The PhD Programme is focused around the areas of specialization maintained by the members of faculty within the Department. Students may engage in elective coursework from other departments within the College of Education, and—where approved by the advisory committee—the University of Saskatchewan, and other universities in Canada and elsewhere. Advisory committees are selected such that expertise supports the candidate's specialized interest.

As a departmental unit, we maintain specialization in educational issues for the improvement and effectiveness of organizations, communities, and government. However, individual faculty hold personal specializations in traditional and emerging areas. The Department welcomes doctoral students who have an interest in paralleling their own research with that of a particular faculty member. Doctoral students are also afforded the opportunity, through our internal dissertation proposal development process, to develop their own personal academic interests or those of their home or sponsoring organization. Methodologically, the Department supports a wide range of orientations and dispositions, driven by the interests of the graduate students themselves. We are able to support research rigour across qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methodologies.

Simply put, given the demands of our field of study, a broad and eclectic collection of specializations are required.

Students seeking entry into the Doctoral Programme within the Department of Educational Administration are required to have:

• successfully completed a Master of Education (Thesis) degree or equivalent;
• two or more years of successful teaching experience or equivalent;
• high academic standing in undergraduate and graduate degrees;
• three favourable academic recommendations;
• favourable recommendation from the Admissions Committee of the Department;
• acceptance by the College of Graduate Studies and Research; and
• English language proficiency at a IELTS level of 6.5 or higher, or TOEFL 550 (paper-based) or 213 (computer-based) or higher.

Degree Requirements

Students accepted into the Doctoral Programme are required to complete a minimum of 18 credit units (six courses) if their Master's degree were in the field of Educational Administration, or 24 credit units (8 courses) if their Master's degree were in a non-cognate discipline—of which (for all students regardless of background), one course in advanced organizational analysis, one course in advanced policy analysis, one course in qualitative educational research methods, one course in quantitative educational research methods, and one non-credit course in research ethics are engaged.

Following successful completion of coursework, the student is given four weeks to prepare for a comprehensive candidacy examination.

Following successful completion of candidacy, under the supervision of a member of faculty, the student is required to produce a dissertation, and engage members of a supervisory committee in defense of the document on two separate occasions—the first, following the completion of the third chapter but prior to embarking upon the research project, and the second, following completion of all research and writing and involving the scrutiny of an external evaluator.

At the University of Saskatchewan, all graduate students are registered in the College of Graduate Studies and Research (CGSR) but are considered to be students of the academic unit or department offering their chosen programme. For this reason, the admission process for graduate students into Educational Administration MEd and PhD programming involves both the CGSR and the Department of Educational Administation. To understand more, please visit Admissions Process on the CGSR website.

Prospective students applying for admission into the Doctoral Programme in the Department of Educational Administration must follow the procedure outlined below:

• Complete the online application form;
• Pay the online application fee (more information is provided on the link to the application form);
• Send by email, or arrange to send hard copies (see address at bottom of this page), to the Department of Educational Administration each of the following:
  • an official transcript of marks from all universities you have attended other than the University of Saskatchewan—we obtain University of Saskatchewan marks through internal student information systems;
  • an abbreviated resumé of your work history and professional activities;
  • official English language proficiency test score forms (if applicable);
  • a one to two page statement explaining why you are interested in pursuing doctoral studies in the Department of Educational Administration;
  • evidence of scholarship and research capability (students should submit a published journal article, or an electronic copy of one's thesis);
  • three confidential letters of recommendation are to be submitted online by the referees. Referees are notified by email (when their name is entered in the online application) with instructions for completing and submitting their online letter. If a referee is unable to submit the online letter, a pdf version for GSR 101: Confidential Letter of Recommendation should be used. The hard copy of this reference letter must be received by the department, in a sealed envelope with the referee's signature across the sealed back;
  • in fewer than 800 words, a completed research statement describing your academic interests through each of the following:
    
    • an explanation of the research problem you intend to investigate;
    • an explanation of how your prospective doctoral research relates to your Master's-level research OR an explanation of your motivation for pursuing the intended research (from where does your prospecitive doctoral research topic/question come?);
    • an explanation of why the Department of Educational Administration at the University of Saskatchewan is suitable for pursuing your research interests;
    • an explanation of your professional and/or academic aspirations (how will a PhD in Educational Administration support the development of your career goals?).

Compulsory doctoral courses begin in September of each year—students are only admitted with September start-dates. The application deadline for the September cohort start date is November 30 of the previous year.

