Education PhDs at a leading university

Doctorates in Education and Lifelong Learning

UEA's postgraduate degree programmes (PhD, EdD, EdPsyD) in the School of Education & Lifelong Learning are designed to explore and contribute to local, national and international education. They are ideal for any researcher who works or hopes to work in education, and to study at a university renowned for the quality of its research. We rank 10th in the UK for the quality of our research outputs in the latest Research Excellence Framework (REF 2014).

The School of Education and Lifelong Learning is one of the UK's premier centres for teaching and research in professional education and training. We maintain excellent partnerships with regional schools, colleges and adult education groups, as well as with governments and universities internationally.

Research culture

We invite applications focused on research themes related to the expertise within the School in the following Research Domains.

1. Pedagogy, Curriculum and Professional Learning (PCPL) – focusing on the development and support of applied and practice-based research with a bearing on educational issues. Contact: Prof. Elena Nardi.

This domain has a focus on the research-led development and delivery of key curriculum areas across all sectors of educational activity and the development of school leadership and knowledge transfer. A key theme across this domain is the development and support of applied and practice-based research. Mathematics education; English, curriculum and pedagogy; Sport, health and physical education; TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages); Teacher Education (especially in the curriculum areas of English and other languages) are specialist areas.

2. International Education and Social Change (IESC) – focusing on education policies and practices in the Global South. Contact: Prof Anna Robinson-Pant & Prof Yann Lebeau.

The domain, with its focus on education policies and practices in the Global South hosts the prestigious UNESCO Chair in Adult Literacy and Learning for Social Transformation. As well as extensive work with higher education in international contexts, this domain has an international focus both methodologically and theoretically. Lifelong learning, adult literacy and international development, community learning, internationalisation and HE, HE policy in the international context, decolonisation, minority groups and mobility, widening participation, inclusion and equity of access in HE are specialist areas.

3. Lifelong Learning Cultures (LLC) – focusing on the broader contexts in which young people learn, develop and practise identities in coming to comprehend the worlds in which they live. Contact: Dr Esther Priyadharshini & Dr Harry Dyer.

The domain brings together a range of methodological and theoretical expertise that explores the broader cultural contexts in which education, both formal and informal, takes place. An interest in gender, technologies, social media, public pedagogies, and popular culture characterises this domain. Informal learning in a range of communities and contexts, childhood/youth cultures and identities, digital and popular cultures, educational futures are specialist areas.

Please visit our research domains and research expertise pages to learn more about our research and to find a potential supervisor.

Postgraduate Research Degrees

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

A three-year research full time or six-year part time course providing the opportunity to research in depth and to contribute to educational research and practice. It is possible to study remotely for the PT option. Registration dates are 1 October, 1 February or 1 June.

Find out more about the Doctor of Philosophy

Doctor of Education (EdD)

A five-year part-time programme that recruits every two years for a start in October. Recruitment is open for a start in October 2022. Application deadline: 31 May 2022.

Find out more about the Doctor of Education

Doctor of Educational Psychology (EdPsyD)

A full-time, three-year, postgraduate training programme approved by the Health and Care Professions Council and accredited by the British Psychological Society. Upon completion trainees are eligible to apply for HCPC registration and to practice as Educational Psychologists. Application deadline: 17 November 2021. The application process is managed by the Association of Educational Psychologists.

Find out more about the Doctorate in Educational Psychology (EdPsyD)

Further information:

• UEA School of Education Research degrees
• Social Sciences Graduate School

Or email pgr.enquiries.admiss@uea.ac.uk