OISE launches new doctorate with focus on international education
The specialized EdD cohort in International Educational Leadership and Policy will start in Fall 2020
September 10, 2019
By Vesna Bajic
OISE has launched a new specialized Doctor of Education (EdD) cohort in International Educational Leadership and Policy. The online doctorate is designed for mid-career professionals who work for international organizations, governments, foundations and nongovernmental agencies and are looking to enrich their education and improve their practice.
Housed in the Department of Leadership, Higher and Adult Education (LHAE) at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto, the program focuses on training professionals to conduct research that impacts real-world problems.
The program is the brainchild of Professor Karen Mundy, who spent four years as the Chief Technical Officer at the Global Partnership for Education, a global fund that supports educational development in more than 67 developing countries.
“I've worked with many mid-career international education policy professionals eager to advance their careers through an advanced degree. It’s been exciting to design a program that can work for these talented new leaders while they work in full-time international roles,” said Mundy.
Innovative pedagogy
The only faculty at U of T to offer the education doctorate – a research-intensive, practice-oriented degree – OISE recently redefined its professional doctorates as part of its academic planning process and involvement with the Carnegie Project for the Educational Doctorate (CPED) – a consortium of over 100 colleges and schools of education across the US and Canada committed to redesign their EdD programs to better serve practitioners.
Key program features
The new specialized EdD cohort in international educational leadership and policy has several key features, which combine online and classroom hours with practical experience.
Cohort model: Students enter the program as part of a cohort, which provides a more structured academic experience, sense of community, enhanced networking opportunities and access to student support.
Blended delivery mode: With the majority of courses offered online and an annual, on-campus doctoral research institute, the blended delivery mode allows working professionals to study and work simultaneously as well as balance their professional and academic pursuits.
Doctoral research institute: Each year, students will meet for a two-week intensive program on campus at U of T. These institutes will combine instructional modules with orientation, planning, leadership and cohort-building activities.
Dissertation-in-practice: The dissertation-in-practice is the culminating component of the EdD. Students are required to identify and investigate a problem in practice, apply theory, research and policy analysis to the problem of practice, and to propose an original plan for action. The dissertation in practice will have a meaningful generative impact on education practice and policy, and represents an opportunity for students to contribute to the field.
Faculty support
Students entering the EdD program will have full access to OISE resources, including world-renowned faculty.
“Faculty in the Department of Leadership, Higher and Adult Education have conducted policy research in all parts of the world, and have played pivotal roles in the design and evaluation of educational policies,” said Nina Bascia, professor and chair of the department. “They bring the practical and technical expertise needed for the new international EdD.”
Why OISE
OISE is recognized as a global leader in graduate programs in education policy, curriculum and instruction, teacher education, and education research. Among the largest and most research-intensive faculties of education in North America, OISE is an integral part of U of T—Canada’s most dynamic and comprehensive institution of higher learning.
“We are extremely proud of this highly innovative program. Participants will learn as part of a global network of outstanding professionals, engage in a rigorous program strategically designed to address the needs of international education leaders and policy practitioners, and be supported by our world-class faculty,” said Dean Glen Jones.
Learn more about the new Doctor of Education (EdD) in International Educational Leadership and Policy program.
