Ashwani Kumar
Job Title
Associate Professor
Employer
Mount Saint Vincent University
Canadian Immigration Updates
Review details about the recently announced changes to study and work permits that apply to master’s and doctoral degree students. Read more
Overview
Graduate programs in the field of Curriculum Studies encompass, but are not limited to, investigations into: teacher education, the social construction of knowledge, the curriculum as culturally and politically situated, contemporary curriculum and instructional discourses, and the role of curriculum and curricular reform in K-12 and other learning environments. Students learn about issues of planning and development, program implementation and evaluation, and pre-service and in-service teacher education. Inquiry in the field is multi-disciplinary and includes numerous perspectives and orientations such as: cultural studies, historical consciousness, post structuralism, feminism, multicultural education, semiotics, and critical theory.
Quick Facts
Program Components
Dissertation
Program Enquiries
Still have questions after reviewing this page thoroughly?
Contact the program
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Admission Information & Requirements
1) Check Eligibility
Minimum Academic Requirements
The Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies establishes the minimum admission requirements common to all applicants, usually a minimum overall average in the B+ range (76% at UBC). The graduate program that you are applying to may have additional requirements. Please review the specific requirements for applicants with credentials from institutions in:
Each program may set higher academic minimum requirements. Please review the program website carefully to understand the program requirements. Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission as it is a competitive process.
English Language Test
Applicants from a university outside Canada in which English is not the primary language of instruction must provide results of an English language proficiency examination as part of their application. Tests must have been taken within the last 24 months at the time of submission of your application.
Minimum requirements for the two most common English language proficiency tests to apply to this program are listed below:
TOEFL: Test of English as a Foreign Language - internet-based
Overall score requirement: 92
Reading
22
Writing
22
Speaking
22
Listening
22
IELTS: International English Language Testing System
Overall score requirement: 6.5
Reading
6.0
Writing
6.0
Speaking
6.0
Listening
6.0
Other Test Scores
Some programs require additional test scores such as the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Graduate Management Test (GMAT). The requirements for this program are:
The GRE is not required.
Prior degree, course and other requirements
Prior Degree Requirements
A Master's degree with high standing in a relevant educational discipline.
Document Requirements
A letter of intent describing the focus of the proposed research and a sample of work demonstrating scholarly writing,
2) Meet Deadlines
September 2026 Intake
Application Open Date
01 October 2025Canadian Applicants
Application Deadline: 01 December 2025
Transcript Deadline: 08 December 2025
Referee Deadline: 08 December 2025
International Applicants
Application Deadline: 01 December 2025
Transcript Deadline: 08 December 2025
Referee Deadline: 08 December 2025
3) Prepare Application
Transcripts
All applicants have to submit transcripts from all past post-secondary study. Document submission requirements depend on whether your institution of study is within Canada or outside of Canada.
Letters of Reference
A minimum of two references are required for application to graduate programs at UBC. Each graduate program determines the type of reference (e.g. academic, professional) and number of references they require which can range from 2 to 4. References should be requested from individuals who are prepared to provide a report on your qualifications for the program.
Statement of Interest
Many programs require a statement of interest, sometimes called a "statement of intent", "description of research interests" or something similar.
Supervision
Students in research-based programs usually require a faculty member to function as their thesis supervisor. Please follow the instructions provided by each program whether applicants should contact faculty members.
Instructions regarding thesis supervisor contact for Doctor of Philosophy in Curriculum Studies (PhD)
Applicants should browse faculty profiles and indicate in their application who they are interested in working with. No commitment from a supervisor prior to applying is necessary, but contacting faculty members is encouraged.
Citizenship Verification
Permanent Residents of Canada must provide a clear photocopy of both sides of the Permanent Resident card.
4) Apply Online
All applicants must complete an online application form and pay the application fee to be considered for admission to UBC.
