Taught Programmes; dissertation students are subject to section V: Study Regulations for Research Degree Programmes.

Induction events are offered at the beginning of the programme each year.
Students are offered advice on choice of modules and options from their EdD Personal Tutor, the EdD Coordinator or the School's Adviser of Studies but their primary source of academic support on modules is the module tutor or dissertation supervisor as appropriate. The personal tutor system allocates them to a member of staff for the duration of the taught part of their programme; thereafter they are assigned to a supervisor for the dissertation study. Module tutors offer individual tutorial support to students who are struggling, or who have to re-submit work regarding the specific module. Dissertation support comprises an entitlement to meetings and intensive one-to-one support tutorial support.

EdD taught students will need to complete a compulsory progress report with their personal tutor (pre-dissertation studentsbefore they can re-register. Full-time students are required to submit two progress reports annually. This should be carried out by the end of June of each year. Part-time students will be obliged to communicate with their personal tutor at least once a year and full-time students once a semester. It is the student’s responsibility to submit their completed progress report(s) to the EdD Programme Secretary.
Dissertation students are subject to additional annual progress review procedures as stated in section 6.5 (Annual Progress Review) of the University’s General Regulations, section V: Study Regulations for Research Degree Programmes.

Student Progress

Details of the regulations covering student progress can be found in the University Calendar for Postgraduate Students.
Any student who is considered to have a less than satisfactory performance profile (those who have not successfully accumulated 270 D-points of which at least 150 D-points were deemed to be acceptable on first submission and is at risk of not being able to manage the challenges of further modules or dissertation study will be called to appear before the School Exceptional Circumstances Committee (SECC).
Students will be required to pass at first attempt five of the modules (150 CATS points) which they undertake in order to transfer to dissertation. This ‘five at first attempt’ does not include any modules for which credit transfer has been granted.

Students are only permitted to take a maximum of 120 CATS points(4 EdD modules) for resubmission.Students with two Fails (a Fail is awarded when a Resubmission has been deemed unsatisfactory and does not meet the pass criteria) will have their progress reviewed.
Failure to complete two modules (2 Fail grades) successfully may result in a requirement for the candidate to withdraw from the course. The onus is on the student to bring any relevant circumstances to the attention of the SECC and to make him/herself available to attend meetings. Where a student fails to attend a SECC meeting at the appointed time without good cause, the Committee has the right to consider the case and to reach a decision, including a decision to recommend to the Examination Board that the student withdraw from the pathway or from the University, in the absence of the student and without further notice. It is the responsibility of the student to establish ‘good cause’ to the satisfaction of the Committee.

Examinations
Successful completion of each module depends on attendance at a minimum of 70% of all planned teaching sessions for which a candidate is registered and successful completion of assignment and associated tasks. Candidates will be assessed on each taught module by an assignment, maximum 5,000 words, to be submitted at the end of the taught element of the module. Candidates will submit a draft assignment (maximum 1,000 words), within four weeks of the module final teaching session and receive feedback within two weeks of receipt of this draft from the module tutor.

Assignments will not be marked unless a draft assignment has been received by the EdD Programme Secretary. Candidates will submit a final assignment within fourteen weeks of the module final teaching session, to the EdD Programme Secretary. Assignments/resubmissions will not be accepted unless accompanied by the appropriate Turnitin Originality Report.

Assignments deemed by the examiners to be unsatisfactory on first submission may be re-submitted on one further occasion. If an assignment does not satisfy the examiners on the second submission it is deemed a fail and no further submission is allowed. Students who are asked to resubmit assignments must make an arrangement to discuss the assignment with the module tutor before resubmitting the assignment. Students must provide evidence of the outcome of this meeting. Resubmitted assignments will not be accepted or marked unless this meeting has taken place and the appropriate documentation received.

