phd in learning process

Doctorate in Learning Sciences

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• Learning Sciences
• PhD in Learning Sciences

About the Program

Northwestern University's Learning Sciences program was the first of its kind in the nation. The program was developed with the understanding that design, cognition and sociocultural contexts are core areas for approaching learning and teaching in formal and informal settings. The curriculum and research projects in the Learning Sciences program exemplify continued focus in these areas. 

The Learning Sciences doctoral degree program prepares graduates to advance the understanding and practice of teaching and learning. Research and course work emphasize instructional, technological, and social policy innovations and the design of effective learning and teaching environments. This program is intended for people with a wide variety of interests, including: 

• Research 
• Teaching and training 
• Software development 
• School administration 
• The study and reform of learning environments
• Attend an Information Session
• Apply to the Program

Sociocultural Contexts

Examining the social, organizational and cultural dynamics of learning and teaching situations, including classrooms, schools, school districts, museums, corporations and homes.

Constructing scientific models of the structures and processes of learning and teaching by which organized knowledge, skills and understanding are acquired.

Building environments for learning and teaching, incorporating multimedia, artificial intelligence, computer networks and innovative curriculum and classroom activity structures.

Curriculum Overview

Course work in the Learning Sciences doctoral program includes a core curriculum and electives.

View Curriculum

Our Students

Students prepare to be researchers, developers, and practitioners in schools, workplaces, and other settings.

“ The Learning Sciences program at Northwestern is one of the few programs that treat the science of learning as a field in and of itself; understanding the cognitive and sociocultural foundations of learning and designing learning environments that take advantage of these insights are the cornerstones of what it means to be at Northwestern.”

—Erica Rosenfeld Halverson  Associate Professor, Curriculum and Instruction, University of Wisconsin-Madison ,  Learning Sciences PhD program, class of 2005

Learning Sciences at Northwestern.

Explore the breadth of academic courses offered in the curriculum.

Contact Learning Sciences

Phone Number  847-491-4329 

Email  [email protected] 

Physical Address  Walter Annenberg Hall   2120 Campus Drive   Evanston, IL 60208

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• Learning Sciences and Technology Design

Cross-Area Specialization - Learning Sciences and Technology Design

The learning sciences are dedicated to the systematic study and design of psychological, social, and technological processes that support learning in diverse contexts and across the lifespan. Students in the Learning Sciences and Technology Design (LSTD) Ph.D. program complete foundational research on learning, and they design innovative learning technologies. Graduates of the program take leadership positions as faculty, research scientists in universities and companies, designers and evaluators of formal and informal learning environments, and in learning technology policy-making.

A significant challenge for the field is to prepare scholars with expertise in the multiple areas relevant to learning in meaningful contexts. The LSTD curriculum includes courses on learning, research, and design, as well as small integrative seminars and explicit apprenticeship opportunities. Students also develop advanced technical proficiencies in a medium of their choice (e.g., programming, computer animation, graphics design, simulation modeling, robotics, user experience design, game development, video production, museum display).

Students interested in the program apply to the Learning Sciences and Technology Design specialization in the online university application for graduate admission form. In the online form, under Additional Academic Interests, applicants should indicate the area with which they wish their LSTD program be linked: Curriculum Studies and Teacher Education (CTE), Developmental and Psychological Sciences (DAPS), or Social Sciences, Policy and Educational Practice (SHIPS).  As a unique cross-area specialization, students will study the learning sciences and technology design within the context of the area (CTE, DAPS, or SHIPS), to which they are formally admitted also. In their first year, students work within the requirements of their area to build a strong base of disciplinary knowledge while also developing additional discrete skills relevant to LSTD. Starting with the second year and working closely with their LSTD Faculty Advisor to design a personalized program, students advance their interests and abilities by integrating the distinct skills and area perspectives in applying their theoretical, research, and design work to specific topics in learning.

More information about degree requirements is available in the Doctoral Degree Handbook .

Stanford University, situated in Silicon Valley, provides unique resources for the doctoral student including interactions with world-class faculty who have expertise or interests in technology, access to industry leaders, and on-going exposure to state-of-the-art developments. Stanford University and the Graduate School of Education draw the finest students from around the world, ensuring a rich graduate experience. The LSTD program benefits from its close ties to the H-STAR Institute (Human Sciences and Technologies Advanced Research), an interdisciplinary center at Stanford focusing on people and technology, and its industry affiliates program, Media X , as well as faculty and courses associated with  the d-School at Stanford – an institute using design thinking to drive multidisciplinary innovation. The Ph.D. program has grown from a common vision among a broad base of professors whose interests range from visualization and agent technologies to the analysis of cultural and collaborative processes in education and informal learning. The faculty believes that the development of new information and communication technologies provides a powerful coordination point for joining previously isolated bodies of scholarship to understand and enhance learning.

Graduate training in the LSTD program benefits from use of Stanford's advanced computing and teaching facilities, including Wallenberg Hall (Building 160) on the front of the campus on the central quadrangle, where H-STAR is located, and the Graduate School of Education's CERAS computer labs.

Area Faculty & Affiliates

• Brigid Barron
• Hilda Borko
• Bryan Brown
• Dora Demszky
• Antero Garcia
• Ari Y. Kelman
• Jennifer Marie Langer-Osuna
• Victor R. Lee
• Sarah Levine
• Bruce McCandliss
• Shima Salehi
• Dan Schwartz
• Rebecca Silverman
• Guillermo Solano-Flores
• Hariharan Subramonyam
• Candace Thille
• Jason Yeatman

Many other faculty within the Graduate School of Education and Stanford's departments related to the LSTD program (especially Computer Science, Communications, Psychology, Linguistics and Engineering) will contribute to a vibrant intellectual culture for LSTD students.

Contact Information

For additional inquiries, please contact LSTD Director and Professor Roy Pea .

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Curriculum, Instruction and the Science of Learning, PhD

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Our doctoral program in curriculum, instruction and the science of learning is a multidisciplinary program that focuses on addressing practical educational problems through research in diverse contexts for learning and teaching. You can create your own customized program to meet your research and career interests in one of these seven concentrations — elementary education, English education, learning sciences,  literacy and reading education, mathematics education,  science education and social studies education.

On this page:

Focus areas.

This program is available with a focus in social studies .

Why Curriculum, Instruction and the Science of Learning at UB?

While educational programs in curriculum and instruction are common, this program stands out by emphasizing the science of learning — a 21st-century approach to developing evidenced-based practice through design research. In this program, you can:

• Customize the program to meet your particular research and career interests, or follow the general track for an an innovative interdisciplinary focus; if you customize the program, you can choose from these concentrations:      - Elementary education      - English education      - Learning sciences          - Literacy and reading education      - Mathematics education      - Science education      - Social studies education
• Investigate and solve complex educational problems involving multiple disciplines
• Participate in cutting-edge research
• Work directly with faculty experts at the forefront of educational innovations

Program Overview

Multidisciplinary foci.

• Arts Integration
• Early Learning
• Educational Informatics
• Educational Technologies
• Learning Sciences
• New and Multimodal Literacies
• Real and Virtual Learning Spaces
• STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) Education
• STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Integration
• Situated and Embodied Cognition
• Social Learning and Culture
• Spatial Literacy

Program Coursework

Your program of study requires 72 credit hours:

• Multidisciplinary concentration — 24 credit hours (includes required course: LAI 615 Seminar in Curriculum, Instruction and the Science of Learning)
• Research — 28 credit hours
• Dissertation — 10 credit hours
• Relevant master's degree courses — 10 credit hours

An on campus 3 credit course traditionally requires approximately 9 hours per week of dedicated study outside the classroom. An online 3 credit course requires a approximately 12 hours of dedicated study outside of participation in the virtual classroom. It is important that you take into consideration other personal and professional commitments as you pursue your coursework.

