Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Studies (PhD)

Overview

The PhD in Educational Studies is a research-oriented doctoral program for students interested in any of the study areas offered in the department, such as adult and community education and social movements; citizenship and human rights; continuing professional education; cultural politics, critical multiculturalism and feminist studies; educational leadership and policy; epistemology (the study of knowledge and knowing), ethics, and political philosophy; equity in education (on the axes of race, disability, gender, class, and sexuality); Indigenous education; international and comparative education; media, popular culture and representation or youth and children in schools, families, and communities.

Students are required to take two first-year doctoral seminars and a second-year doctoral seminar. All other courses in a student's program are determined in consultation with faculty. Students in the PhD program typically devote two years to coursework, and two to four years to developing and carrying out a research project designed to make an original contribution to knowledge in the study area.

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

I am pursing a graduate degree because I want to teach at the university level, and so that I can make meaningful contributions to public policy.

Stephanie Glick

Quick Facts

Faculty Faculty of Education

Mode of delivery In person at UBC Vancouver

Registration options Full-time

Program Components

Dissertation

Academic Unit Department of Educational Studies

Specialization Educational Studies

Tuition (First Year) Domestic: $5,301.54 | International: $9,313.92

Information Sessions Register

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Apply for September 2023

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Program Enquiries

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Admission Information & Requirements

Program Instructions

Please ensure you follow the instructions in the online application system. After submitting your application, it is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that all supporting materials are submitted properly and by the application deadline. The Admissions Committee will only review complete applications. You can check the status of your application and supporting materials through the online application system.

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

Writing

Speaking

Listening

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.

2) Meet Deadlines

September 2023 Intake

Application Open Date

10 May 2022

Canadian Applicants

Application Deadline: 15 November 2022

Transcript Deadline: 15 November 2022

Referee Deadline: 22 November 2022

International Applicants

Application Deadline: 15 November 2022

Transcript Deadline: 15 November 2022

Referee Deadline: 22 November 2022

Deadline Explanations

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.

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 three references are required for application to graduate programs at UBC. References should be requested from individuals who are prepared to provide a report on your academic ability and qualifications.

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 supervisor. Please follow the instructions provided by each program whether applicants should contact faculty members.

Instructions regarding supervisor contact for Doctor of Philosophy in Educational 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.

It is very important to contact at least one EDST faculty member who could be a potential supervisor of your PhD work (i.e. has expertise and interest in the area and/or topic you want to focus on) and inquire whether they would be willing to supervise your work.

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	$110.00	$168.25
Tuition *
Installments per year	3	3
Tuition per installment	$1,767.18	$3,104.64
Tuition per year (plus annual increase, usually 2%-5%)	$5,301.54	$9,313.92
Int. Tuition Award (ITA) per year (if eligible)		$3,200.00 (-)
Other Fees and Costs
Student Fees (yearly)	$1,057.05 (approx.)
Costs of living (yearly)	starting at $17,366.20 (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.

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

All full-time students who begin a UBC-Vancouver PhD program in September 2021 or later will be provided with a funding package of at least $22,000 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 $22,000 per year. Please check with your prospective graduate program for specific details of the funding provided to its PhD students.

Average Funding

Based on the criteria outlined below, 23 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 averaging $29,824.

6 students received Teaching Assistantships. Average TA funding based on 6 students was $8,120.
12 students received Research/Academic Assistantships. Average RA/AA funding based on 12 students was $7,567.
23 students received internal awards. Average internal award funding based on 23 students was $17,987.
6 students received external awards. Average external award funding based on 6 students was $25,903.

Study Period: Sep 2020 to Aug 2021 - average 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. Averages might mask variability in sources and amounts of funding received by individual students. Beyond year 4, funding packages become even more individualized.
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.

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.

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 direction. The duties usually constitute part of the student's graduate degree requirements. A Graduate Research Assistantship is a form of financial support for a period of graduate study and is, therefore, not covered by a collective agreement. Unlike other forms of fellowship support for graduate students, the amount of a GRA is neither fixed nor subject to a university-wide formula. The stipend amounts vary widely, and are dependent on the field of study and the type of research grant from which the assistantship is being funded. Some research projects also require targeted research assistance and thus hire graduate students on an hourly basis.

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 20 hours a week.

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 Calculator

Applicants have access to the cost calculator to develop a financial plan that takes into account various income sources and expenses.

