Doctor of Philosophy in Curriculum Studies (PhD)

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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.

For specific program requirements, please refer to the departmental program website

Quick Facts

Degree
Doctor of Philosophy
Subject
Education
Mode of delivery
On campus
Registration options
Full-time
Specialization
Curriculum Studies
Program Components
Dissertation
Faculty
Faculty of Education

Program Enquiries

If you have reviewed the information on this program page and understand the requirements for this program, you may send an enquiry

Meet a UBC representative

Virtual Office Hours

webinar
Date: Thursday, 05 September 2019
Time: 14:00 to 15:00
Join us for a short presentation on the application and admissions process, academic requirements, and general overview of graduate studies at UBC, followed by Q&A with Grad Studies staff and graduate student ambassadors. Ask questions in advance when you register. Please note that Virtual Office Hours is not program-specific, and we will not be able to provide answers to questions that involve specific personal information.
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Great Grad School Applications

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Date: Tuesday, 10 September 2019
Time: 09:00 to 10:00
Learn about the application process, and general academic and admissions requirements. Develop a timeline for meeting deadlines, scheduling language tests, getting your documents ready, and reaching out to letter writers and supervisors. As well, join us on a virtual tour of the UBC Grad Studies website to point out important resources.
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Requirements

Document Requirements

A letter of intent describing the focus of the proposed research and a sample of work demonstrating scholarly writing,

TOEFL (ibT) Overall Score Requirement

92
22
22
22
22

IELTS Overall Score Requirement

6.5
6.0
6.0
6.0
6.0

Prior degree requirements

A Master's degree with high standing in a relevant educational discipline.

Deadline Details

Application Deadline

Deadline to submit online application. No changes can be made to the application after submission.

Transcript Deadline

Deadline to upload scans of official transcripts through the applicant portal in support of a submitted application. Information for accessing the applicant portal will be provided after submitting an online application for admission.

Referee Deadline

Deadline for the referees identified in the application for admission to submit references. See Letters of Reference for more information.

September 2020 Intake
Application Open Date
01 October 2019
Canadian Applicants
Application Deadline: 01 December 2019
Transcript Deadline: 08 December 2019
Referee Deadline: 08 December 2019
International Applicants
Application Deadline: 01 December 2019
Transcript Deadline: 08 December 2019
Referee Deadline: 08 December 2019

Funding Sources

All full-time students who begin a UBC-Vancouver PhD program in September 2018 or later will be provided with a funding package of at least $18,000 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 $18,000 per year. Please check with your prospective graduate program for specific details of the funding provided to its PhD students.

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 District
Alpha 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

Ashwani Kumar

Job Title
Associate Professor
Employer
Mount Saint Vincent University

Carla Peck

Job Title
Associate Professor
Employer
University of Alberta
All Alumni Profiles

Tuition / Program Costs

FeesCanadian Citizen / Permanent Resident / Refugee / DiplomatInternational
Application Fee$104.00$168.25
Tuition *
Installments per year33
Tuition per installment$1,665.26$2,925.58
Tuition per year
(plus annual increase, usually 2%-5%)		$4,995.78$8,776.74
Int. Tuition Award (ITA) per year (if eligible) $3,200.00 (-)
Other Fees and Costs
Student Fees (yearly)$930.14 (approx.)
Costs of living (yearly)starting at $16,884.10 (check cost calculator)
* 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.

Statistical Data

Enrolment Data

 20182017201620152014
Applications3725284738
Offers1013131917
New registrations108121112
Total enrolment8076787377

Completion Rates & Times

This program has a graduation rate of 77.55% based on 49 students admitted between 2005 - 2008. Based on 33 graduations between 2014 - 2017 the minimum time to completion is 2.66 years and the maximum time is 8.66 years with an average of 5.42 years of study. All calculations exclude leave times.
Disclaimer
Admissions data refer to all UBC Vancouver applications, offers, new registrants for each year, May to April [data updated: 22 March 2019]. Enrolment data are based on March 1 snapshots. Program completion data are only provided for datasets comprised of more than 4 individuals. 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 [data updated: 23 September 2018].

Upcoming Doctoral Exams

Wednesday, 25 September 2019 - 12:30pm - Room 200

Kari Anna Marken
Faculty Members Who Prefer Teaching First-Year Courses: An Exploratory Case Study

Research Supervisors

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.