Program Faculty

Sam Abramovich

Associate Professor Learning And Instruction

Associate Professor Information Science

511 Baldy Hall North Campus Buffalo, NY 14260

Phone: 716-645-3174

Email: [email protected]

Blythe E. Anderson

Assistant Professor Learning And Instruction

587 Baldy Hall North Campus Buffalo, NY 14260

Phone: 716-645-4028

Email: [email protected]

Maureen P. Boyd

Professor Learning And Instruction

570 Baldy Hall North Campus Buffalo, NY 14260

Phone: 716-645-2455

Email: [email protected]

David L. Bruce

505 Baldy Hall North Campus Buffalo, NY 14260

Email: [email protected]

Claire E. Cameron

574 Baldy Hall North Campus Buffalo, NY 14260

Phone: 716-645-4000

Email: [email protected]

Yunjeong Chang

578 Baldy Hall North Campus Buffalo, NY 14260

Phone: 716-645-4076

Email: [email protected]

Virginia J. Flood

Email: [email protected]

Julie Gorlewski

Professor Dean's Office

Email: [email protected]

Christopher Hoadley

583 Baldy Hall Buffalo, NY 14260

Phone: 1716-645-7787

Email: [email protected]

Sameer Honwad

Email: [email protected]

David W. Jackson

367 Baldy Hall, Room 507 Buffalo, NY 14260 [email protected] Buffalo, NY 14260

Phone: 716-645-2163

Email: [email protected]

Tiffany Karalis Noel

Clinical Assistant Professor Learning And Instruction

Email: [email protected]

Associate Professor Counseling, School And Educational Psychology

423 Baldy Hall North Campus Buffalo, NY 14260

Phone: 716-645-1127

Email: [email protected]

Xiufeng Liu

Distinguished Professor Learning And Instruction

518 Baldy Hall North Campus Buffalo, NY 14260

Phone: 716-645-4050

Email: [email protected]

581 Baldy Hall North Campus Buffalo, NY 14260

Phone: 716-645-2458

Email: [email protected]

Chris Proctor

Email: [email protected]

Ryan M. Rish

568 Baldy Hall North Campus Buffalo, NY 14260

Phone: 716-645-4042

Email: [email protected]

Sarah A. Robert

514 Baldy Hall North Campus Buffalo, NY 14260

Phone: 716-645-4046

Email: [email protected]

Alexandra E. Schindel

564 Baldy Hall North Campus Buffalo, NY 14260

Phone: 716-645-4067

Email: [email protected]

569 Baldy Hall North Campus Buffalo, NY 14260

Phone: 716-645-4030

Email: [email protected]

John Z. Strong

571 Baldy Hall North Campus Buffalo, NY 14260

Phone: 716-645-4044

Email: [email protected]

Naomi Thompson

Buffalo, NY 14260

Email: [email protected]

Noemi Waight

Email: [email protected]

X. Christine Wang

Phone: 716-645-2379

Email: [email protected]

Application Requirements

If you do not already hold a master's degree, you will be considered for admission if you have completed an otherwise compelling and highly rigorous undergraduate degree program or a collection of graduate courses not leading to a degree.

In an effort to make the application process more equitable, the GRE/MAT is no longer required for admissions consideration. If you still plan to take the GRE/MAT exam, you can send your scores through the testing agency, and they will automatically be added to your application; however, they are not required for admission consideration to this program.

Submit your completed online application, which includes:

• Application fee:  A $50 non-refundable application fee, submitted electronically through UB's ePayment system.
• Contact information for at least two individuals  who will each be asked to provide an electronic recommendation letter.
• Unofficial transcripts  from all colleges attended. (UB transcripts are automatically submitted for current UB students and alumni.)
• Sample of academic writing:  A sample of your academic writing (e.g., master's thesis, professional publication).
• Statement of interest:  Statement of your educational and career goals and objectives.

Admission Interview:  You may be invited to interview while your application is under review.

Former/Maiden Name:  Please provide us with your former/maiden name if you have one. When requesting transcripts, please ask the sending institution to indicate your current name and former/maiden name.

Admissions Decision: The admissions decision will be communicated to you as soon as review is complete. The decision is based on a number of factors and is the result of a thorough and deliberate process. All decisions are final and cannot be appealed.

In order to qualify for the in-state residency tuition rate, you are required to provide residency documentation indicating you have lived in New York State (NYS) 12 months prior to your semester start date.

If accepted, you will need to upload 3 documents to qualify for the in-state tuition rate. See Required Documents for Residency Application  for more information. 

• Official original proof of your degree
• A copy of your passport biographical page
• TOEFL minimum score is a 250 for a computer based test, 600 for a paper based test and 96 for the Internet based test 
• IELTS minimum score is 7.0 overall
• PTE minimum score is 55 overall
• Financial documentation  — International graduate applicants must document their ability to pay for all costs incurred while studying in the U.S.
• An official bank statement

All financial forms and supporting documentation with required signatures must be uploaded with your application, and must be dated within one year of your intended enrollment date.

To facilitate timely processing of the paperwork for the student visa, you must apply before the end of April for fall admission and by October 1 for spring admission. 

We have a collection of frequently asked questions that may help you. If your questions are still unanswered, we are glad to help! Contact our admission office .

Questions About the Admission Process?

Office of Graduate Admission

Graduate School of Education 366 Baldy Hall, North Campus 716-645-2110 [email protected]

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How the PhD Program Works

Program Overview

Completing your doctorate at Wharton requires 5 years of full-time study. The first 2 years in the program prepare you for admission to candidacy by taking courses, qualifying exams, and starting research projects. In the last few years, you are primarily conducting research full-time including writing and defending your doctoral dissertation.

Admission to candidacy.

You begin by taking courses required for your program of study. All programs requires a preliminary exam, which may be either oral or written.

Some programs may have further requirements, such as an additional exam or research paper. If you enter with a master’s degree or other transfer credit, you may satisfy the formal course requirements more quickly.

Beginning the Wharton PhD Curriculum How the first two years of the Wharton program helped students discover their interests, learn the tools of the profession, and fuel their passion for teaching.

The Doctoral Dissertation

Upon successful completion of coursework and passing a preliminary examination, you are admitted to candidacy for the dissertation phase of your studies.

Your doctoral dissertation should contain original research that meets standards for published scholarship in your field. You are expected to be an expert in the topic you choose to research.

You are admitted to candidacy for the dissertation phase of your studies upon successful completion of coursework and passing a preliminary examination, but you can start thinking about and working on research of relevance at any time.

The dissertation process culminates with a “defense,” in which you defend the proposal orally before your dissertation committee.

While working on your dissertation, you interact extensively with Wharton faculty. Together with interested faculty, you create your own research community that includes your dissertation advisor and dissertation committee.

Policies and Procedures

Get more detailed explanation of course requirements, academic standards, the Teacher Development Program, time limits, and dissertation procedures and requirements.

Sample Program Sequence

Years 1 & 2.

Coursework Examination Research Papers Research Activities Field-Specific Requirements

Directed Reading & Research Admission to Candidacy Formulation of Research Topic

Years 4 & 5

Continued Research Oral Examination Dissertation

Hear From Our Doctoral Community

How wharton makes it easy to be successful, wharton is the "perfect" place to do research, from undergrad to phd.

Common Searches

• PhD in Education, Teaching-Learning Processes
• College of Education
• Degrees and Programs

Become a scholar in the fields of teaching and learning.

If you’re an educator who wants to take risks and try new innovations, what could be more exciting and fulfilling than researching, developing and improving the methods in which teachers teach and students learn? The Doctor of Philosophy in Education, Emphasis in Teaching-Learning Processes degree program at the University of Missouri–St. Louis helps you explore and gain expertise in a diverse realm of topics that support new and transformational instructional practice. Students in the PhD in Education, Emphasis in Teaching-Learning Processes program work under the guidance of a doctoral advisor, as well as with faculty who provide the support necessary to accomplish their goals. The degree program requires a minimum of 60 credit hours beyond a master’s degree, including six hours of dissertation research. For those who have not completed a master’s degree, a minimum of 90 postbaccalaureate hours is required, including six hours of dissertation research.

During the PhD program, students will design and produce rigorous research projects as an independent scholar using qualitative, quantitative and/or mixed methods approaches. They will learn to communicate effectively and engage with others constructively across contexts, languages and media. They will also access, critically examine and use theoretically informed literature in human development, the science of learning and sociocultural factors to explain variations in learning and developmental pathways.

Upon completion of the program, graduates will be able to apply and demonstrate leadership skills to promote community engagement or civic action to benefit the public good related to teaching and learning processes settings. They will be able to use statistics intelligently and make ethical decisions integrating multiple perspectives using reason, evidence, and teaching and learning processes. They will also analyze, categorize, and evaluate qualitative, quantitative, and/or mixed methods approaches within an education context.

