Doctor of Philosophy (Education)

  Institution: Private: Open University

The PhD in Education is a research-oriented degree designed for educators from schools, teacher training colleges, universities, businesses, industry, government agencies, non-governmental organisations, the military and other educational settings who need a strong research base in their careers.

The intent of the programme is interdisciplinary and designed to meet the needs of educators in various positions. Students are presented with knowledge and skills in solving problems and making decisions about research that will advance their development in the profession.

Opportunity is provided for students to focus on an area of study according to his or her interest, previous background and experience.

Entry Requirements

Normal Entry

• Master’s degree in related field
• Bachelor’s degree with first class in related field from OUM or other institutions recognized by Senate; AND
• Registered for a Master’s degree in related field;
• Passed related qualifying examination.

Programme Structure

This programme is comprised of three parts:

• Part I – Compulsory Core Courses
• Part II – Research
• Part III – Thesis Examination

Part I

Core Courses

• Educational Research Methodology
  This is an important module for the understanding of concepts & principles of quantitative and qualitative research in education. This course will also expose learners on how to carry out a good quantitative and qualitative research by selecting the most appropriate design. These skills are fundamental for a doctorate degree program.
• Doctoral Seminar
  This course provides a comprehensive overview of a PhD research journey. Students are first led through the early stage of experience in idea generation and the importance of understanding the demands of thesis writing. Next, the students are exposed to reading and writing strategies that will help in effective academic writing. Specifically, students are led through the critical processes in reading and writing with a focus on possible problems that may be encountered in the staged experience in the research journey, ending with a note on citation styles and the need to revise and edit.

Part II

After completing the required courses (PART I) learners will begin the research and thesis work (PART II) under the guidance of a supervisor. Each learner will meet the assigned supervisor at least 4 times in a semester and achieve satisfactory progress in the research / thesis work before being allowed to register in the subsequent semester.
Areas of specialisations in research / thesis:

• Educational Administration
• Curriculum and Instructional Design
• Reseach and Evaluation
• Educational Technology
• Educational Sociology
• Educational Psychology
• Educational Philosophy

Part III

When the learner has completed the thesis and is ready for examination, an examining committee consisting of one internal examiner and one external examiner will be appointed to assess the thesis (PART III). The learner will be examined in the Viva Voce session.

Source: Open University Malaysia (OUM)