Tuition & Financial Support
Tuition
| Fees | Canadian Citizen / Permanent Resident / Refugee / Diplomat | International |
|---|---|---|
| Application Fee | $116.25 | $168.25 |
| Tuition * | ||
| Installments per year | 3 | 3 |
| Tuition per installment | $1,875.34 | $3,294.66 |
| Tuition per year (plus annual increase, usually 2%-5%) | $5,626.02 | $9,883.98 |
| Int. Tuition Award (ITA) per year (if eligible) | $3,200.00 (-) | |
| Other Fees and Costs | ||
| Student Fees (yearly) | $1,144.10 (approx.) | |
| Costs of living | Estimate your costs of living with our interactive tool in order to start developing a financial plan for your graduate studies. | |
* Regular, full-time tuition. For on-leave, extension, continuing or part time (if applicable) fees see UBC Calendar.
All fees for the year are subject to adjustment and UBC reserves the right to change any fees without notice at any time, including tuition and student fees. Tuition fees are reviewed annually by the UBC Board of Governors. In recent years, tuition increases have been 2% for continuing domestic students and between 2% and 5% for continuing international students. New students may see higher increases in tuition. Admitted students who defer their admission are subject to the potentially higher tuition fees for incoming students effective at the later program start date. In case of a discrepancy between this webpage and the UBC Calendar, the UBC Calendar entry will be held to be correct.
All fees for the year are subject to adjustment and UBC reserves the right to change any fees without notice at any time, including tuition and student fees. Tuition fees are reviewed annually by the UBC Board of Governors. In recent years, tuition increases have been 2% for continuing domestic students and between 2% and 5% for continuing international students. New students may see higher increases in tuition. Admitted students who defer their admission are subject to the potentially higher tuition fees for incoming students effective at the later program start date. In case of a discrepancy between this webpage and the UBC Calendar, the UBC Calendar entry will be held to be correct.
Financial Support
Applicants to UBC have access to a variety of funding options, including merit-based (i.e. based on your academic performance) and need-based (i.e. based on your financial situation) opportunities.
Program Funding Packages
From September 2024 all full-time students in UBC-Vancouver PhD programs will be provided with a funding package of at least $24,000 for each of the first four years of their PhD. The funding package may consist of any combination of internal or external awards, teaching-related work, research assistantships, and graduate academic assistantships. Please note that many graduate programs provide funding packages that are substantially greater than $24,000 per year. Please check with your prospective graduate program for specific details of the funding provided to its PhD students.
Funding Statistics
Based on the criteria outlined below, 30 students within this program were included in this study because they received funding through UBC in the form of teaching, research, academic assistantships or internal or external awards with a mean of $40,216 and a median of $35,293.
This results in a net balance (any funding provided to the student minus tuition and fees) mean of $31,881 and median of $24,736.
- 16 students received Teaching Assistantships. Median TA funding based on 16 students was $3,119.
- 14 students received Research Assistantships. Median RA funding based on 14 students was $12,019.
- 11 students received Academic Assistantships. Median AA funding based on 11 students was $2,000.
- 30 students received internal awards. Median internal award funding based on 30 students was $24,869.
- 3 students received external awards. Median external award funding based on 3 students was $20,000.
Study Period: Sep 2023 to Aug 2024 - funding for full-time PhD students enrolled in three terms per academic year in this program across years 1-4, the period covered by UBC's Minimum Funding Guarantee. Mean and median values might mask variability in sources and amounts of funding received by individual students. Beyond year 4, funding packages become even more individualized.
Review methodology
Review methodology
Scholarships & awards (merit-based funding)
All applicants are encouraged to review the awards listing to identify potential opportunities to fund their graduate education. The database lists merit-based scholarships and awards and allows for filtering by various criteria, such as domestic vs. international or degree level.
Graduate Research Assistantships (GRA)
Many professors are able to provide Research Assistantships (GRA) from their research grants to support full-time graduate students studying under their supervision. The duties constitute part of the student's graduate degree requirements. A Graduate Research Assistantship is considered a form of fellowship for a period of graduate study and is therefore not covered by a collective agreement. Stipends vary widely, and are dependent on the field of study and the type of research grant from which the assistantship is being funded.
Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTA)
Graduate programs may have Teaching Assistantships available for registered full-time graduate students. Full teaching assistantships involve 12 hours work per week in preparation, lecturing, or laboratory instruction although many graduate programs offer partial TA appointments at less than 12 hours per week. Teaching assistantship rates are set by collective bargaining between the University and the Teaching Assistants' Union.
Graduate Academic Assistantships (GAA)
Academic Assistantships are employment opportunities to perform work that is relevant to the university or to an individual faculty member, but not to support the student’s graduate research and thesis. Wages are considered regular earnings and when paid monthly, include vacation pay.
Financial aid (need-based funding)
Canadian and US applicants may qualify for governmental loans to finance their studies. Please review eligibility and types of loans.
All students may be able to access private sector or bank loans.
Foreign government scholarships
Many foreign governments provide support to their citizens in pursuing education abroad. International applicants should check the various governmental resources in their home country, such as the Department of Education, for available scholarships.
Working while studying
The possibility to pursue work to supplement income may depend on the demands the program has on students. It should be carefully weighed if work leads to prolonged program durations or whether work placements can be meaningfully embedded into a program.
International students enrolled as full-time students with a valid study permit can work on campus for unlimited hours and work off-campus for no more than 24 hours a week during academic sessions.
A good starting point to explore student jobs is the UBC Work Learn program or a Co-Op placement.
Tax credits and RRSP withdrawals
Students with taxable income in Canada may be able to claim federal or provincial tax credits.
Canadian residents with RRSP accounts may be able to use the Lifelong Learning Plan (LLP) which allows students to withdraw amounts from their registered retirement savings plan (RRSPs) to finance full-time training or education for themselves or their partner.
Please review Filing taxes in Canada on the student services website for more information.
Cost Estimator
Applicants have access to the cost estimator to develop a financial plan that takes into account various income sources and expenses.
Career Outcomes
68 students graduated between 2005 and 2013: 3 are in non-salaried situations; for 6 we have no data (based on research conducted between Feb-May 2016). For the remaining 59 graduates:
RI (Research-Intensive) Faculty: typically tenure-track faculty positions (equivalent of the North American Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and Professor positions) in PhD-granting institutions
TI (Teaching-Intensive) Faculty: typically full-time faculty positions in colleges or in institutions not granting PhDs, and teaching faculty at PhD-granting institutions
Term Faculty: faculty in term appointments (e.g. sessional lecturers, visiting assistant professors, etc.)
Sample Employers in Higher Education
University of British Columbia (11)Royal Roads University (2)
Capilano University (2)
Concordia University (2)
Lakehead University (2)
University of Alberta (2)
University of Wollongong
Mount Saint Vincent University
Columbus State University
Thompson Rivers University
Sample Employers Outside Higher Education
BC School DistrictAlpha Secondary School
Museum of Vancouver
Government of Lesotho
TEC
Community Association for Lasting Success
Da Vinci Science Center
HR MacMillan Space Centre
Wells Fargo
Pythagoras Academy
Sample Job Titles Outside Higher Education
Teacher (2)President
Community Artist and Contract Researcher
Teacher Principal
Senior Manager, Curatorial
VP
Science Education Manager
Personal Banker
High Commissioner to Canada
Head Start Early Education Coordinator
PhD Career Outcome Survey
You may view the full report on career outcomes of UBC PhD graduates on outcomes.grad.ubc.ca.Disclaimer
These data represent historical employment information and do not guarantee future employment prospects for graduates of this program. They are for informational purposes only. Data were collected through either alumni surveys or internet research.Alumni on Success
Enrolment, Duration & Other Stats
These statistics show data for the Doctor of Philosophy in Curriculum Studies (PhD). Data are separated for each degree program combination. You may view data for other degree options in the respective program profile.