The available specializations may include:

• Literacy and Language Arts
• Special Education
• Applied Behavior Analysis
• Inclusive Postsecondary Education for Students with Disabilities
• Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages
• Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy
• Global Education
• Curriculum 
• Mathematics Education
• Science Education
• Social Studies Education
• Health and Physical Education
• Educational Technology
• Outdoor and Experiential Education
• Social Justice in Learning
• Music Education

Plan of Study

Non-Missouri Residents: Prospective students are responsible for reviewing the NC-SARA state authorizations page to see if this program is offered in their state throughout their program and to review the licensure or certification requirements for the state in which they reside. 

Deadline to Apply:

Questions? Ask an advisor:

Alexandra Gresick 265 Marillac Hall (314) 516-5107 [email protected]

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College of Education programs are accredited by: CACREP , Counseling; NASP , School Psychology; and AAQEP Teacher Education.

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Department of Learning Technologies

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Doctoral programs, doctor of philosophy in learning technologies, program information.

The doctorate in Learning Technologies focuses on defining, understanding, and expanding the synergy of technology and learning/instructional systems theory. The core of the Ph.D. program is the application of technologies within the learning process. The program also focuses on academic research and writing, which has resulted in a majority of graduating doctoral students holding positions at universities.

By the end of the program, successful doctoral candidates demonstrate proficiency in skills and knowledge that allows the individual to become a contributing scholar and practitioner in the instructional, educational, and learning technology fields- either in educational or corporate settings. Graduates of the PhD program work as faculty, instructors, teachers, instructional designers, directors of distance education, technology coordinators, and trainers, among other relevant professional occupancies. 

Objectives &  Marketable Skills

Synthesize Knowledge: The graduate will read and synthesize the literature related to their specific discipline, describe fundamental theories of human learning and the role of technology, and apply knowledge of human learning and technology to the solution of practical problems in their discipline.

Create Knowledge: The graduate will describe common research methods in their discipline, read and evaluate educational research, and apply research findings to the solution of practical problems in their discipline.

Communicate Knowledge: The graduate will communicate effectively in oral and written formats including the ability to communicate content from their discipline through the design and delivery of effective teaching/learning activities that integrate content and pedagogy, adapt instruction and support services to the needs of diverse learners, and assess appropriately learning outcomes.

Think Critically and Reflectively: The graduate will develop a personal vision of inclusive educational practice, identify the relationship of their discipline to the broader field of education, and critically evaluate theory and practice.

Engage in Professional Development: The graduate will demonstrate the disposition for life-long learning and continuous professional development.

Participate Actively in Their Profession: The graduate will identify communities of practice within their discipline and participate within these communities.

The Ph.D. in Learning Technologies is available in two formats:

• Residential (On-Campus)  format is for students who can attend classes in-person at the UNT Denton campus
• Distributed (Online)  distance-delivered format is for students who cannot attend the UNT campus

The distance delivered Ph.D. in Learning Technologies is a blended offering with students taking online courses throughout the year and attending a yearly face-to-face meeting during the fall. This program is available to students living outside the North Texas area or those students unable to attend the residency offerings. Students within driving distance of UNT should investigate the residency program.

Residential Course Offering

Residential courses are provided on a two-year course rotation with the exception of the research courses (e.g. 6510, 6511, 6512, and 6514), which are offered yearly. Courses are offered as supported by enrollments and may change as determined by the program. 

Residential Student Course Rotation

Distributed Course Offering

Distributed courses are offered in a specific sequence of course and events for each cohort. Courses are offered as supported by enrollments and may change as determined by the program.

For students whose cohort started in the Summer, click here to view-  Summer Cohort

For students whose cohort started in the Fall, click here to view-  Fall Cohort

Admission Process

Click on the How to Apply page  to learn more about about the admissions process and application requirements. 

Important Deadlines

Summer/Fall 2024 Deadline: March 10, 2023

New cohorts for both program formats start every fall semester. Summer semester start dates are also available for online students who would like to complete the required PhD Tools courses in advance (9 credit hours). Your application materials must  be received by the deadline above to be considered complete. Space is limited, so you are encouraged to apply early.  

International Students

• Applicants who do not hold either U.S. citizenship or U.S. permanent resident alien status should apply to the  International Admissions Office
• An international applicant's bachelor's degree and master's degree should be equivalent to a U.S. four-year bachelor's and two-year master's degree, respectively
• All documents should be submitted at least six months before enrollment date

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Considering a PhD in Education? Here’s What You Need to Know

Blog Summary

If you have a sharp intellect, are enthusiastic about teaching, and want to advance in your profession, you might consider pursuing a PhD in education. You will need to commit to becoming a lifelong learner since you have a strong interest in education and want to pursue a PhD. Since you are reading this, you have likely decided to pursue a PhD. You should be aware of a few things before beginning your doctoral program. A bachelor’s degree in education from an accredited university is required, followed by a master’s degree. Taksha Smartlabz in association with the University of Central Nicaragua (TSL-UCN) is a popular university for those with a master’s degree for joining the online PhD in Education.

Are you passionate about teaching? Do you want to transform the education system of your country? With a PhD in Education , you will get the opportunity to do so.

Another benefit of a PhD is that they will place your name in the halls of educational laureates one day. Get to be part of the elite class who have made a difference in the education system.

By joining Taksha Smartlabz in association with the University of Central Nicaragua (TSL-UCN), you will get an opportunity to be part of the finest educational institution. Cannot move from your home country? Do not worry; TSL-UCN has a distance learning PhD you can take online.

This article will help you learn everything there is to know about what a PhD in education programs entails. By the end, you will see if the program will suit your needs.

Things you need to know before starting a PhD in Education

There are many aspects and requirements one has to have to apply for a PhD in Education . Let’s learn about each of them one by one-

1)Have a bright mind: Doing a PhD is the highest degree, and qualification one can meet. Only 2.5 percent of colleges provide this level of academic accreditation and even less for PhD in education programs .

Most opt for distance PhDs because of their convenience and the number of options you get.

Very few have the high level of thinking and mindset to reach such academic heights.

Do you have what it takes, then apply for a distance learning PhD from TSL-UCN?

2)Be Passionate: Being an educator and consulting institution is a huge responsibility. You are responsible for a curriculum and setting learning guidelines for hundreds if not thousands of students. A level of sensitivity but also a disciplined understanding of the learning process is required.

3)Be meticulous with your work: Being in education management, you must set up a framework incorporating many aspects. Even one small error or miscalculation can have unforeseen consequences in an educational institute. Having a PhD in education leadership means more responsibilities which only makes the job more fulfilling.

4) A perpetual learner: While a PhD in Education is the highest learning course there is. The process of learning never stops, and that is the beauty of it. Education is a field that is ever-growing and evolving with the world.

New ideas come to life frequently, and you have to incorporate them into a curriculum. To ensure students are always ready and prepared for the rest of their lives.

5) Great Management Skills: Running an educational institution is all about management and teamwork. Managing teachers, students, and parents is all part of your job when working in the field.

Here are just a few qualities and learning you will have for a PhD in education programs at TSL-UCN.

What does it take to earn a PhD in Education?

Getting a PhD in Education can be a long and winding process.

Here’s a brief breakdown of what are the steps required to get to a PhD degree-

• You have to obtain a bachelor’s degree in Education from a select college.
• You would have to then prepare for the entrance exams and get accepted into a college.
• You would have to select either doing a master’s or a PhD from a specified college. Generally, it is ideal to do a master’s. TSL-UCN university requires a minimum master’s degree for PhD in Education Online
• At TSL-UCN, it can take up to 3 years or more after getting a master’s degree.

Getting more specific, a PhD in Education program requires you to:

• Go through the BRICS model coursework at TSL-UCN.
• Create a dissertation topic and original research on it.
• Your Dissertation will be challenged thoroughly and examined by the academic mentors.
• Finally, the study will get published for everyone to see and read.

Scope of PhD in Education

After getting your distance PhD from TSL-UCN, doors will get open for the following Jobs-

1) A University Professor – If you feel that teaching is your passion, then being a professor is the best job there is. With a PhD degree, you can quickly join the finest universities in India. Expect a minimum pay scale of 1 lakh rupees right after college.

