Education (PhD)
Doctorate (PhD)
Program overview
The PhD in Education will give you advanced knowledge of the qualitative and quantitative methods used in educational research. You will examine the disciplinary links between childhood and adult education and strengthen your understanding of underlying educational philosophies. Our program provides a solid foundation from which to pursue research across disciplines and orientations. Our faculty members specialize in four major subfields: applied linguistics, child studies, educational studies and educational technology. Graduate students have exclusive use of our state-of-the-art facilities, including personalized research spaces, computer workstations and a media development lab. Along with a growing number of students and faculty you will be contributing to cutting-edge research in education and the civic life of the department.
Note: This program does not lead to a brevet d’enseignement, the credential required to teach in primary and secondary schools in Quebec.
Program Details
Admission Requirements
- MA in Education, Applied Linguistics, Child Studies, Educational Studies, or Educational Technology, with high standing, from an accredited university.
- Applicants with a Master's degree in a related field or discipline, such as psychology, sociology, anthropology, adult education, and human resource development, are considered.
- Applicants from other disciplines might be offered conditional admission which may include fulfilling prerequisite courses.
- Proficiency in English. Applicants whose primary language is not English must demonstrate that their knowledge of English is sufficient to pursue graduate studies in their chosen field. Please refer to the English language proficiency page for further information on requirements and exemptions.
Degree Requirements
Fully-qualified candidates are required to complete a minimum of 90 credits.
Please see the Education Courses page for course descriptions.
Education PhD (90 credits)
| 6 | credits of Required Courses: |
| 6 | credits of Research Methods Courses chosen from:
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| 3 | credits of Required Tutorials:
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| 6 | credits: |
| 9 | credits: |
| 60 | credits: |
Prior to applying, please email us to request the PhD Education program booklet.
Your completed application will include:
- Application form and Fee
- Curriculum Vitae (CV)
- Three Letters of Reference and assessment form
- Your statement of purpose should give an overview of your research interests and goals. It should:
- state your preferred area(s) of concentration within the PhD program in Education (Applied Linguistics, Child Studies, Educational Studies, or Educational Technology).
- briefly outline your research plan including introduction, theoretical issues, main research questions, methodology, and key references.
- explain how the plan relates to the research of one or two tenured or tenure-track faculty in the department (consult the list of fulltime, tenured or tenure-track faculty members at the Departmental website.
- Supervision: It is not necessary to solicit a supervisor as part of the application process. Upon admission, a primary supervisor and committee are assigned to guide the student through the comprehensive exams. After passing the comprehensive exam, the student can consult with the supervisor about whether the committee should remain the same moving forward or if changes would better complement the student’s research focus.
- Scholarly writing sample, such as a chapter from an MA thesis or a research paper
- Transcripts for all post-secondary institutions attended
- Proof of Canadian citizenship (if applicable)
- Applicants whose primary language is not English, are required to submit official language test scores, unless exempted.
Please apply online. Read the how-to guide for application procedures.
| DEGREE |
FALL (September) |
WINTER (January) |
SUMMER (May/June) |
| Education | PhD | Dec. 1 | n/a | n/a |
Courses typically offered include:
- Quantitative Methods
- Qualitative Methods
- Reporting Research
- Advanced Issues in Education
Consult the graduate calendar for a complete list of current courses.
Teaching assistantships are available and awarded to students on a competitive basis. Research assistant positions also exist for funded research but cannot be guaranteed. Individual faculty members determine if work opportunities are available based on their own research initiatives.
Graduate students exhibiting strong instructional skills may also be eligible to teach a limited number of undergraduate courses. These positions are also awarded on a competitive basis.
Other awards available through the Faculty of Arts and Science include:
- Concordia Merit Scholarship
- Concordia University Graduate Fellowship
- Concordia International Tuition Award of Excellence
- Hydro-Quebec Graduate Award
- John W. O'Brien Graduate Fellowship
- Clara Strozyk Scholarship
- Conference Travel Awards
Consideration for Entrance Awards is automatically part of the admissions process for all new students.
Please also consult Concordia’s graduate funding page and department funding opportunities.
Our faculty members are a diverse group of educators committed to excellence in teaching, research and community service. They are well known for their strong research profiles that inform their teaching and afford graduate students the opportunity to work on cutting edge research.
Faculty research interests include:
Adult Education: staff development; adult learning; literacy; learning in the workplace; professional development; self-directed learning; and human relations training.
Applied Linguistics: acquisition of second-language phonology; second language literacy; pedagogical grammar; social issues in bilingualism; second language vocabulary and pronunciation; pedagogy for second language learning; and psycholinguistics of bilingualism.
Child Studies: special education; social-emotional development; play; day care environment and curriculum; familyschool partnerships; school reform; literacy; numeracy; educational testing; children’s health and well-being; and popular culture.
Educational Studies: gender issues; adult education; diversity; policies and practices; school reform; moral education; democratic education; and intercultural education.
Educational Technology: computer-based learning; computer-supported collaborative learning; distance learning; classroom processes; human performance technology applications; program evaluation; educational evaluation and new technologies; corporate applications of educational technology; systemic modeling of educational systems; learning styles and strategies; and multimedia research and development.
Review an inspiring list of thesis topics.
Doctoral students have also been published in a multitude of prestigious journals, including the Canadian Journal of Education, the Canadian Review of Art Education, College Quarterly, the Journal of Cognition and Development, and the Mathematics Education Research Journal.
The Department of Education Interdisciplinary Graduate Student Association (DOEIGSA) supports initiatives that encourage student well-being in the department and the university at large. The DOEIGSA aims to engage students in social issues, inside and outside the university, which are pertinent to education.
The Graduate Symposium in the Department of Education (GSDE) is an annual event that invites students across Canada to present their research. The GSDE is a student-run conference and offers you the opportunity to learn more about grant applications and event planning.
Our alumni are highly sought after by school boards, daycares, government, health and social agencies, human resource departments, and the business community, as well as other universities and educational institutions. Recent graduates can be found teaching at Champlain College, Dawson College, the Université du Québec à Montréal, the University of Alberta and Temple University.
Many graduates have also found great success working for development agencies and non-profit organizations, as well as in educational gaming, aerospace and transportation, information and engineering, and research and technology. Several alumni have founded and operate private preschools.