ENROLMENT DATA
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Applications | 71 | 68 | 60 | 60 | 52 |
| Offers | 8 | 10 | 11 | 13 | 13 |
| New Enrolment | 7 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
| Total Enrolment | 65 | 68 | 71 | 74 | 77 |
Completion Rates & Times
This program has a graduation rate of 84% based on 51 students admitted between 2011 - 2014. Based on 34 graduations between 2020 - 2023 the minimum time to completion is 4.1 years and the maximum time is 10.25 years with an average of 6.76 years of study. All calculations exclude leave times.
Disclaimer
Admissions data refer to all UBC Vancouver applications, offers, new enrolment for each registration year, May to April, e.g. data for 2022 refers to programs starting in 2022 Summer and 2022 Winter session, i.e. May 1, 2022 to April 30, 2023. Data on total enrolment reflects enrolment in Winter Session Term 1 and are based on snapshots taken on November 1 of each registration year. Program completion data are only provided for datasets comprised of more than 4 individuals. Graduation rates exclude students who transfer out of their programs. Rates and times of completion depend on a number of variables (e.g. curriculum requirements, student funding), some of which may have changed in recent years for some programs.
Upcoming Doctoral Exams
Wednesday, 27 August 2025 - 9:00am - Room 200
Kieran Forde
Pilgrimage, Reorientation, and Reconciliation: Teacher Inquiry and the Curriculum of the Self
Friday, 19 September 2025 - 9:00am
Elise Chu
Understanding Curriculum as Play: Transdisciplinarity, Spirituality, and Consciousness
Friday, 10 October 2025 - 9:00am - Room 200
Jill Morris
A Curriculum of Revelation: Jean-Luc Marion's Saturated Phenomena in the Classroom
Research Supervisors
Supervision
Students in research-based programs usually require a faculty member to function as their thesis supervisor. Please follow the instructions provided by each program whether applicants should contact faculty members.
Instructions regarding thesis supervisor contact for Doctor of Philosophy in Curriculum Studies (PhD)
Applicants should browse faculty profiles and indicate in their application who they are interested in working with. No commitment from a supervisor prior to applying is necessary, but contacting faculty members is encouraged.
Advice and insights from UBC Faculty on reaching out to supervisors
These videos contain some general advice from faculty across UBC on finding and reaching out to a supervisor. They are not program specific.
This list shows faculty members with full supervisory privileges who are affiliated with this program. It is not a comprehensive list of all potential supervisors as faculty from other programs or faculty members without full supervisory privileges can request approvals to supervise graduate students in this program.
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Anderson, David (Curriculum, pedagogy and didactics; Science, technology and engineering curriculum, pedagogy and didactics; Specialized studies in education; Cultural Institutions (Museums, Libraries, etc.); Informal Learning; Long-term Memory; Metacognition; Museum Education; Nostalgia; Science Education; Visitor Studies)
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Clark, Penney (history education, Curriculum Studies Research, History Education and Historical Consciousness, History of Education, Pedagogy, Social Studies Education Research)
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Code, Jillianne (Curriculum, pedagogy and didactics; Specialized studies in education; Educational Context; Educational Technologies; Formative assessment; Immersive learning; Learner agency; Learning and Memory; Learning design; Self-efficacy; Self-regulated Learning; Situated and embodied cognition; Virtual augmented and mixed reality for learning; Virtual learning environments)
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Cole, Peter (Indigenous Education Research; Aboriginalizing/indigenizing research methodology; Orality; Narrativity; Environmental thought; Indigenous self-determination and self-governance; Traditional Aboriginal and Indigenous technologies)
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Gerofsky, Susan (Curriculum Studies Research, Mathematics, Media, Semiotics, Text Studies, Pedagogy, Research Design and Method, Technology; gesture; genre; mathematics and the arts; Performance Theory)
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Gibson, Lindsay (assessment; Curriculum Studies Research; Democracy and Citizenship; History Education; Historical Consciousness; history of education; Pedagogy; Social Studies Education Research; Teacher Education Research; Teacher Research; Historical Thinking; Inquiry)
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Goble, J. Scott (music and history; music education; conducting; choral music, Expressed an interest in chairing music exams, music education)