2) School teacher or Principal- School teachers and principals have changed many people who study in the educational field. They have helped them in their formative years, which is why many are passionate about the subject.

Become a principal and be the guide for other students.

3) Education Consultant- Many schools and other institutions need people who can come in to fill managerial positions. PhD in educational leadership is the best way to reach the top.

You will be required to do the following as a consultant.

• Train teachers in the new changes happening in the educational curriculum.
• Work with guidance counselors to create a curriculum best for a child’s growing mind.
• Create educational programs online for students and teachers to follow.
• Survey the student’s capabilities and the effectiveness of programs.
• Work with the colleges to ensure students get to fill the positions.

4) Government jobs- The Ministry of Education constantly looks for bright and talented people to reform the education system. A PhD in Education will allow you to be at the forefront of many education state boards.

A government job provides you stability and has many other benefits included like:

• Subsidized healthcare
• Government allowances
• Flexible hours and much more

5) Chief Learning Officer (CLO)- Many large private firms are looking for people with a doctorate in Education to conduct training programs.

You will be required to work in different exciting fields like Information Technology, banking, and other sectors. A CLO ensures that employees are aware of new changes and technologies.

You will get an opportunity to work in the biggest firms in the world.

Does a  PhD In Education have any Scope Abroad ?

Yes, having a PhD in Education ensures that you can immigrate to almost any country. You can get any job that we mentioned in the previous section with higher pay.

The need for great educators is much higher abroad, and Indians with PhDs are at the top of the ladder.

An average pay scale for people with PhD in education programs in the US are-

• Average professor salary- 100,000 USD
• Average School Principal pay- 57,000 USD
• Average US Department of Education salary -112,724 USD
• Average Chief Learning Officer (CLO) salary- 120k – 350k USD
• Average Education Consultant salary- 35,000 USD

A doctorate in online education programs from TSL-UCN is one quick way to gain credibility and success.

Getting a PhD in Education is the maximum accreditation you can achieve. Applying for one can help you maximize your professional career and be at the top echelon of brightest minds.

It can be a vital goal for you to achieve and be professionally at the top of your capabilities.

If you are reading this, you know about the importance of Education and its transformative effect. But one can be hesitant of the challenge that lies ahead.

However, some people even manage to fast-track their PhD and finish it before the duration.

Enroll today for a PhD in Education at TSL-UCN!! They also provide PhD in Education online for people who can’t be on campus.

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Professional Development

The phd process, earning a ph.d. in leadership studies .

Stage One: Admission to Doctoral Program

The first step in earning a PhD in Leadership Studies is earning admission to the program. Visit the How to Apply page to learn more. 

Stage Two: Achieve Candidacy

The Doctoral Program in Leadership Studies, unlike other programs, does not require comprehensive exams. Instead, students undergo a process of researching, writing, and submitting their candidacy paper - an original, high quality theoretical/conceptual piece. The candidacy paper must be 20 pages in length and pass the review of two program faculty members. Advancement to candidacy is a critical point in the doctoral program, as it addresses the following intentions:

• To provide the department with tangible evidence of the student’s ability to write a doctoral level paper that is professional, cohesive, complex, theoretical, and insightful
• To give students the experience of producing a paper that can be submitted for publication after the candidacy has been successfully completed
• To allow students to explore potential topics for their dissertation, with the purpose of further clarifying their research interest
• To ensure the student's ability to successfully complete the program and reaffirm the appropriateness of the program relative to the needs and abilities of the student

While students typically apply for candidacy after completing their first 18-24 credits in the course, they are eligible to apply for candidacy after completing the following courses: 

• DPLS 700: Leadership Theory
• DPLS 701: Organizational Theory
• DPLS 703: Global Leadership
• DPLS 720: Principles of Research

Stage Three: Dissertation Proposal Defense

After achieving candidacy, a doctoral candidate will choose a core faculty member to chair their dissertation committee. Together, the doctoral candidate and dissertation chair will discuss the candidate's research topic, conceptualize the proposed research, and formulate their dissertation committee. This stage of the PhD process usually lasts 12-18 months and is designed to generate the first three chapters required for dissertation proposal defense:

• The introduction of research design
• The literature review grounding the study
• The methodology and methods to conduct the research, with supporting literature to ground the methods

When the candidate successfully defends the proposal in front of the dissertation committee, the research study can begin. 

Stage Four: Complete Dissertation

Upon successful defense of their research proposal, a candidate will move forward with data collection, analysis, and writing of their final dissertation chapters. The process is fluid and iterative, and drafts of the dissertation will go from the candidate to their dissertation chair for feedback and guidance.

When the dissertation is complete, the candidate meets once again with their dissertation committee to defend their findings and conclusions. Revisions may be suggested, and these revisions must be submitted in the final copy of the dissertation. The committee must then sign off on the dissertation as complete.

Stage Five: Graduation

Once the committee signs off on the dissertation, it moves on to the Dean of the School of Leadership Studies for their review and signature. This final signature marks a completed dissertation, and when combined with the fulfillment of all program requirements, prompts the Chair of the Doctoral Program in Leadership Studies to notify the Registrar of the candidate's permission to graduate.  

Graduates will have the opportunity to walk in the Commencement ceremony in May, where they will be hooded as a Doctor of Philosophy from the Doctoral Program in Leadership Studies.

Questions? Contact:

Heather Schmitt, Admissions Specialist Call or Text: (509) 313-6240 or (866)380-5323 Email:  [email protected]

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PhD Program

Program overview.

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Rigorous, discipline-based research is the hallmark of the MIT Sloan PhD Program. The program is committed to educating scholars who will lead in their fields of research—those with outstanding intellectual skills who will carry forward productive research on the complex organizational, financial, and technological issues that characterize an increasingly competitive and challenging business world.

Start here.

Learn more about the program, how to apply, and find answers to common questions.

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Check out our event schedule, and learn when you can chat with us in person or online.

Start Your Application

Visit this section to find important admissions deadlines, along with a link to our application.

Click here for answers to many of the most frequently asked questions.

PhD studies at MIT Sloan are intense and individual in nature, demanding a great deal of time, initiative, and discipline from every candidate. But the rewards of such rigor are tremendous:  MIT Sloan PhD graduates go on to teach and conduct research at the world's most prestigious universities.

PhD Program curriculum at MIT Sloan is organized under the following three academic areas: Behavior & Policy Sciences; Economics, Finance & Accounting; and Management Science. Our nine research groups correspond with one of the academic areas, as noted below.

MIT Sloan PhD Research Groups

Behavioral & policy sciences.

Economic Sociology

Institute for Work & Employment Research

Organization Studies

Technological Innovation, Entrepreneurship & Strategic Management

Economics, Finance & Accounting

Accounting  

Management Science

Information Technology

System Dynamics  

Those interested in a PhD in Operations Research should visit the Operations Research Center .  

PhD Program Structure

Additional information including coursework and thesis requirements.

MIT Sloan Predoctoral Opportunities

MIT Sloan is eager to provide a diverse group of talented students with early-career exposure to research techniques as well as support in considering research career paths.

Rising Scholars Conference

The fourth annual Rising Scholars Conference on October 25 and 26 gathers diverse PhD students from across the country to present their research.

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The goal of the MIT Sloan PhD Program's admissions process is to select a small number of people who are most likely to successfully complete our rigorous and demanding program and then thrive in academic research careers. The admission selection process is highly competitive; we aim for a class size of nineteen students, admitted from a pool of hundreds of applicants.

What We Seek

• Outstanding intellectual ability
• Excellent academic records
• Previous work in disciplines related to the intended area of concentration
• Strong commitment to a career in research

MIT Sloan PhD Program Admissions Requirements Common Questions

Dates and Deadlines

Admissions for 2024 is closed. The next opportunity to apply will be for 2025 admission. The 2025 application will open in September 2024. 

More information on program requirements and application components

Students in good academic standing in our program receive a funding package that includes tuition, medical insurance, and a fellowship stipend and/or TA/RA salary. We also provide a new laptop computer and a conference travel/research budget.

Funding Information

Throughout the year, we organize events that give you a chance to learn more about the program and determine if a PhD in Management is right for you.

PhD Program Events

May phd program overview.

During this webinar, you will hear from the PhD Program team and have the chance to ask questions about the application and admissions process.

June PhD Program Overview

July phd program overview, august phd program overview.