Career Outcomes

74 students graduated between 2005 and 2013: 3 graduates are seeking employment; 1 is in a non-salaried situation; for 4 we have no data (based on research conducted between Feb-May 2016). For the remaining 66 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 (15)
Kwantlen Polytechnic University (3)
University of the Fraser Valley (2)
Vancouver Island University (2)
Universite Laval
Calvin College
Brock University
University of Calgary
Whatcom Community College
Simon Fraser University

Sample Employers Outside Higher Education

BC School District (2)
World Vision International
Our Lady of Guadalupe Tonantzin Community Society
Yukon Department of Education
Kootenay Boundary Community Services Cooperative
Ismali Tariqua and Religious Education Board
Directions Evidence and Policy Research Group
Southern California Tribal Chairmen's Association
St Paul's Hospital Foundation
Canadian eLearning Network

Sample Job Titles Outside Higher Education

Consultant (2)
Executive director (2)
Owner (2)
Director, Problematic Substance Use Prevention
Education Technical Lead, Integrated Programmes Department
VIce Principal
Author
Consultant (Therapist)
Contract Researcher
Teacher

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

Olen Gunnlaugson

Job Title
Associate Professor in Leadership and Organizational Development

Employer
Université Laval

Randy Wollf

Job Title
President

Employer
PaperLift Document Editing

Kenneth Tupper

Job Title
Director of Implementation & Partnerships

Employer
BC Centre on Substance Use

Kaela Jubas

Job Title
Associate Professor

Employer
University of Calgary

Enrolment, Duration & Other Stats

These statistics show data for the Doctor of Philosophy in Educational 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

	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
Applications	72	57	75	56	61
Offers	6	9	7	10	15
New registrations	3	5	5	6	10
Total enrolment	54	59	59	60	59

Completion Rates & Times

This program has a graduation rate of 83% based on 23 students admitted between 2008 - 2011. Based on 19 graduations between 2017 - 2020 the minimum time to completion is 4.00 years and the maximum time is 9.00 years with an average of 6.08 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: 7 April 2022]. 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: 19 October 2021].

Upcoming Doctoral Exams

Friday, 8 July 2022 - 4:00pm

Masayuki Iwase

Minor Videos and Becoming-Japanese: Problematizing [Co][Existence] and Envisioning Alternative Futures of Young Migrants' Lives in Japan

Monday, 11 July 2022 - 12:00pm

Hyunok Ryu

Reaching Wide and Deep: Public Pedagogy of Death and Dying in Canada

Wednesday, 20 July 2022 - 9:00am

Stephanie Nahima Glick

Resisting Shotgun Pedagogies: The Raced, Gendered, Colonial (and Healing) Dimensions of Public Mass Gun Violence in the United States

Monday, 8 August 2022 - 4:00pm

Patricia Ratnee Rampersaud

Enacting the NCLEX-RN Exam in a Canadian Nursing Context: A Critical Policy Analysis

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.

Abdi, Ali (Citizenship and human rights education, International Development Education, Multi-centric Philosophies and Methodologies of Education, postcolonial studies in education, Social and Cultural Foundations of Education)
Ahenakew, Cash (Cultural studies, Higher Education, Indigenous Studies, Leadership and Organizations, Post-colonial studies, Race/ethnicity, Research methodologies, Social justice, Sociology of Education)
Andres, Lesley (Higher education; life course research; international comparative higher education; sociology of higher education)
Chan, Jennifer (transnational social movements, international and comparative education, Japanese civil society, Islam in multicultural societies, Adult education, Citizenship and democracy, Gender studies, International and Comparative Education, Multiculturalism, Post-colonial studies)
De Oliveira Andreotti, Vanessa (Education for/about international development, Social accountability in local and global engagements, Global Citizenship Education)
Ellis, Jason (Educational policy; Specialized studies in education; Education policy; history of education; Politics of education)
Fallon, Gerald (Indigenous Studies, International and Comparative Education, Leadership and Organizations, Policy, Research methodologies)
Frank, Blye (Boys’ and men’s sociology of health, Masculinities and schooling gender and schooling Sexualities and schooling professional development in education, Masculinity, sociology of boys)
Gill, Hartej (Cultural studies, Leadership and Organizations, Post-colonial studies, Teaching and Practice)
Gleason, Mona (History, archaeology and related studies; history of education; history of children and youth; critical youth studies; gender and sexuality)
Kelly, Deirdre (Children and youth, Gender studies, Media and democracy, Social justice, Sociology of Education)
Kovach, Margaret
Mazawi, Andre (Citizenship and democracy, Higher education, International and Comparative Education, Leadership and organizations, Research methodologies, Sociology of Education)
Metcalfe, Amy (Educational policy; Higher education; Specialized studies in education; Higher Education Studies; Internationalization; Migration Studies; Academic Labour and Mobility; Higher Education Policy; Visual Research Methods; Campus Environments; Science and Knowledge)
Parent, Amy
Poole, Wendy (Educational leadership and administration; Organizational change in education (reform of schooling); Teachers’ work; Teacher unions and teacher unionism; role of teacher unions in education, Leadership and organizations, Social justice, Teaching and Practice)
Rocha Perkerwicz, Samuel (Educational policy; Specialized studies in education; Philosophical Traditions in Education; philosophy of education)
Roman, Leslie (Ethnography, Cultural studies, Disability studies, Sociology of Education)
Ruitenberg, Claudia (History and philosophy of education; Political science and policy administration; Environmental education and extension; Environmental philosophy and education; philosophy of education; Political education)
Shan, Hongxia (Other education, n.e.c.; Immigration and adult education and learning; Lifelong learning; Gender and work; Prof. learning)
Sork, Tom (Adult education, Lifelong learning, Teaching and Practice)
Stack, Michelle (Adult and continuing education, and community education; Higher education; Adult Education and Continuing Education; Educational Context; Knowledge translation; Media and Society; media education; social justice and equity; student engagement; university rankings)
Stein, Sharon Rebekah (Educational policy; Higher education; Specialized studies in education; Educational theory; Global education; Higher Education; Indigenous studies; International and comparative education; International education; Pedagogy and education; Political economy of Higher Education; Post-colonial studies; Race/ethnicity; Social and Cultural Foundations of Education; Social justice; sustainability)
Taylor, Alison (Adult and continuing education, and community education; Educational administration, management and leadership; Educational policy; Higher education; Specialized studies in education; Education, Knowledge and Skills; Educational Context; Political Contexts; Social Contexts; Social Policies)
Tom, Allison

