PhD Program

Minimum Admission Requirements

• Applicants are admitted under the General Regulations of the School of Graduate Studies. Applicants must also satisfy the Department of Curriculum, Teaching and Learning's additional admission requirements stated below.

• A master's degree in education from a recognized university with a grade equivalent to a University of Toronto B+ or better and in the same area of specialization as proposed at the doctoral level is required. Further documentation may be required to establish equivalence.

• Applicants ordinarily have a minimum of two years' professional experience prior to applying.

• Applicants are required to submit, along with the application:

  • Their master's thesis or a sample of single-authored scholarly writing; for details about what constitutes an appropriate writing sample, visit the Curriculum and Pedagogy program web page.

  • Responses to Faculty questions in the online admissions application describing their intellectual interests and concerns relevant to curriculum and pedagogy, reasons for wishing to take the program, previous qualifications and professional experiences, and articulating their research and professional interests, and future career goals

  • Two letters of reference: one academic and one professional.

Completion Requirements

• Coursework. Students must normally complete a total of 3.5 full-course equivalents (FCEs) as follows:

  • At least 2.0 FCEs, normally CTL 1000-level courses.

  • CTL1899H C&P Doctoral Proseminar in Curriculum & Pedagogy.

  • Students are expected to take CTL1000H Foundations of Curriculum & Pedagogy if they did not complete it at the master's level

  • Additional courses may be required of some students.

  • One research methods course (0.5 FCE) from an approved course listing.

• Comprehensive examination. The Curriculum and Pedagogy comprehensive exam is a 7,000-word paper usually written after students complete their coursework, and at the latest by the end of Year 3 of the PhD, before the candidacy deadline. The purpose of this exam is to demonstrate proficiency in major current theories and literature in the field of curriculum studies and is designed to ascertain whether a student has obtained the knowledge and skills to continue in the doctoral program. The exam has three possible outcomes: Pass, Pass-Contingent, and Fail. Students who receive the Pass-Contingent result will have the opportunity to address the reviewers’ concerns. Students who fail the first time will have one further opportunity to rewrite the exam.

• A thesis embodying the results of an original investigation, and a Doctoral Final Oral Examination on the content and implications of the thesis.

• Students are responsible for meeting deadlines to complete their course requirements, thesis committee formation, comprehensive examination, and thesis ethical review.

• Full-time PhD students must maintain full-time status throughout their program of study.

• Students must register continuously and pay the full-time fee until all degree requirements have been fulfilled.

• Students cannot transfer between the full-time and flexible-time PhD options.

Mode of Delivery: In person
Program Length: 4 years full-time (typical registration sequence: Continuous)
Time Limit: 6 years full-time

 

PhD Program (Flexible-Time)

Minimum Admission Requirements

• Applicants are admitted under the General Regulations of the School of Graduate Studies. Applicants must also satisfy the Department of Curriculum, Teaching and Learning's additional admission requirements stated below.

• A master's degree in education from a recognized university with a grade equivalent to a University of Toronto B+ or better and in the same area of specialization as proposed at the doctoral level is required. Further documentation may be required to establish equivalence.

• Applicants ordinarily have a minimum of two years' professional experience prior to applying.

• Applicants are required to submit, along with the application:

  • Their master's thesis or a sample of single-authored scholarly writing; for details about what constitutes an appropriate writing sample, visit the Curriculum and Pedagogy program web page.

  • Responses to Faculty questions in the online admissions application describing their intellectual interests and research concerns relevant to curriculum and pedagogy, reasons for wishing to take the program, previous qualifications and professional experiences, and articulating their research and professional interests, and future career goals.

  • Two letters of reference: one academic and one professional.

• Applicants to the flexible-time PhD option are accepted under the same admission requirements as applicants to the full-time PhD option. Applicants must demonstrate that they are currently employed and are active professionals engaged in activities relevant to their proposed program of study.

Completion Requirements

• Coursework. Students must normally complete a total of 3.5 full-course equivalents (FCEs) as follows:

  • At least 2.0 FCEs, normally CTL 1000-level courses.

  • CTL1899H C&P Doctoral Proseminar in Curriculum & Pedagogy.

  • Students are expected to take CTL1000H Foundations of Curriculum & Pedagogy if they did not complete it at the master's level.

  • One research methods course (0.5 FCE) from an approved course listing.

  • Additional courses may be required of some students.

• Comprehensive examination. The Curriculum and Pedagogy comprehensive exam is a 7,000-word paper usually written after students complete their coursework, and at the latest by the end of Year 4 of the PhD, before the candidacy deadline. The purpose of this exam is to demonstrate proficiency in major current theories and literature in the field of curriculum studies and is designed to ascertain whether a student has obtained the knowledge and skills to continue in the doctoral program. The exam has three possible outcomes: Pass, Pass-Contingent, and Fail. Students who receive the Pass-Contingent result will have the opportunity to address the reviewers' concerns. Students who fail the first time will have one further opportunity to rewrite the exam.

• A thesis embodying the results of an original investigation, and a Doctoral Final Oral Examination on the content and implications of the thesis.

• Students are responsible for meeting deadlines to complete their course requirements, thesis committee formation, comprehensive examination, and thesis ethical review.

• Students must register continuously until all degree requirements have been fulfilled. They must register full-time during the first four years and may continue as part-time thereafter, with their department's approval.

• Students cannot transfer between the full-time and flexible-time PhD options.

Mode of Delivery: In person
Program Length: 8 years full-time (typical registration sequence: Continuous)
Time Limit: 8 years full-time