Complete PhD Admissions Event Calendar

Unlike formulaic approaches to training scholars, the PhD Program at MIT Sloan allows students to choose their own adventure and develop a unique scholarly identity. This can be daunting, but students are given a wide range of support along the way - most notably having access to world class faculty and coursework both at MIT and in the broader academic community around Boston.

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Profiles of our current students

MIT Sloan produces top-notch PhDs in management. Immersed in MIT Sloan's distinctive culture, upcoming graduates are poised to innovate in management research and education.

Academic Job Market

Doctoral candidates on the current academic market

Academic Placements

Graduates of the MIT Sloan PhD Program are researching and teaching at top schools around the world.

view recent placements 

MIT Sloan Experience

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The PhD Program is integral to the research of MIT Sloan's world-class faculty. With a reputation as risk-takers who are unafraid to embrace the unconventional, they are engaged in exciting disciplinary and interdisciplinary research that often includes PhD students as key team members.

Research centers across MIT Sloan and MIT provide a rich setting for collaboration and exploration. In addition to exposure to the faculty, PhD students also learn from one another in a creative, supportive research community.

Throughout MIT Sloan's history, our professors have devised theories and fields of study that have had a profound impact on management theory and practice.

From Douglas McGregor's Theory X/Theory Y distinction to Nobel-recognized breakthroughs in finance by Franco Modigliani and in option pricing by Robert Merton and Myron Scholes, MIT Sloan's faculty have been unmatched innovators.

This legacy of innovative thinking and dedication to research impacts every faculty member and filters down to the students who work beside them.

Faculty Links

• Accounting Faculty
• Economic Sociology Faculty
• Finance Faculty
• Information Technology Faculty
• Institute for Work and Employment Research (IWER) Faculty
• Marketing Faculty
• Organization Studies Faculty
• System Dynamics Faculty
• Technological Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Strategic Management (TIES) Faculty

Student Research

“MIT Sloan PhD training is a transformative experience. The heart of the process is the student’s transition from being a consumer of knowledge to being a producer of knowledge. This involves learning to ask precise, tractable questions and addressing them with creativity and rigor. Hard work is required, but the reward is the incomparable exhilaration one feels from having solved a puzzle that had bedeviled the sharpest minds in the world!” -Ezra Zuckerman Sivan Alvin J. Siteman (1948) Professor of Entrepreneurship

Sample Dissertation Abstracts - These sample Dissertation Abstracts provide examples of the work that our students have chosen to study while in the MIT Sloan PhD Program.

We believe that our doctoral program is the heart of MIT Sloan's research community and that it develops some of the best management researchers in the world. At our annual Doctoral Research Forum, we celebrate the great research that our doctoral students do, and the research community that supports that development process.

The videos of their presentations below showcase the work of our students and will give you insight into the topics they choose to research in the program.

How Should We Measure the Digital Economy?

2020 PhD Doctoral Research Forum Winner - Avinash Collis

Watch more MIT Sloan PhD Program  Doctoral Forum Videos

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How to foster PhD excellence

How can PhD supervisors help early career researchers blossom? Support them with finding funding opportunities, understand each doctoral candidate’s motivations and reach out to your own network, suggests Julia Hörnle

Julia Hörnle

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“Plant a field of daffodils, one bulb at a time”: this was how a friend who had just submitted her dissertation described what it was like doing a PhD. It was when I was starting mine, almost 20 years ago.

Now, having supervised 14 students myself, I find that students face two main challenges inherent in the process. First, when they start a law PhD, most students expect to find a revolutionary new way of solving law problems and are perhaps surprised, and disappointed, to find that most successful PhDs are about endless incremental steps, not one revolutionary insight.

Second, with rising living costs, PhD students find it increasingly difficult to fund their PhD. It has always been my ambition to make a difference in supporting students who undertake a PhD. One aspect of this is helping students to find funding , looking out for funding opportunities through a variety of sources and tailoring the funding to each student’s circumstances.

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Another aspect of this is to link your research opportunities to those of your supervisee and find synergies with your own research activities to promote their early career as a researcher. Networking is key – using your network to create opportunities for PhD students. One of my PhD students has recently spent a year working as a research assistant in Parliament, an experience that added depth of experience to the PhD. Two of my PhD students organised a seminar series, inviting high-profile speakers and participants, which created networking opportunities over the course of an academic year.

Understand your supervisees’ goals and ambitions

Another important aspect is to be ambitious for your PhD researchers. What is the purpose of their PhD? Beyond in-depth research resulting in excellent scholarly work, a doctorate might have many functions, and so it is important to discuss with the student at the outset what they are trying to achieve and to help them individually to reach that goal.

While part of our role is to realistically assess the feasibility of the project within the time and resources available, equally important is to pitch the project to the individual’s capability and appetite for hard work.

While I am proud to say that about half my PhD students have produced brilliant dissertations that were published as books after completion, for some students, that has not been the goal. A PhD may be a route to career change, opening doors through expertise gained through a PhD. For others, it may simply be a lifelong dream to achieve a sustained piece of writing.

For all of them, it is a process of learning how to build a high-quality research method, collect and analyse large amounts of information, and assemble this in a structured piece of writing, communicating the insights to others. This arduous learning process equips them with an important skill that is transferable to many careers.

Use your own network to support candidates through challenges

With a PhD being three to four years of in-depth research, many students will hit a crisis point at some stage. It might be that life intervenes in ways that can be happy (for example, the birth of a child) or unhappy (bereavement). Or the research itself may not go as envisaged. Another of our main roles, I believe, is to support the student through times of crisis. This sometimes requires cajoling or insistence or patience and encouragement.

Whatever the catalyst, it can help for PhD supervisors to involve their own colleagues in this process, especially if the student requires input from a person who is more distant from the research project. Our directors of graduate studies have always been helpful in giving advice and looking at a problem with a fresh pair of eyes. My recommendation to new supervisors is not to hesitate to reach out if they feel they need support in solving a PhD crisis.

Understand the difficulties of interdisciplinary research

Finally, in law, two types of PhD are challenging to do very well: interdisciplinary PhDs and PhDs involving comparative law. The challenge is mainly a question of access, namely accessing foreign laws or accessing the methods of a different discipline without having been trained in it.

My personal experience is that only the most determined and talented PhD candidates are successful in carrying out comparative or interdisciplinary law PhDs, which, if methodologically sound, are an enormous amount of work. Access to foreign law frequently requires a local research stay, funding and language capabilities or translation. For interdisciplinary PhDs, this requires a supervisor in each discipline, good coordination between these supervisors and a willingness to learn, at least in a rudimentary way, the methods of the unfamiliar discipline.

I have had great experiences with both comparative law and interdisciplinary PhDs, which have resulted in solid research and original insights, and believe they are definitively worth the extra effort.

Julia H ö rnle is a professor of internet law at Queen Mary, University of London.

Julia has been shortlisted in the Outstanding Research Supervisor of the Year category in the  Times Higher Education   Awards 2023. A full list of nominees can be found  here . The awards will be presented at a ceremony in Liverpool on 7 December.

Academics and university leaders from across the UK and Ireland will come together on 6-7 December at   THE Campus Live UK&IE  to talk about institutional strategies, teaching and learning, the student experience and more . Join us   for this two-day event in Liverpool.

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• Capella University Blog
• PhD/Doctorate

What are the steps in getting a PhD?

August 22, 2023

Reading Time: 2–3 minutes

The work required to complete a PhD varies across academic disciplines and universities, though earning a PhD typically requires the following elements :

• Completing coursework
• Completing one or more doctoral residency experiences
• Passing a comprehensive assessment or exam
• Developing and completing an independent research project
• Seeking approval of your completed dissertation manuscript

Here’s a closer look at each step.

With this primary step in the PhD process, you will participate in courses related to your field of study. The goal here is to develop deep subject-matter expertise.

You’ll also become familiar with the key topics, theories, methodologies and concerns related to your discipline. The skills and foundational knowledge you gain in your coursework will serve as the basis for generating potential research topics, such as those you will use in your dissertation.

Often offered virtually, residencies provide structure, training and detailed feedback to guide you as you develop your research plan and gather essential elements for your dissertation. Residences give you a chance to focus on specific study and activities related to preparing your dissertation.

You will connect with faculty and peers during this rigorous academic experience. They can help you focus your research plan by giving feedback and discussing relevant topics.

Your residency is where you can make significant progress on your dissertation, including selecting an acceptable topic and developing a robust proposal for the project.

Learn more about doctoral virtual residency .

Capella offers both PhD and professional doctorate programs. Here’s how they’re different .

Comprehensive assessment

The comprehensive assessment is where you demonstrate what you’ve learned and present your knowledge of the academic competencies required for your discipline. This examination may be oral, written or both.

Upon successfully completing this step in your doctoral journey, you should be prepared to begin work on your dissertation.

Learn more about the comprehensive exam .

Dissertation

A dissertation is a written compilation of your academic research and provides a detailed description of your project (typically a five-chapter document).

Most dissertations address a question or problem that has not been fully addressed within your field. Before you begin your independent research, other faculty experts representing your dissertation committee and the Institutional Review Board will assess the rigor and ethical underpinnings of your project.

Learn more about the dissertation .

Once the research and writing are complete, the dissertation must be approved by a faculty committee and the school dean.

There is a final defense involved in which you will answer questions about your research, analysis and conclusions.

In many fields, there are also specific professional standards expected of learners. For example, a PhD learner in a Counselor Education and Supervision program will be expected to meet the guidelines of the American Counseling Association.

Once all approvals have been received and you’ve successfully defended, you’ll publish your dissertation. You’ll have then completed all your program requirements and be conferred your PhD.

Capella University offers PhD and professional doctoral degree programs in a number of different fields:

• Health Sciences
• Information Technology
• Social Work
• Counseling & Therapy

Learn more about Capella’s online doctoral programs

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PhD - Students Taking Responsibility for their own Learning Process

Job Information

Offer description.

For this PhD theme, you will consider ways of increasing students’ responsibility toward their learning. You will explore the current landscape of engineering education practices with regard to the role of students and trace new patterns of collaboration between students and their educators and also their peers that aim at redistributing agency in learning. Based on this research, you will design specific interventions across a number of TU Delft courses aiming to raise student responsibility and then monitor and evaluate the impact of these interventions.

On this project, you will employ research and design methods to:

• Inquire on the latest theories of knowledge creation and learning and how these affect the educational formats in engineering education.
• Investigate existing and develop new pedagogical approaches and technologies for supporting students’ responsibility.
• Map and analyse innovative educational formats within TU Delft that already enhance the role of students and increase their responsibility in their learning.
• Develop a Pedagogical Pattern Language (PPL) of practices and tools that foster student responsibility.
• Design, implement, monitor, and evaluate specific interventions in various existing courses using the PPL whilst also enhancing it.

You will be part of a cross-faculty research group that consists of 20+ staff members, including university teachers, a learning developer and student assistants. You will be involved in real-life experimentation in existing TU Delft courses. You will help, plan, coordinate, and monitor interventions that seek to increase student responsibility in collaboration with course coordinators across a number of courses. Furthermore, you will be part of a series of educational workshops that will explore course design and course design principles, where students acquire an increased role and how that ultimately affects the educators’ role(s). You will contribute to the body of engineering education knowledge via ground-breaking trans-disciplinary research that also includes acquiring and transferring pedagogical knowledge in a local network and in a local research in education program.

Supervision team (4 members) Promotors: dr.ir. Remon Rooij and prof.dr. Marcus Specht. Co-promotors/ Daily Supervisors: dr.ir. Olga Ioannou and dr.ir. Sylvia Mooij.

Institutional setting of this PhD position This PhD position is part of the Initiative on Innovation in Delft Engineering Education (IDEE). IDEE is a cross-faculty program for innovations and research in engineering education for degree programs at TU Delft. IDEE addresses the challenges faced by the university in providing student-centric, world-class education and uses an engineering design approach to shape TU Delft's engineering education. IDEE offers opportunities for scientific staff members to work on TU-wide educational challenges in thematic teams. Teams will design, implement, and investigate innovations in education. This PhD project is one of the research projects within IDEE at TU Delft. The candidate will work in close vicinity of the other IDEE PhD candidates, supported by the TU Delft Teaching Academy.

Requirements

• Completed MSc degree in engineering with experience in education innovation and/or educational research; or alternatively, a social sciences, educational background (such as Educational Studies) with interest and/or experience in engineering education;
• Excellent analytical and synthetical skills;
• The ability to work in a team, take initiative, be result oriented, organized and creative;
• Good command of verbal and written English. Dutch language is an asset;
• Good people/communication skills;
• Prior research on engineering education will be considered a plus.

Doing a PhD at TU Delft requires English proficiency at a certain level to ensure that the candidate is able to communicate and interact well, participate in English-taught Doctoral Education courses, and write scientific articles and a final thesis. For more details please check the Graduate Schools Admission Requirements.

Additional Information

Doctoral candidates will be offered a 4-year period of employment in principle, but in the form of 2 employment contracts. An initial 1,5 year contract with an official go/no go progress assessment within 15 months. Followed by an additional contract for the remaining 2,5 years assuming everything goes well and performance requirements are met.

Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, increasing from € 2770 per month in the first year to € 3539 in the fourth year. As a PhD candidate you will be enrolled in the TU Delft Graduate School. The TU Delft Graduate School provides an inspiring research environment with an excellent team of supervisors, academic staff and a mentor. The Doctoral Education Programme is aimed at developing your transferable, discipline-related and research skills.

The TU Delft offers a customisable compensation package, discounts on health insurance, and a monthly work costs contribution. Flexible work schedules can be arranged.

For international applicants, TU Delft has the Coming to Delft Service . This service provides information for new international employees to help you prepare the relocation and to settle in the Netherlands. The Coming to Delft Service offers a Dual Career Programme for partners and they organise events to expand your (social) network.

To apply, please share the following information.

• A detailed CV;
• A short motivation letter (max 1 A4) addressing your interests and describing how you fit in the advertised position;
• Name and contact details of at least two references;
• Transcript of your courses and grades in master’s program;
• MSc thesis.

Please note, you can only apply online. We will not process applications sent by email and/or post. A pre-employment screening can be part of the application procedure.

For more information about this vacancy, please contact dr.ir. Olga Ioannou ( [email protected] ).

For more information about the IDEE application procedure, please contact prof.dr. Annoesjka Cabo ( [email protected] ) and Ted Adrichem ( [email protected] ).

The position will remain open until February 4th, 2024 (local Dutch time + 2 hrs). You must apply via the "Apply now" button. Applications via e-mail will not be processed.

The preferred starting date for this position is spring or early summer 2024.

Work Location(s)

Where to apply.

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• After your PhD

What is the life of a PhD candidate like?

Over the course of our four-year PhD program, you will develop into an independent researcher. You will write scientific publications and present your research results at conferences. Under the supervision of a professor, you will also do cutting-edge research within the field of your choice. In doing so, you will collaborate with other departments, research groups, industrial partners, and research institutions, depending on your research subject. In addition, you will be involved in teaching our students. After writing and successfully defending your dissertation, you will receive the doctoral title Dr. or PhD. 

PhD candidates are valued members of TU/e’s staff. If you have an employment contract with TU/e, you will receive a salary during your training. You will also be entitled to good employee benefits. Please find more information on the TU/e conditions of employment on our working-at website.

• Find more information on our working-at website

In this section, PhD candidates and professors from various departments and research groups share their successes, challenges, and dreams. What is the life of a PhD candidate like? They also explain how the Eindhoven University of Technology distinguishes itself in their field. What makes working at TU/e special for these PhD candidates and their colleagues? Finally, what unresolved question inspires them?

Polymer Technology

"TU/e’s recognized position in my field and Patrick’s strong international reputation and leadership style swung the decision for me. The combination of fascinating lab work, networking with companies and the lively social scene in Eindhoven really inspires me", explains PhD candidate Prakhyat Hejmady in a conversation with two professors of the Polymer Technology Group.

"TU/e is a steppingstone to both academic and more commercial career paths. Particularly in this area through TU/e’s Institute for Photonic Integration (IPI). Any researcher looking for an exciting project and the opportunity to publish in this area should put Eindhoven at the top of their list", claims PhD candidate John van Weerdenburg in a conversation with two professors also associated with IPI.