  • Anderson, Ann (Math education)
  • Anderson, David (Cultural Institutions (Museums, Libraries, etc.), Museum Education, Visitor Studies, Informal Learning, Metacognition, Science Education, Long-term Memory, Nostalgia)
  • Butler, Joy (action research, human movement, physical education, teacher development, Action Research, Assessment, Children & Youth, Curriculum Studies Research, Pedagogy, Teacher Education Research, Teacher Research)
  • Clark, Penney (history education, Curriculum Studies Research, History Education and Historical Consciousness, History of Education, Pedagogy, Social Studies Education Research)
  • Clarke, Anthony (Educational practice, Pedagogy, Research Design and Method, Teacher Education Research, Teacher Research)
  • Code, Jillianne (Learning and Memory, Educational Context, Educational Technologies)
  • Cole, Peter (Indigenous Education Research; Aboriginalizing/indigenizing research methodology; Orality; Narrativity; Environmental thought; Indigenous self-determination and self-governance; Traditional Aboriginal and Indigenous technologies)
  • Friedel, Tracy (Native Health, Cultural and Health, Participatory research, Health Promotion, Social Contexts, Learning and Development Approaches, place-based/land-based learning, forum theatre, labour histories, oral history)
  • Gerofsky, Susan (Curriculum Studies Research, Mathematics, Media, Semiotics, Text Studies, Pedagogy, Research Design and Method, Technology; gesture; genre; mathematics and the arts; Performance Theory)
  • Goble, Scott (music and history; music education; conducting; choral music, Expressed an interest in chairing music exams, music education)
  • 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)
  • Grimmett, Peter (Action Research, Curriculum Studies, Higher Education, Pedagogy, Policy Studies, Teacher Education, Teacher Research)
  • Han, Sandrine (Art Education Research, Artistic and Aesthetic Development, Arts Education, Cross Cultural Research, Cross-Cultural Education, Cultural Studies, Curriculum Studies Research, Educational Technologies, Media, Semiotics, Multiculturalism, Non-Formal Learning, Pedagogy, Subcultures)
  • Hubball, Harry (Physical Education Program, Strategic Educational Leadership Development in International Research-intensive Settings, Research-informed and Evidence-based Approaches to Learning-centred Undergraduate and Graduate Degree Program Reform, Scholarship of Curriculum & Pedagogical Practices in Higher Education)
  • Irwin, Rita (Teacher Education, Arts, Literature and Subjectivity, Social Impact of Artistic Education, education, arts education, arts based research, a/r/tography)
  • Khan, Samia (science education, teaching and learning, cognition, digital technology, learning space design, case study, higher education, Educational Technologies, Science Education, Teacher Education)
  • Kindler, Anna (art education; artistic and aesthetic development; teacher education )
  • Loutzenheiser, Lisa (Educational Context, Sexuality, Gender Epidemiology, Social Contexts, Teacher Education, Ideology and Social Policy, Epistemology and Methodology, Thought Schools (education), anti-oppressive education, queer studies, curriculum theory, youth studies, curriculum policy, qualitative methodologies, ethnography, gender studies, Social inequality, sexuality education, alternative education, marginalized youth, LGBT2SQ, Race Studies in Education)
  • Meyer, Karen (Curriculum Studies, Pedagogy, Science Education, ethnography, qualitative research)
  • Milner-Bolotin, Marina (technology, STEM education, educational innovation)
  • 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)
  • Nicol, Cynthia (mathematics teacher education, culturally responsive pedagogy, Aboriginal education, care-based and problem-based learning, Math education)
  • O'Donoghue, Donal (Art Education, Curriculum Studies, Gender, History of Education, Sociological Issues)
  • Petherick, LeAnne
  • Petrina, Stephen (Adolescent Issues, Artistic and Aesthetic Development, Arts Education, Children & Youth, Cultural Studies, Curriculum Studies, Educational Technologies, Environmental Education, Higher Education, History of Education, Literacy, Media, Semiotics, Text Studies, Metacognition and Learning, Music, Pedagogy, Philosophy, Research Design and Method, Science Education, Social Cognition, Social Studies Education, Sociological Issues, Subcultures, Technology)

Pages

Recent Doctoral Citations

  • Dr. Rasunah M Marsden
    "Dr. Marsden's articulation and application of The World Pattern of Process provides a unique, interdisciplinary approach to the Great Chain of Being, Indigenous world views, and Theories of Everything. Based on energy and key patterns inherent in a four-fold process, her study offers a holistic approach to knowledge systems and re-invigorates dialectics on human be-ing." (May 2019)
  • Dr. Priya Anka Lekhi
    "Dr. Lekhi researched international students' views of scientific knowledge and their experiences in first-year undergraduate chemistry courses. Her work revealed the importance of active learning techniques in transforming student views towards those that are more aligned with the tenets of science. These views tended to manifest better academic behaviours." (May 2019)
  • Dr. Elizabeth Clara Lenz Kothe
    "In her research, Dr. Lenz Kothe asks, "What are community-based, responsive participatory art museum practices, and what does education mean within those practices?" She advances the understanding that education in responsive participatory practices is an ongoing process of creating conditions for potential learning and mutual transformation." (May 2019)
  • Dr. Ying Ma
    "Having been a high school teacher for seven years in Beijing China, Dr. Ma brought her passion for education to UBC. Her research built dialogues among Aristotelian and Confucian wisdom traditions and sought to go beyond them. Her research makes significant contributions to re-conceptualize teaching in ethical-educational dimensions." (May 2019)
  • Dr. Winston Edward Massam
    "Teaching relevant and meaningful science is a challenge to most high school science teachers. Dr. Winston's research demonstrated how linking school science with local manufacturing in Tanzania can create relevant and meaningful science learning. His findings have implications for the ongoing curriculum and instruction reforms in Tanzania" (May 2019)

Sample Thesis Submissions

Further Program Information

 
 

September 2020 Intake
Application Open Date
01 October 2019
Canadian Applicant Deadline
01 December 2019
International Applicant Deadline
01 December 2019

Program Enquiries

If you have reviewed the information on this program page and understand the requirements for this program, you may send an enquiry
 

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