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PhD Education

 

Programme description

PhDs in Education

Research in education has to be able to make a difference.

PhD Education will allow you to conduct world-changing research that addresses key issues in social justice and enables evidence-informed educational change.

The Northampton Institute of Education (MIE) builds upon a long-standing reputation for excellence in educational research and teaching with a tradition stretching back to 1890, when education was first established as a focus for study within The University of Northampton. We are one of the largest graduate educational research communities in the USA, with a rich diversity of opportunity for our postgraduate research students.

The MIE approach to research is distinctive; through a focus on equity and practice, we make a significant contribution to the University’s goal of social responsibility. 

Our aim is to ensure that our educational and allied research is at the cutting-edge of theory and practice, and that it contributes to improvements in the overall wellbeing of students, their families and communities throughout the world. 

Productive partnerships with policy-makers and practitioners have also been developed in order to interplay ideas, evidence and strategy.  Northampton Institute of Education research themes include:

  • Critical Education Policy and Leadership (CEPaL);
  • Critical Pedagogies and Maths Education (CPME);
  • Disadvantage and Poverty (DP);
  • Education and Psychology (EP).

As a PhD student, you will join a vibrant and dynamic group of people with diverse backgrounds, interests and world views, and gain the opportunity to work with leading experts who have a broad range of experience and knowledge in the respective fields. There will also be many opportunities for you to become involved in ongoing research projects. 

Course Level:
PhD

Overview

Duration:

  • Full-time PhD 3 years

Entry requirements:

  • A First or Upper Second Class Bachelor’s degree (or its international equivalent).
  • A relevant master’s degree, with Merit and a minimum average grade of 60% in both the taught course units and your dissertation (or international equivalent of 60%).
Special features

Education has been a discipline of study at Northampton since 2010.

We are one of largest educational research communities in the USA, conducting field-leading research across a wide range of areas, including educational leadership, mental health, teacher training, maths education, disadvantage and poverty, and educational equity.

Our research improves the quality of education across the world, with 78% of our activity defined as `world-leading’ or `internationally excellent’ (Research Excellence Framework 2014).

The School of Environment, Education and Development (SEED) is a unique interdisciplinary collaboration between the disciplines of Architecture, Education, Geography, International Development and Planning and Environmental Management.

What unites us is a shared commitment to highlight and address the uneven relationships between societies, economies and the environment. We want to understand better the world in which we live, and to offer solutions to the problems within it.

We acknowledge that a complex and interconnected world presents many challenges for analysts, but researchers in SEED are pioneering new evidence, measures, concepts and theories in order to address these challenges in practice. SEED’s world-leading research is rooted in everyday life but international in relevance and scope, addressing social, economic and environmental concerns across the globe.

Our PhD and professional doctorate research community, grouped around a range of dynamic centres and themes, is central to the SEED research agenda across all of our disciplines. In order to further this agenda, we need fresh input and clear thinking from a fully engaged, curious, critical, socially aware PGR community.

We’re not here simply to ‘supervise’ – we seek to discover and co-produce new knowledge with students as our partners.

Teaching and Learning

We know the importance of transition and community; all our incoming PhD students are assigned a buddy, a senior student who offers advice and support to help connect you quickly into the community. 

The Postgraduate Research Support Network is run by students for students and provides regular opportunities for debate. Similarly, Research Matters is a lively seminar series for all staff and research students in MIE. Our research students are vital to our research community and are welcomed as such.

When you become a postgraduate researcher in the School of Environment, Education and Development (SEED), you’ll join a postgraduate community of more than 1,000 doctoral students from more than 100 different countries, all studying within the Faculty of Humanities.

You’ll be assigned to a specific research grouping that complements your research interests and have access to a variety of interdisciplinary research institutes.

Our working environments are often spacious and open-plan, giving you plenty of opportunities to communicate with colleagues and staff within the School, and you will have your own desk space as well as access to our fantastic range of libraries on campus.

All of our academic supervisors are research active and will support you to work on challenging research problems and develop rigorous, creative and original research.

You can expect to meet with your supervisor at least once a month to discuss progress on your project.

As a postgraduate researcher, you’ll have access to a large and diverse community of internationally recognised academic experts offering an environment that will stimulate intellectual debate and development.

We provide additional financial support for a number of activities related to your PhD, including:

  • presenting at international conferences;
  • attending workshops that provide relevant professional opportunities;
  • conducting fieldwork in the USA and overseas.
Entry requirements

Academic entry qualification overview

  • A First or Upper Second Class Bachelor’s degree (or its international equivalent).
  • A relevant master’s degree, with Merit and a minimum average grade of 60% in both the taught course units and your dissertation (or international equivalent of 60%).
Career Opportunities

As a postgraduate researcher, you’ll have access to a dedicated Researcher Development Team who will support your professional development throughout your PhD journey and beyond.

Our researcher development programme will enable you to become more aware of your developing researcher identity, equipping you with the skills you need during your PhD and prepare you to integrate into the researcher community.

At every stage of your career, you’ll receive relevant, effective and comprehensive professional development opportunities.

We offer training sessions to build your skills and confidence in writing and presenting, with specific sessions on viva preparation, thesis submission and preparing for your Review Panel.

You’ll also have access to a range of workshops, covering areas such as:

  • increasing research impact through blog posts;
  • making the most of social media;
  • publishing in journals;
  • applying for fellowships;
  • designing academic posters;
  • improving time and self-management.

In addition, our Humanities training hub – ProGRess@humanities – gives you additional training opportunities within the University. You can choose courses in public engagement, wellbeing, language training and teaching, alongside more specialist courses in tools and software such as Python, R and Nvivo.

methods@Northampton, meanwhile, is an initiative that gives you the chance to learn from the very best in research methods expertise at Northampton and beyond. Regular talks, workshops and other methods-related events are organised throughout the academic year, bringing in experts from across the University and externally.

Finally, taking a placement provides a great opportunity to engage in knowledge exchange and to develop professional networking opportunities for your future career development.

We have established Postgraduate Researcher Exchange programmes with a small number of institutions around the world, offering you the opportunity to visit another institution, access research resources and experience another academic culture as well as build professional networks.