After a student has been successfully admitted to the College of Graduate Studies and Research, he/she is required to consult with the Department Head in Educational Administration to complete a Program of Studies document. The purpose of this document is to provide an agreed upon outline of each required and elective course to be taken within the student's programme in the Department. An appointment for a programme consultation meeting should be made as soon as possible following admission. For the information of prospective and new students, the minimum requirements for the Doctoral Programme in the Department of Educational Administration are outlined below.

Program Requirements

Doctoral students are required to engage studies prior to Candidacy on a full-time basis.

Students with a Master's degree in the field of educational administration must complete a minimum of 18 credit units (equivalent to 6 single-term [September through December, January through April, May through June, or July through August] credit-based classes) at the 800 (graduate) level. Students without this background must complete a minimum of 24 credit units (8 single-term credit-based classes) at the 800 level.

• The following 12 credit units and non-credit courses are prescribed as required courses in the first year of study: EADM 881.3, EADM 884.3, EADM 885.3, EADM 990.X, EADM 996.X, ERES 840.3, and GSR 960.X
• The remaining courses required to fulfill minimum credit units in the programme of study shall enhance the student's substantive background in the field of educational administration and support the research focus of the dissertation.
• The second year of study, and every year thereafter in which the student is a member of the programme, shall be devoted to the writing of a dissertation.

Additional Requirements

Students are advised to consider that

• a qualifying examination may be required in advance of full acceptance into the Doctoral Programme in the Department of Educational Administration;
• students may be required by the Advisory Committee to engage in additional course work in support of the research focus;
• all doctoral students are required to take a Comprehensive Candidacy Examination following the completion of all course work requirements.

Time Limit

The time limit for completing a program of studies is six years from the date of registration in the first course credited to the program.

Course Offerings

Information related to specific courses offered within the Department of Educational Administration is available from the University of Saskatchewan Catalogue.

Deadlines

Graduate studies are subject to a variety of deadlines, ranging from when assignments are due to deadlines for submission of theses or application for awards or grants. Students should be familiar with such deadlines and should abide by them. It is noted that deadlines imposed by the University or external agencies are not within Department control. The Department assumes no responsibility for the consequences of students not adhering to deadlines.

Graduate-Level Grading Policy

Evaluation of student performance in graduate-level writing is according to the following criteria and categories:

• 90-100% (or equivalent) An exceptional paper in all respects, and in addition, contains original, creative thought that is of publication quality.
• 85-89% (or equivalent) An excellent paper with respect to most or all criteria.
• 80-84% (or equivalent) A very good paper that meets most of the criteria very well.
• 75-79% (or equivalent) A good paper that meets some of the criteria very well, and remaining criteria adequately.
• 70-74% (or equivalent) A satisfactory paper that meets all the criteria adequately--competent, though not outstanding.
• 60-69% (or equivalent) A minimally acceptable paper that lacks originality (in that it imitates references too closely) or is deficient in three or more of the criteria.
• < 60% (or equivalent) Not acceptable. Indicative of a paper that is deficient on most of the listed criteria. Does not meet the standards required for writing at a graduate level.

Criteria employed in the evaluation of written submissions are provided below:

1. Research is evident, the student has reviewed literature that is relevant current and useful in understanding the topic. Not only books, but journals, monographs, research reports, and possibly non-print sources such as interviews, tapes, films, microfiche, and microfilm have been used.
2. Sources of information are acknowledged in an acceptable manner (i.e., APA 6th Edition has been correctly employed). The names of authors consulted are used in the text of the paper.
3. The paper says something substantive about the topic that is of value to the reader. The writer has been selective in the literature reviewed.
4. The writer's own input is evident, the ideas taken from the literature are utilized to make observations, discuss implications, develop generalizations and draw conclusions.
5. The paper is characterized by clarity simplicity, parsimony, and good English. It can be easily read and understood by a colleague.
6. The paper has overall quality. The writer understands the topic and displays an ability to organize, to analyze, to synthesize, to evaluate ideas, and to express thoughts fluently.

Evaluation of Teaching

Evaluation of teaching is a Departmental practice for all courses taught. During the last two weeks of each course, students are asked to complete an online questionnaire (SEEQ) rating the strengths and weaknesses of the course and instruction. An opportunity is also provided for comment. The Student Evaluation of Educational Quality (SEEQ) is found in PAWS under the Student Course Tools tab.

Information gathered is confidential. NSIDs are used only to validate course registration and to ensure that no one completes the same evaluation more than once. After the final grades have been approved and posted, a summary of the numeric responses along with any written comments are released to the Department Head and the instructor.

Financial Support

In addition to entrance scholarship opportunities, fully qualified doctoral students may receive financial support. Teaching fellowships may be available.