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Gouzouasis, Peter (early childhood music education; computer literacy through fine arts and new media; music in mass media; especially jazz, guitar, Music education, Action Research, Artistic and Aesthetic Development, Arts Education, Assessment, Early Childhood Education, Educational Technologies, Literacy, Media, Semiotics, Text Studies, Music, Music Education Research, Non-Formal Learning, Pedagogy, Philosophy, Research Design and Method, Sociological Issues, Teacher Education Research, Teacher Research, Technology)
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Keenan, Harper (Curriculum, pedagogy and didactics; Gender, sexuality and education; Inter-disciplinary, trans-disciplinary learning and education; Colonialism; early childhood and elementary education; Educational Context; Gender; race; sexuality; teacher education; childhood; Transgender Studies; LGBT Studies; queer studies)
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Khan, Samia (science education, teaching and learning, cognition, digital technology, learning space design, case study, higher education, Educational Technologies, Science Education, Teacher Education)
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Kindler, Anna (art education; artistic and aesthetic development; teacher education )
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Leddy, Shannon (Visual arts and media arts; Art education; Indigenous Education; Indigenous ways of knowing; curriculum; Pedagogy; art as public pedagogy; bio-cultural diversity and sustainability education)
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Loutzenheiser, Lisa (Social sciences; anti-oppressive education; queer studies; curriculum theory; Youth Studies; curriculum policy; qualitative methodologies; ethnography; Gender Studies; social inequality; sexuality education; alternative education; marginalized youth; 2SLGBTQ; Race Studies in Education; Mentorship in higher education; Faculty Development)
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Milner-Bolotin, Marina (Curriculum, pedagogy and didactics; Science, technology and engineering curriculum, pedagogy and didactics; Specialized studies in education; Educational Technologies; educational innovation; Educational technology; physics education; STEM education; STEM teacher education; Science and Knowledge; teacher education; Teacher and Student Performance Evaluation; Teaching; Teaching and Learning Systems; Technological Innovations)
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Montgomerie, Johnna (Home economics and the political economy of everyday life, Money, debt and household financial management, Financial literacy and public education about money, Research methods and methodologies, Pedagogy and Curriculum Studies)
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Munoz, Joaquin (Children & Youth, Discourse Analysis, Indigenous Education Research, Literacy, Pedagogy, Teacher Education Research)
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Nashon, Samson (Curriculum design; high school physics; primary science; teacher education; science teacher education; physics teacher education and classroom instructions, Action Research, Curriculum Studies, Metacognition and Learning, Pedagogy, Research Design and Method, Science Education, Teacher Education, Ways of Knowing)
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Nicol, Cynthia (mathematics teacher education, culturally responsive pedagogy, Aboriginal education, care-based and problem-based learning, Math education)
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Noori, Sofia (Refugee subjectivity, Refugee education, Mental Health & Education)
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O'Donoghue, Donal (Art Education, Curriculum Studies, Gender, History of Education, Sociological Issues)
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Petherick, Leanne (Curriculum Studies Research; Children & Youth; Feminist Studies; Pedagogy)
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Phelan, Anne (Curriculum Studies, Feminist Studies, Pedagogy, Philosophy, Teacher Education)
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Pinar, William (All other humanities, n.e.c.; curriculum theory)
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Renwick, Kerry (Curriculum, pedagogy and didactics, n.e.c.; Teacher education and professional development of educators; Critical Pedagogy; Educational Policy; Familial Contexts; Health Education; Home Economics; Human and Social Ecology; Public health; teacher education)
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Doctoral Citations
A doctoral citation summarizes the nature of the independent research, provides a high-level overview of the study, states the significance of the work and says who will benefit from the findings in clear, non-specialized language, so that members of a lay audience will understand it.