Late submission of assessed work

Assessments submitted five working days after the deadline will be marked as ‘Fail’. Exemptions shall be granted only if there are exceptional circumstances, and where the student has made a case in writing (letter or email) to the EdD Programme Secretary within three working days of the deadline for submission. A list of guidelines on acceptable exceptional circumstances is available at: http://www.qub.ac.uk/directorates/sgc/ec/
Request for extensions based on exceptional circumstances
Evidence of exceptional circumstances must be submitted to the EdD Programme Secretary on the Exceptional Circumstances Form within three working days of the assignment deadline. If a student knows he or she is going to miss an assignment deadline because of exceptional circumstances, he or she should inform the EdD Programme Secretary in advance by letter or email. The SECC is not obliged to consider any medical certificate or evidence of exceptional circumstances presented more than three working days after the assignment deadline. The SECC will make recommendations to the EdD Board of Examiners.

Research Dissertation

Candidates who have had a satisfactory performance profile in successfully accumulating 270 D-points may undertake a research study to complete the doctoral programme. In addition, a satisfactory performance profile is deemed to be the accumulation of at least 150 of those D-points in modules for which the candidate's assignments were deemed to be acceptable on first submission (i.e. not requiring re-submission). Candidates whose profile is less than this will be advised about their suitability to undertake the doctoral dissertation study. Candidates may be required to withdraw from the doctoral programme at this point with the opportunity for the award of a Master of Education (MEd) degree (see “Exiting the EdD with an MEd” below).

Transfer to dissertation process
a) Students submit a dissertation proposal of a 1000 word outline on the basis of which supervisors could be allocated.

b) Students intending to begin doctoral dissertation study in October must submit their dissertation proposal no later than 31st August. Allocation of supervisors will take place following consideration of the dissertation proposal. Students will not automatically go to dissertation as all profiles will be examined and any students with a less than satisfactory profile (those who have not successfully accumulated 270 D-points of which at least 150 D-points were deemed to be acceptable on first submission) will be considered under the procedures identified above. Once allowed to proceed students cannot graduate until all modules are complete.

Candidates requiring a Thesis Only year must make a request to the School Postgraduate Research Committee.

Candidates progressing to doctoral thesis study are required to submit a thesis of not more than 40,000 words. The topic of study and the appointment of a supervisor must be approved by the course co-ordinator. The thesis should represent a contribution to knowledge, showing evidence of originality, critical insight and the capacity to carry out independent research. Candidates may not submit a thesis for examination unless they have successfully completed all assignments for the taught units.

The notification of intention to submit, the format of the dissertation, the appointment of examiners, the examination of the thesis, the appeals procedures and all other processes involved will follow the University regulations for a Doctor of Philosophy degree. The oral examination shall take place in the University. In exceptional circumstances, and at the written request of the candidate, the School Postgraduate Research Committee may grant permission for an oral examination to be held elsewhere, or for it to be held via telephone-, video-conferencing, internet/Skype or any hybrids.
Students are strongly advised to attend an EdD dissertation workshop prior to enrolling on the dissertation. If this is not possible then an alternative arrangement must be made with the EdD Coordinator .

Exiting the EdD with MEd
Students who successfully complete the taught component but are not permitted, or do not wish to complete the research component are eligible to exit with a taught Master’s degree if sufficient credit of at least 180 D points has been attained which includes Quantitative Research: Methods, Data & Theory (EDD9029). Students who have not completed this module must do so, at their own expense, before they are eligible to exit with the MEd.

The School Postgraduate Research Committee recommends that permission be granted to exit the EdD by submitting for MEd. If the School Postgraduate Research Committee makes the recommendation to exit the EdD by submitting for MEd the candidate will then register, according to the regulations for MEd Educational Studies. The School’s Masters Board of Examiners shall then ratify the recommendation the granting of the award of MEd Educational Studies.

Students with protected characteristics

N/A

Are students subject to Fitness to Practise Regulations

(Please see General Regulations)

No

Learning Outcomes: Cognitive Skills

On the completion of this course successful students will be able to:

Learning Outcomes: Transferable Skills

On the completion of this course successful students will be able to:

Learning Outcomes: Knowledge & Understanding

On the completion of this course successful students will be able to:

Learning Outcomes: Subject Specific

On the completion of this course successful students will be able to: