EdD Program; Field: International Educational Leadership and Policy

Minimum Admission Requirements

• Applicants are admitted under the General Regulations of the School of Graduate Studies. Applicants must also satisfy the Department of Leadership, Higher and Adult Education's additional admission requirements stated below.

• Master's degree in the area of Educational Leadership and Policy or an equivalent degree with high academic standing from a recognized university.

• Responses to the Faculty questions in the online admissions application: applicants will demonstrate experience and interest in studying international issues in education policy and leadership. In addition, a supplementary writing sample is required, which will help the admissions committee to assess an applicant's readiness to succeed in rigorous coursework and to conduct systematic research for the EdD. Applicants typically submit a master's-level Major Research Paper or thesis as their writing sample. Applicants who do not have a Major Research Paper or thesis must provide a writing sample that showcases their ability to write clearly and analytically about educational issues. Examples include a master's-level course paper, a policy document, and a professional publication.

• The applicant must be in a leadership position in education in an international setting, or must have held a leadership position, or must demonstrate the relevance of the program to their position or professional development in international education policy.

Completion Requirements

• Coursework. Students must successfully complete a total of 4.0 core full-course equivalents (FCEs) as follows:

  • LHA3003H Designing Research Proposals in Educational Leadership and Policy

  • LHA3005H Introduction to Research Methods for the EdD (RM)

  • LHA3006H Data Analysis for the Education Doctorate-RM

  • LHA3007H Reviewing the Literature

  • LHA3040H People and Power in Organizations

  • LHA3041H Doctoral Seminar on Policy Issues in Education

  • 0.5 elective FCE chosen from 1000, 3000, or 6000-level courses as available online or

    • individual reading course (LHA3052H Individual Reading and Research in Educational Leadership and Policy) or

    • practicum course (CIE1002H Practicum for Comparative, International, and Development Education)

  • LHA3008H Professional Seminar and Dissertation Workshop in International Educational Leadership and Policy

  • Courses will be offered in specialized sections for the International Educational Leadership and Policy field cohort with course syllabi adapted to reflect the international educational policy focus.

  • Attendance in an on-campus Institute will be required to allow face-to-face delivery of one course in each of Years 1, 2, and 3. The Institute will foster cohort engagement and exchange; orientation to the OISE professors, the University of Toronto, and the program.

  • All other courses will be offered online using synchronous and asynchronous modalities.

• Comprehensive examination. Successful oral (using video conferencing) defence of a written paper that critically reviews and synthesizes the literature related to the problem of practice to be addressed in the student's dissertation in practice, selected by the student in consultation with the supervisor/advisor. The comprehensive exam is normally taken at the end of Year 2, and must be taken no later than the end of Year 3. Students will be informed of their status (pass or fail) at the end of the oral exam. Students who are not successful in their first attempt will be permitted one additional attempt to pass.

• Thesis (dissertation in practice) proposal hearing.

• Thesis (dissertation in practice): The thesis (dissertation in practice) is the culminating component of the Doctor of Education degree in International Educational Leadership and Policy that shall include an identification and investigation of a problem of practice, the application of theory and research to the problem of practice, and a design for action to address the problem of practice. Specifically, the thesis (dissertation in practice) consists of original research in the form of a written proposal or plan for innovative and impactful educational policy, guideline, advocacy, development project, or activism within or beyond a traditional educational setting, aimed at improving practice at local, regional, national, or international levels.

• Students are full-time and must maintain continuous registration full-time and pay full-time fees until all degree requirements, including the thesis (dissertation in practice), are completed.

• Students cannot transfer between the EdD and PhD programs.

Mode of Delivery: Hybrid
Program Length: 4 years full-time (typical registration sequence: Continuous)
Time Limit: 6 years full-time