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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
2022	Dr. Verwoord used art-making and art exchange to explore the beliefs of individuals studying to become teachers, including what it means to be a teacher and the power of the arts for learning about 'being in the world.' She used ideas of what it means to be in the world as a human, to present suggestions for teachers and teacher education programs.
2021	Dr. Dormond studied the understanding and response of counsellors, police and educators to "honour"-related violence and oppression, and found that discourses of othering depict racialized communities as the cause of these acts. He provides insight for collaborative and educational frameworks to challenge the marginalization of racialized peoples.
2021	Dr. Paterson explored how educators in Alberta engage with queer, trans, and gender non-conforming diversity in elementary education. Her findings illustrate the limitations of current approaches to change in schools. Her work contributes to a better schooling future for queer and trans students, thereby improving conditions for all students.
2021	Dr. Sen studied the linkage between higher education and social mobility of people from rural areas in Cambodia. The study problematizes colonial legacies in educational development, critiques the application of Bourdieu's sociological concepts, and proposes an alternate conceptual model of social practice in Global South postcolonial societies.
2020	Dr. McCartney studied the history of international undergraduate student policy in Canada since WWII. He found that policymakers often used these students to advance a racist "Canada first" agenda both economically and politically, while international students' presence has significantly reshaped post-secondary institutions and Canadian law.
2020	Dr. Miled conducted an ethnographic study to explore how Muslim high school students position themselves as Muslims and/or Canadians and how they construct their belonging and unbelonging to Canada. This study highlights the complexities of their experiences and illuminates the role of schools in the identity formation of racialized students.
2020	Dr. Cover examined how marketized education policies are interpreted and enacted by public education administrators in school districts. He explored how public education is evolving in increasingly marketized climates and how administrators understand their shifting roles and manage conflicts between marketization and the aims of public education.
2020	Dr. Shilling spoke with urban Indigenous youth to explore how they use technology to connect to identity, language, and culture, finding that social media acts as a place for learning and engaging with community. Her results have implications on community-building, language revitalization, and education outreach throughout Turtle Island.
2020	Dr. Lo explored Chinese heritage maintenance in identity and language practice in BC. Findings illuminate perceptions shaped by migratory trajectory, immigrant generation, and embodied racialized identity. Her research enriches the theoretical discourse in heritage maintenance with language as a conceptual link between heritage and identity.
2020	Dr. Li examined how Chinese international students engage with democratic discourses and practices in Canada and the US. His study displays that some students may become increasingly committed to democracy and democratization in China through their engagement in the two host countries' regimes and local associations.

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Sample Thesis Submissions

Further Information

Specialization

Educational Studies

Educational Studies offers concentrations in Adult Learning and Education; Higher Education; Society, Culture and Politics in Education; and Educational Administration and Leadership.

UBC Calendar

http://www.calendar.ubc.ca/vancouver/index.cfm?tree=12%2C204%2C828%2C1153

Program Website

https://edst.educ.ubc.ca/programs/phd-in-educational-studies/

Faculty Overview

Faculty of Education

Academic Unit

Department of Educational Studies

Program Identifier

VGDPHD-G4

Classification

Education

Specialized studies in education

Program Website