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| Program start date | Application deadline |
| 2025-09-01 | - |
| 2026-01-01 | - |
Program Overview
Doctor of Education (EdD)
Overview
Our Doctor of Education (EdD) is an ideal development opportunity if you’re a senior professional seeking to enhance and utilise your research expertise in an educational context. Whatever your area of education – from professional learning, higher education, schools, colleges, early years provision or policy development – earning an EdD will position you as a leader in your field.
Key Facts
- Award: EdD
- Start date: September 2025, January 2026
- Application notes: If you are an international student and applying with a Student Visa, we can’t accept your application for this course as it is in the category of being part-time, delivered online or a distance learning course.
- Duration: EdD full-time; 36 to 60 months, EdD part-time: 60 to 96 months
- Mode of study: full time, part time
- Delivery: blended
Entry Requirements
Academic Requirements
To be considered for admission to the degree, you’ll normally have a good honours degree in Education or related subject from a Higher Education institution in the UK, or a degree of equivalent standard from an institution outside the UK. In exceptional cases, you may be considered for the course if you have extensive professional experience in the field. Candidates are expected to have good numeracy skills and a willingness to engage with in-depth statistical analysis.
International Entry Requirements
View the entry requirements for your country.
English Language Requirements
If English is not your first language you must have one of the following qualifications as evidence of your English language skills:
- IELTS Academic or UKVI 6.5 with a minimum of 6.5 in reading and writing and 6.0 in speaking and listening.
- Pearson Test of English (Academic) 62 overall with a minimum of 62 in reading and writing and 60 in speaking and listening.
- IBT TOEFL 80 overall with a minimum of 19 in reading, 24 in writing, 21 in speaking and 19 in listening.
Course Details
Previous students taking the Doctor of Education degree have included school teachers, early years, and Further Education staff, senior leaders in education provisions, educational policy professionals, and professional educators in areas such as medicine, pharmacy, nursing, accountancy and life sciences. You too may use the Doctor of Education to refine your education expertise and gain the skills needed to exact change.
Modules
- The Nature of Educational Inquiry
- Qualitative Research Design
- Quantitative Data Analysis
- Theory and Methods of Digital Social Research
- The Nature of Social Inquiry
- Qualitative Data Analysis
Modes of Study
| EdD | MSc | Diploma | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full-time | 3 years min, 4 years max | 30 months | 12 months |
| Part-time | 4 years min, 8 years max | 3 years | 18 months |
Assessment
You'll be assessed in each course module through assignments approximately 3,000 words in length but many modules have more than one assignment and take creative approaches to the use of digital, creative, and collaborative assignment production for assessment. The Doctor of Education also leads to the production of a dissertation (ASRP020 / ASRP021) of 15,000 words, and, thereafter, a thesis (up to 60,000 words) under expert supervision by education staff from the Faculty of Social Sciences.
Classroom Hours
Part-time students may find it easier to have a minimum of a day or two a week (or equivalent if you study in the evenings) to commit to study. You will need considerable time dedicated to study in certain phases to complete assignments and projects.
Fees and Funding
Fees and Costs
University of Stirling alumni will automatically be awarded a fee waiver for the first year of Masters studies through our Stirling Alumni Scholarship.
Applicants from the UK or Republic of Ireland who hold a first-class honours degree or equivalent will automatically be awarded a £2,000 scholarship through our Postgraduate Merit Scholarship.
| UK and Republic of Ireland students | International (including EU) students | |
|---|---|---|
| Full course fee | £17,000 | £47,900 |
| Full-time annual fee (charged years 1-3) | £5,667 | £15,967 |
| Part-time annual fee (charged years 1-5) | £3,400 | £9,580 |
Doctoral Loans
If you're domiciled in England or Wales, you may be eligible to apply for a doctoral loan from your regional body.
- English students can apply for a loan of up to £28,673 from Student Finance England.
- Welsh students can apply for a loan of up to £28,395 from Student Finance Wales.
Funding
Eligible international students could receive a scholarship worth between £4,000-£7,000.
After You Graduate
Previous students taking the Doctor of Education have included school teachers, early years, and further education staff, senior leaders in education provisions, educational policy professionals, and professional educators in areas such as medicine, pharmacy, nursing, accountancy, surveying and life sciences. These students have drawn extensively on their newly developed research capacity and original studies to improve their personal, organisational, and wider professional spheres of practice and policy.
- Gain the skills to exact change in professional policy and practice.
- Become a leader in your field and join a network of professional experts.
- Continue your career as you study and put your growing expertise straight to work.