Supramolecular Chemistry

"Having worked in labs on several continents, I particularly enjoy the excellent infrastructure, great atmosphere and exceptionally strong collaborative spirit in Eindhoven. The facilities in the laboratories greatly facilitate the fundamental science I do, and I enjoy the refreshing interaction with chemists who focus on the applied science aspects”, explains PhD candidate Mathijs Mabesoone.

Wireless Technology

"My area of research, millimeter wave channel sounding, is of direct interest to and partly funded by KPN, the largest telecom provider in the Netherlands. Very much applied science and not so theoretical, but of high societal value. Just another facet of TU/e’s broad range of capabilities", claims PhD candidate Robbert Schulpen in a conversation with two professors also associated with the Centre for Wireless Technology.

Sustainable Chemical Processes

"I would recommend TU/e to colleagues because of its professors, as well as the facilities and close links to industry. Another point I would mention is the ready availability of funding, in stark comparison to universities in many other countries: I was fortunate enough to be accepted for a combined public-private research program” states PhD candidate Rohit Maitri.

Visual Coding

"TU/e has opened up a world of opportunity to me. I’m working on important projects, the funding is there, the links with industry are fascinating and there are all kinds of opportunities for developing my career. Eindhoven’s buzz and nightlife is also very attractive for people of my age. TU/e is an ideal place for people who want to engage in research of real societal value", says PhD candidate Francesca Manni.

In 9 steps to your PhD!

In general, becoming a PhD will take 4 years. Curious about the steps? Watch our video or browse our Infographic.

• Infographic

Competences

TU/e aims to enable PhD candidates to grow into self‐aware, independent scientific researchers. To successfully complete your PhD, and become an independent scientific researcher, we consider these six competences to be important. Still, each project requires a different mix of skills and attitude. Some projects require excellent (intercultural) communication skills, while other projects need more of a creative approach to the research, or a higher level of autonomy. Of course, research progress remains central to your PhD performance.

Academic Attitude

Scientific integrity, autonomy & ownership, and an inquisitive mind.

Academic Thinking

Analytical, abstract and conceptual thinking.

Communication

Academic writing, presenting, and oral expression.

Research Project Management

Organizing & executing, planning, and setting priorities.

Social Effectiveness

Collaborating, networking, and supervising.

Personal Effectiveness

Resilience, self‐motivation, and continuous learning.

PROOF TRAINING PROGRAM

As a PhD candidate, you will plunge into an intensive learning experience over a period of four (or five) years. Learning takes place all the time, both consciously and subconsciously: on the job, when interacting with others, while (informally) researching, and during courses and workshops. To support and facilitate the development of your competences, TU/e offers a dedicated training program for PhD candidates. The PROOF program supports the development of competencies described in the PhD Competence Profile by offering courses on Academic Competencies, Transferable Competencies, and Personal Qualities. In addition, you can follow courses on Research Skills, Teaching Skills, and Career Orientation. At TU/e we challenge you to take charge of your own learning process!

Current PhD candidates can access the full PROOF offer on the TU/e intranet here .

Part of the PROOF Training Program is also open to PhD students from the University of Twente, TU Delft and Wageningen University. External 4TU candidates can send an email to hrm.ld-support@ remove-this. tue.nl for more information and registration.

5-YEAR PHD EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM

If you have been offered an extended PhD contract to take up extra teaching tasks (PhD-Teaching Assistant), TU/e offers you a dedicated educational program. Teaching can be a rewarding task, but it is a big responsibility as well. To support you in this role, you get the chance to learn the basics of teaching.

You will take modules from the official University Teaching Qualification Program (UTQ). In addition, you can attend lunch meetings and workshops on education-related topics. You will get the opportunity to explore the possibilities of a teaching career in secondary education and obtain a second or first-grade teaching degree. Under certain conditions it is even possible to obtain a full UTQ. Current PhD candidates can access an overview of the educational program here . 

Do you have a question about life as a PhD in Eindhoven? Ask one of our PhD candidates.

Lessons learnt from my PhD so far

It’s been a while since I started my PhD so I’ve been reflecting a lot on my first two years and wanted to share some of the most important lessons I’ve learnt so far.

Disclaimer: as always, I am sharing my personal experiences and current opinions and thoughts. These are in no way representative of everyone’s PhD, disability, mental health, experience and opinions. They may also change over time as I am always learning and growing.

I’m now two and a half years into my PhD program temporally, and two years in registration wise as I’ve taken 6 months of temporary withdrawal so far. I passed the confirmation process (also called ‘upgrade’ or ‘transfer’ at some other UK universities) in February last year which means I’m a PhD candidate now and I have plenty of things that I’ve learnt that I want to share with you. I’ll be covering the impact of the pandemic on my PhD in a separate post so keep an eye out for that if you’re interested. Of course, everybody’s experience of a PhD is different and they work differently even between universities, let alone different countries and education systems. These points also have a bit of a skew towards the experience of being disabled in academia as that has been one of the main roadblocks for me. But I think the following lessons are fairly universal and hopefully, they might help you navigate your PhD better if you’re thinking of doing one!

Without further ado, here are the most important lessons I learnt in my first two years of doctoral study:

You need to structure your time

I guess this is fairly obvious, but it has been something I’ve really struggled with. Whereas during undergrad, I had my timetable dictated by the university which gave a good structure to my time and allowed me to plan ahead to manage my workload, my time as a PhD student is completely dictated by me. I’m in charge of booking meetings with my supervisor, booking lab equipment, making time to read, write, and analyse data. When I started out this meant I was all over the place as I hadn’t really found a good structure for me (I also didn’t disclose my autism to my supervisor for a few months so I was trying very hard to behave neurotypically as best as I could).

To overcome this lack of structure, I now implement what I like to call a ‘skeleton routine’ (which you can read more about in this post I wrote about my planning system). Research is unpredictable and you do need to be flexible in how you work. As somebody who likes predictability and routine as well as struggling with task switching, this was definitely an issue. But the skeleton routine has helped along with a reasonable adjustment to have a work from home day every Friday (which promptly became irrelevant once lockdown started and everyone had to work from home as much as possible!). This means my sensory space is completely in my control and I mitigate social fatigue from interacting with colleagues in person. I usually get the most and the best work is done on my work from home days!

Every student-supervisor relationship is different

I’m sure most PhD students have heard that you have to ‘manage’ your supervisor and there’s definitely some truth to that. It’s a really weird relationship as they are kind of your manager but also a colleague. You’re meant to bring stuff to the table and eventually be fully leading your project so the relationship also changes over time. If like me your supervisor was a lecturer of yours during your undergraduate degree then things get even more mixed up regarding knowing where you sit in the hierarchy.

Throwing into the mix a disability and some mental illnesses for good measure and I think I was a bit of a curveball for my supervisor! Because autism involves communication differences, my non-medical helper and I explained to my supervisor how autism impacts me specifically, emphasising that you need to think about accommodations on an individual basis. It’s really paid off as we now have lots of techniques in place for facilitating communication between us. For example, I find that I will sometimes go into a nonverbal state at work which is not ideal when we have our meetings as his preference is talking face-to-face. So, we’ve experimented with a few things and now we have weekly meetings via teams chat so that even if I can’t speak verbally, he can assess my progress and see my ideas. This has facilitated some great discussions and allowed me to be more confident (I am much better at both conveying my thoughts and processing what is being said to me in writing than through speech). I think we’ve both learnt a lot from each other about communication, accessibility and, of course, physics! I really look up to him both as a person and as a scientist and I know that he always wants the best for me, for me to produce great research and thrive in this environment.

Supervisor relationships are incredibly personal and it truly depends on the unique mix of personalities of the supervisor and the student. They’re not something that you can necessarily get working perfectly immediately and can take time to develop into something beneficial for both parties. Some supervisors are quite hands-on and like to have a lot of contact with you and very regular updates (like mine), but some are very hands-off and only like to meet once a month (quite a few of my peers have supervisors more like this). When applying to PhDs, it can be useful to ask current students who work with your prospective supervisor what their supervision style is so that you can assess whether you’ll be a good fit. I think that this and making sure you’re passionate about their research area are the most important things to consider.

Sometimes experiments don’t work— that’s the nature of research!

This is something I first got a taste of during my R&D internship where I worked on my master’s research project in industry. During undergrad labs, I never had an experiment not work at all. I always found that as long as I followed the lab script I would always obtain the expected results, or at least something similar to what I was expecting. It probably helped that I have a slight flair for experimental work and have discovered that I’m good at setting up and calibrating equipment. But this aside, undergraduate labs don’t really teach you what to do if your experiment doesn’t work at all or if you get some strange results that you don’t understand.

