Education PhD (Doctor of Philosophy)
Subject and course type
- Education and Teaching
- Postgraduate
On Kingston University’s Education PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) you will develop advanced research skills and professional credibility. You'll work with leading academics, access excellent resources, and explore real-world education challenges in your chosen field.
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Empower your passion for education
Combine inspiring research with training and teaching opportunities to help develop your thesis and achieve your goals.
At Kingston University you will have access to an expert academic supervisory team, as well as training and teaching opportunities to help you develop your ideas and achieve your goals.
You will have the support of the academic and postgraduate community; the high calibre of Kingston University's students and alumni provide excellent networking opportunities.
Your PhD supervision will be highly specialised to your needs and interests. In addition the course is delivered in a flexible format, so you can choose a full or part-time programme according to what suits you best.
Why choose this course
The Education PhD is designed for educators and education-related professionals who want to conduct original research related to their professional environment or area of educational practice, both for current and future educational practitioners. Whether you are seeking a beginning or advancement in your professional career in education, this PhD will help you extend your professional understanding and develop advanced skills for research, reflection, evaluation, and dissemination.
Our academic staff have extensive experience working with multi-agency partners, researching professionals at the master and doctoral levels, and leading national and international research-active projects.
As a postgraduate researcher, you will have one-to-one supervision with a lead supervisor and a second supervisor from our Faculty. Your supervisor is the key person who supports and guides your research. With your supervisors' guidance, you will research a topic of your choice in great depth. Your research topic may concern education at any educational phase (from Early Years to Higher Education) or setting (e.g. library, prison, museum or a heritage, health and social care service).
Research degrees at Kingston University
Join a dynamic postgraduate community and gain full support through workshops, seminars, and more.
Course content
The programme is made up of individual supervision and, as such, can be extremely flexible to accommodate your needs.
As a PhD student, you will be expected to attend the University's research training sessions and a series of in-house seminars. The latter may be online (synchronous or asynchronous) or in-person, take the form of research 'masterclasses' led by experienced academic staff intended to reflect on different aspects of conducting education research or research seminars led by research students who present and discuss work-in-progress. You are also invited to attend research seminars arranged for academic staff members. There will be many opportunities to engage with other doctoral students and staff members beyond your supervisors.
There is also a series of sessions organised by the Graduate Research School on researcher development and managing doctorate (up to the stage of thesis submission and viva examination). The sessions are open to all PhD students and run by various faculty members.
For further information about the Education PhD programme (including the availability of supervision in an area of your interest), please contact Dr Christos Dimitriadis.
Teaching experience
You may have the opportunity gain teaching experience, to help you pursue a career in academia.
Presenting ongoing research
Once a year, all PhD students are given the opportunity to present to the faculty about their PhD research. This ongoing engagement offers students and staff the chance to share and help each other develop their ideas.
Teaching and assessment
A PhD, unlike a taught degree, consists entirely of independent study, guided by the supervisory team.
As a student at Kingston University, we will make sure you have access to appropriate advice regarding your academic development. You will also be able to use the University's support services.
As a guide, for a full-time PhD you should commit to a similar number of hours to a full-time job – approximately 35 hours of PhD work a week. For a part-time PhD, this would be halved. We would also expect you to take a similar number of holiday days to full-time or part-time employment.
Your PhD thesis should be around 80,000 words and will be the subject of an oral examination, the 'viva voce'. You will need to show how you have critically investigated your area of research and made an independent and original contribution to knowledge.
We aim to provide feedback on assessments within 20 working days.
PhD students do not receive a timetable, but you will be asked to agree a schedule of supervisory meetings with your team.
Fees and funding
Please view our research degrees page for further details about fees.
Funding support for PhD students
If you are a UK student living in England and under 60, you can apply for a Doctoral loan, find out more on the government's website.
Scholarships and bursaries
For students interested in studying Education PhD at Kingston, there are several opportunities to seek funding support:
Get a 15% reduction in tuition fees. Find out more.
Kingston University offers a 10% discount on full- and part-time postgraduate degree course tuition fees to our alumni. Visit our alumni discount page to find out more.
Additional course costs
Some courses may require additional costs beyond tuition fees. When planning your studies, you’ll want to consider tuition fees, living costs, and any extra costs that might relate to your area of study.
Your tuition fees include costs for teaching, assessment and university facilities. So your access to libraries, shared IT resources and various student support services are all covered. Accommodation and general living expenses are not covered by these fees.
Where applicable, additional expenses for your course may include:
Our libraries have an extensive collection of books and journals, as well as open-access computers and laptops available to rent. However, you may want to buy your own computer or personal copies of key textbooks. Textbooks may range from £50 to £250 per year. And a personal computer can range from £100 to £3,000 depending on your course requirements.
While most coursework is submitted online, some modules may require printed copies. You may want to allocate up to £100 per year for hard-copies of your coursework. It’s worth noting that 3D printing is never compulsory. So if you choose to use our 3D printers, you’ll need to pay for the material. This ranges from 3p per gram to 40p per gram.
Kingston University will pay for all compulsory field trips. Fees for optional trips can range from £30 to £350 per trip.
Your tuition fees don’t cover travel costs. To save on travel costs, you can use our free intersite bus service. This route links the campuses and halls of residence with local train stations - Surbiton, Kingston upon Thames, and Norbiton.
How to apply
Before you apply
Please read the entry criteria carefully to make sure you meet all requirements before applying.
Documents to submit with your research application
You will be asked to include the following documents with your application:
- A draft research proposal or project outline
- Your academic transcripts and or certificates
- English language qualifications, if required
- A photograph or scan of your passport
- You may also wish to attach a CV or other relevant documents, for example a portfolio of artwork.
Please see the Research degrees page for more information about applying to Kingston University.
For subject-specific information, please see the Research in the Faculty of Health, Science, Social Care and Education page.
How to apply online
Use the course selector drop down at the top of this page to choose your preferred course, start date and mode, then click 'Apply now'. You will be taken to our Online Student Information System (OSIS) where you will complete your application.
If you’re starting a new application, you’ll need to select ‘new user’ and set up a username and password. This will allow you to save and return to your application.
Application deadlines
We encourage you to apply as soon as possible. Applications will close when the course is full.
Information required to confirm your place
If English is not your first language, we will require proof of your proficiency to allow us to confirm your place on the course. This will generally be either an IELTS or TOEFL test certificate, which can be forwarded to us after you have submitted your application. If you do not hold a formal English language qualification, please indicate how you have acquired your proficiency in written and spoken English.
After you have applied
For courses that select on application alone, applicants should normally receive an initial decision or a request for more information within four to six weeks of receipt of their application. Our admissions team will notify you of the decision by email.
Learn more about the postgraduate application process in detail.
Course changes and regulations
The information on this page reflects the currently intended course structure and module details. To improve your student experience and the quality of your degree, we may review and change the material information of this course. Find out more about course changes
Programme Specifications for the course are published ahead of each academic year.
Regulations governing this course can be found on our website.