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2025 | Dr. Iskander worked with trans and gender nonconforming preservice teachers to study normative gender expectations in Canadian teacher education programs. Their dissertation offered insight into how programs might better welcome gender diversity as well as what trans knowledge and experience might offer programs and the teaching profession. |
| 2025 | Schoolteachers have many overlapping, even conflicting, responsibilities, leaving them to navigate some way in between. Dr. Robertson studied how these tensions influence teachers’ curricular decision-making alongside students. He found a teacher’s individual judgment and style are key aspects of what we generally call ‘The Curriculum’. |
| 2025 | Dr. Royea explored elementary mathematics teacher candidates experiences participating in professional development focused on collaboratively planning, teaching, and revising learning situations. Findings reveal that teacher candidates discerned new relationships between theory and practice in ways that support professional learning. |
| 2025 | As a scholar of gender and international studies in curriculum theory, Dr. Takemura studied shifts in Japanese men’s perceptions of motherhood after World War II, concluding with perspectives of mothers in contemporary Japanese society. Dr. Takemura showed that understanding the self as seen by their mothers is the basis for attaining this perspective. |
| 2025 | Dr. Athié Martínez studied how non-Indigenous teachers from the greater Vancouver area are integrating Indigenous perspectives and reconciliation acts in their classroom. Her research shares insights on teachers’ perspectives, recommendations and approaches to reconciliation education. |
| 2024 | Dr. Mosavarzadeh’s arts-based educational research investigates the interplay between Making and Place a/r/tographically. Rooted in the co-walking and co-making practices of four artist-researcher-teachers, the work invites a (re)imagination of artful and pedagogical possibilities for making one's place in the world. |
| 2024 | Dr. Morimoto created an arts-based study walking with 12 features in the Nitobe Memorial Garden. With the a/r/tographic proposition of art practice as research, the work lingered in conversations with the intellectual life history of Ted Aoki to speculate on the pedagogical potential of art and love for curriculum theory and art education research. |
| 2024 | Dr. O’Sullivan explored how quality is experienced by youth in community music making and learning contexts in Ireland. She observed Positive Youth Development in action and generated new quality touchstones. Through evocative stories, this study communicates how experiences that promote freedom, friendship, and community are integral to quality. |
| 2024 | Dr. Allen found that students hold nuanced perspectives about learning technical writing in computer science and that their experiences of this learning are influenced by their communities in various and complex ways. Her work may impact curricula and adds to the understanding of students' experiences and perspectives in learning communicative skills. |
| 2024 | Dr. Strich explored students' experiences with place at their school located in the Skagit Valley, Washington State. Students shared stories of meaningful places during walking and stationary interviews. Findings reveal place as a multi-dimensional inquiry, layered perspectives and understandings, and highly contextual to each person and place. |
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Sample Thesis Submissions
Further Information
Specialization
Curriculum Studies encompasses, but is not limited to, investigations into: teacher education, the social construction of knowledge, the curriculum as culturally and politically situated, contemporary curriculum and instructional discourses, and the role of curriculum and curricular reform in K-12 and other learning environments. Students learn about issues of planning and development, program implementation and evaluation, and pre-service and in-service teacher education. Inquiry in the field is multi-disciplinary and includes numerous perspectives and orientations such as: cultural studies, historical consciousness, post structuralism, feminism, multicultural education, semiotics, and critical theory.
Program Website
Faculty Overview
Academic Unit
Program Identifier
VGDPHD-F5
Classification
September 2026 Intake
Application Open Date
01 October 2025 Canadian Applicant Deadline
01 December 2025 International Applicant Deadline
01 December 2025 Program Enquiries
Still have questions after reviewing this page thoroughly?
Contact the program
Contact the program
Departments/Programs may update graduate degree program details through the Faculty & Staff portal. To update contact details for application inquiries, please use this form.
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