When I first encountered real-life cutting-edge research experiments, it was a bit of a shock to not always get the results that I expected from the theory. But now I love analysing it and investigating the reasons why my results might be doing something new and unexpected. Sometimes ‘failed’ experiments are the ones that give us the biggest insight and the most profound advancements in science!

So, if you can, try to isolate your self-worth from whether your experiments work or not. As scientists, we’re studying nature and finding ways to innovate with what we learn so of course, we will encounter lots of things that we don’t yet understand. If things weren’t failing, we would never make progress and learn exciting new things about our field.

Stepping back occasionally helps you look at the bigger picture

I’m such a detail-oriented person it can sometimes be hard to explain why my research is useful to people. So I’ve got into the habit of forcing myself to step back from the nitty-gritty quantum physics and focus instead on the project as a whole. So far, I’ve found that having reasonably long holidays (I usually try to take annual leave so I have two weeks off at a time) allows my brain to process my research subconsciously and to see the context better. Whenever I return to work after a break, I have so much more clarity on the impact and implications of my work which I don’t think I would get if I stayed buried in the details all the time. It can also help to explain your work to others, like friends and family as this usually forces me to talk about it more generally which inherently situates my work within a broader understanding of it.

Mental wellbeing should always be the priority

Academia is notorious for being a poor environment for mental wellbeing. I’ve written about my mental health experiences in the past here which explores this topic in a bit more detail from the autistic perspective. It goes without saying that your health should always be your top priority, but that often doesn’t seem to be the case in academia. People like to brag about how many hours they work and how they’re always in the lab on weekends. So for those of us who like to keep strict work boundaries, it can feel like we’re not living up to what is expected of a PhD student.

But this just isn’t the case. You shouldn’t be doing so much overtime that it causes you to develop a mental illness. That’s just not sustainable. As someone who already had a diagnosis of anxiety and depression going into my PhD, I already had some coping techniques in place like my medication and therapy. This, along with regular mental health check-ins with myself, helped me manage things better. But still, I fell into the overwork trap early on in my studies which resulted in a few relapses into severe depression and needing to take some withdrawal time from my program.

Since then, I’ve been a lot better at setting clear work boundaries where I don’t work in the evenings and weekends (unless it’s needed due to booking of equipment or I am in a hyperfocus state that I want to make the most of). This has helped me enormously in terms of both my energy levels and my mental health and I encourage everyone to try and set boundaries that fit in with how they work best. Don’t just work all of the time because ‘it’s what PhD students do’. The only way we can change the overwork culture in academia is to push back on it and challenge the status quo instead of falling into the trap that so many others have succumbed to in the past.

Being in limbo between being staff and student takes some getting used to

This was something that I hadn’t really considered until I was in my doctoral program. My university campus card says ‘student’ but in reality, I’m more like a member of staff. I don’t go to taught classes and all of my activities are either research or teaching-focused. I think this is a big misconception that a lot of people have and ‘PhD student’ is a bit of a misnomer, especially in places like the UK where you jump straight into the research project when you start your PhD. But even so, you’re still not a full member of faculty as a PhD student and you do sometimes feel a bit forgotten about. Owning this feeling of being not-quite-student-not-quite-staff took me so long to get accustomed to. It also plays into trying to work out where I sit in the hierarchy that I mentioned before in reference to supervisor relationships. Lecturers who taught me at the undergraduate level suddenly expected me to refer to them by their first name which just felt really odd for a long time!

Self-directed learning is key

Being a researcher is all about self-directed learning. I’ve found that my skills of teaching myself new complex concepts and seeking out information have improved so much since I’ve been a PhD student. During undergraduate degrees, we are usually still ‘spoon fed’ a little bit so transitioning to a PhD can be a bit of a shock. Luckily I had already been reading around subjects I studied during my degree but not having a syllabus to guide me still took some getting used to! As a PhD student, you sit right at the top of Bloom’s taxonomy of learning – create: where you’re producing new or original work.

The only taste of this that I had prior to starting my doctorate was during my research placement and in writing my master’s dissertation. I’ve found that I really have to take my learning into my own hands and this includes identifying suitable people to reach out for help and advice on understanding new concepts. If you’re an undergraduate hoping to do a PhD one day, I definitely recommend reading widely and practising this form of learning whenever you can. Not only will it improve your own understanding of your subject but it will also put you in good stead for a research career.

Writing papers takes way longer than you think it will

I’ll be honest, when I started my PhD I thought I’d have at least one paper published within the first two years. Due to a myriad of factors (mostly thanks to the pandemic), this has not happened. I don’t think that I would have had something published, even if we hadn’t had this strange year to deal with. I don’t know how common this is for other PhD students, but I struggle a lot with my confidence when it comes to academic writing that I know will be seen by other academics so I’ve spent a lot of time in a state of anxiety paralysis towards papers I have on my ‘to do’ list. This seems mostly due to my perfectionism and the fact that everything I’ve been reading is a highly polished final draft that has been through the rigorous peer-review process. Of course, my first draft isn’t going to be of this standard and nobody but me is expecting it to be. I’d quite like to share the various drafts of my published papers online so that others can see the process more as I think it would help me to see more ‘in progress’ academic writing from others in my field!

I also somewhat want to push back on the ‘publish or perish’ mindset that many people have in academia. I’d like to do good and complete studies that I am proud of, even if it takes me a bit longer to expand on the analysis and my interpretation of it- ensuring that I am not falling into selection bias when presenting my findings. This is particularly on my mind as recently, a paper in my field published in nature was retracted which has caused a bit of a stir . Research integrity always needs to come first and I don’t want to get caught out for being sloppy from not spending enough time on things. So I think it’s about finding the balance between my ‘slow science’ philosophy and not being afraid to put my work out there in the academic sphere (I fear I may be using the former as an excuse to hide the latter). I’m now really pushing myself to overcome my perfectionism and have an upcoming deadline for a ‘submittable’ paper draft next month- so watch this space (I’ll try to post an update as to how it goes!).

Don’t compare yourself to other PhD students

I was told this so many times at the beginning of my PhD and I still couldn’t help constantly comparing myself to others. I work in a vibrant research group with fellow PGRs who are brilliant and who I perceive as infinitely more intelligent and better PhD students than me. Part of this is internalised ableism on my part but that is something I’ll write about another day. I think this is something that many PhD students struggle with and it links into the imposter syndrome problem that we always hear so much about. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what other PhD students are doing. Transitioning from undergraduate where you can compare yourself to others fairly easily using grades (something I always did and it damaged my self-esteem a lot), I automatically started doing the same thing. It’s something I’ve been trying to break out of for a long long time but I’m still not there yet. Maybe one day I’ll feel like I am good enough to be a researcher.

Anyway, the main thing I’ve learnt is that everybody’s project is different so you can’t possibly compare them. For example, my project sits slightly outside of the rest of my research group. It’s just me and my supervisor who are working on my material system (InSb) at my university at the moment. Many of those in my group work with silicon and all of their projects feed into each other more (note: I was given the option in my interview and I chose to work with InSb rather than silicon as I think it’s a more interesting material and it’s a smaller research area so there’s less literature to battle with). Thus, there is more group work and bigger teams working together on things like publications for other PhD students in the group. When I see how they already published by the stage I am at in my PhD, I forget this fact and use it to bully myself. Even if I was working closely with other PGRs or if I had published a paper, I’m sure I would find a way to make it reflect badly on me in my head. Let’s see if I can take my own advice and stop comparing to others!

Doing a PhD is a rollercoaster!

This is another thing that I was warned about but didn’t really believe at the time but it’s so true. There’s no escaping the fact that research ebbs and flows. There are weeks where I feel like I do nothing at all and others where I do more than I thought possible. Of course, there are going to be emotional ups and downs – you’re dedicating 3-4 years of your life to a single research project and it can feel like you almost embody your project. I don’t think I’ve heard of anyone who’s said that their PhD was straightforward and easy to manage. From equipment breaking or just not cooperating to unexpected results, you just can’t predict what will happen. That’s research for you! I’ve learnt to embrace the uncertainty and love the challenge that it presents.

If you like my work, I’d love your support!

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