Doctor of Education

Ed256   Admission requirements

To be eligible for admission to the programme leading to the degree of Doctor of Education, candidates shall

1. comply with the General Regulations;
2. hold either
   1. a Bachelor’s degree at second class honours and a taught Master’s degree or other qualifications of equivalent standard from this University or from another University or comparable institution accepted for this purpose; or
   2. a Bachelor’s degree with first class honours from this University or another qualification of equivalent standard from this University or from another University or comparable institution accepted for this purpose;
3. demonstrate a record of at least 4 years of professional experience in an educational institution or services in the education sector or services in other relevant sectors as judged appropriate by the Faculty; and
4. satisfy the examiners in a qualifying examination, if required.

Ed257   Qualifying examination

1. A qualifying examination may be set to test candidates’ ability to pursue the research project proposed. A qualifying examination shall consist of one or more invigilated written examination papers; additionally, the invigilated written paper(s) may be supplemented by other forms of examinations.
2. Candidates who are required to sit a qualifying examination shall not be permitted to register until all examination requirements are satisfied.

Ed258   Registration

1. Successful candidates shall in the first instance be granted provisional registration for the EdD degree, with such registration to be confirmed only when the requirements set out in regulation Ed265 below are satisfied.
2. A student may register as a full-time candidate when he or she holds
   1. no employment; or
   2. part-time employment (whether inside or outside the University), provided that the employment entails not more than 150 hours of work per annum; or
   3. a University research assistantship, provided that the work undertaken in this capacity is focused on the topic of the holder’s research degree study; or
   4. employment but leave of absence has been granted by the employer.

Ed259   Award of degree

To be eligible for the award of the degree of Doctor of Education, candidates shall

1. comply with the General Regulations; and
2. complete the curriculum and satisfy the examiners in accordance with the regulations set out below.

Ed260   Period of study

1. The programme shall begin in September or January. The period of study shall normally be as follows:
    

   Mode of study	Minimum period	Maximum period
   Part-time	48 months	72 months
   Full-time	36 months	60 months

2. If a candidate is not able to submit the thesis (as specified in regulation Ed267 below) by the end of the maximum period, the candidature shall be deemed to have lapsed and the candidate shall no longer be registered on the programme, unless prior approval for extension of candidature has been granted by the Faculty.
3. A full-time candidate shall spend the whole period of study in Hong Kong, unless leave of absence, provided for under Regulation Ed261 below, has been granted. 

Ed261   Leave of absence

1. A candidate who wishes to be absent from Hong Kong and/or the approved course of study and research, or who proposes to take vacation, shall be required to submit a written application for leave of absence. There are three types of discretionary leave, namely, vacation leave, study leave and non-study leave (See Note).
   
   Vacation leave (for full-time candidates only)
2. A candidate may be granted up to 30 calendar days of vacation in each twelve months of the period of study. This is however not an entitlement. Whether approval will be granted to a candidate will depend on the progress of the candidate. Leave of absence granted for vacation shall be counted towards the period of study.
   
   Study Leave (for full-time candidates only)
3. A candidate may be granted study leave for the purposes of study or research outside Hong Kong. Any period of study leave granted shall be counted towards the period of study.
   
   Non-study leave
4. A candidate may be granted non-study leave when he/she is best advised for personal, health, or other reasons to have time completely away from his/her academic responsibilities. Non-study leave shall only be granted on a semester basis. Under no circumstances shall non-study leave be granted cumulatively for a period of more than twelve months (i.e. 3 semesters) for the entire period of study. A candidate shall apply for vacation leave to cover leave of a non-study nature not covering a full semester. Any period of non-study leave granted shall result in the extension of the period of study by the period of absence.

Ed262   Completion of curriculum

To complete the curriculum, candidates shall

1. follow instructions on the syllabuses prescribed and complete all specified work as required;
2. satisfy the examiners in the coursework requirements for the degree as set out in the syllabuses;
3. complete, to the satisfaction of the examiners, a thesis as specified in regulation Ed267 below; and
4. satisfy the examiners at the oral examination.

Ed263   Coursework requirements

Candidates shall be required to take courses and satisfy the coursework requirements as prescribed by the examiners. The objective of the coursework component is to aid research work and to prepare candidates for thesis writing.

Ed264   Supervision and progress

1. Candidates shall be required to submit a progress report at six-monthly intervals, and may be required to give one or more seminars on any part of their course of study and research.
2. Candidates may be discontinued if satisfactory progress is not being made.

Ed265   Probation and confirmation of candidature

1. Candidates whose applications are accepted shall be subject to a probationary period, which shall not normally exceed 24 months for part-time candidates and 18 months for full-time candidates. By the end of the probationary period, candidates must have
   1. satisfactorily completed the 4 core courses;
   2. satisfactorily completed the course on research ethics offered by the Graduate School;
   3. completed the first three chapters of the thesis to the satisfaction of the Supervisory Panel; and
   4. presented a confirmation seminar.
2. Before the end of the probationary period, a decision shall be made on whether the candidature shall be confirmed or terminated.

Ed266   Discontinuation

A candidature may be discontinued

1. if academic progress is not satisfactory; or
2. if the student has failed to meet the requirements as stipulated in this set of Regulations.

Ed267   The thesis

1. The thesis should normally be between 50,000 and 60,000 words long (exclusive of tables, bibliographies, and appendices). The thesis must represent an original contribution to knowledge and/or the understanding of educational practice, and contain material worthy of publication.
2. Candidates shall serve written notice of intention to submit a thesis for examination at least 3 months prior to the expected date of submission. The notice shall be accompanied by a provisional thesis title.
3. Candidates shall not be permitted to submit a thesis until the candidature has been confirmed and all coursework requirements have been satisfied.
4. Candidates shall be examined by examiners appointed for this purpose both on the thesis itself, and at an oral examination on the subject of the thesis and/or the approved course of study and research. Candidates may also be examined by other means.

Ed268   Thesis examination results

1. Candidates who have satisfied the examiners shall be recommended for conferment of the degree of Doctor of Education.
2. Candidates who have not satisfied the examiners in the thesis component:
   1. may be required to resubmit the thesis after making corrections and amendments as required by the Board of Examiners, without a new examination; or
   2. may be required to revise and resubmit the thesis for a new examination within a specified period, and may also be required to satisfy the examiners at a new oral examination, or any other examination as appropriate, on the subject of the revised thesis and/or the approved course of study and research; or
   3. may be required to attend a new oral examination, or any other examination as appropriate; or
   4. may be deemed to have failed, without the option of resubmission.

Ed269   Coursework examinations results

1. Coursework shall be assessed on a pass/fail basis.
2. Candidates who have not satisfied the examiners in respect of the coursework requirements at the first attempt shall normally be permitted to present themselves for re-examination in the same course. Candidates who do not satisfy the examiners in such re-examination may be required to discontinue their studies.

Ed270   Publication based on thesis

Any publication based on work approved for a higher degree should contain a reference to the effect that the work was submitted to The University of Hong Kong for the award of the degree.

Note: For the purpose of this Regulation, a candidate who resides near the vicinity of Hong Kong which allows him/her to return to the University campus for his/her studies in the same manner as other students is not regarded as being absent from Hong Kong.