PhD in Education is the highest level of doctoral degree of 3 to 6 years given to the fellow for providing knowledge in the field of Education. A student with a PhD in Education can earn more and get more reward and prestige.

What is a PhD in Education? 

PhD in Education is the topmost academic honor given in the field of Education. Its research, as well as a professional degree, prepares prospective candidates for research in Education, academia, clinical or professional practice, administration and leadership challenges. 

Eligibility criteria and requirements: 

Students with a master’s degree in Education or related interdisciplinary field can go for PhD in Education. 

Master’s degree is Education and/or MPhil with completion of a common entrance test is mandatory for getting PhD in Education. 

Minimum 55% marks in the master’s or 5.3 GPA overall grades in all four semesters, good research background and research proposal is required. 

A candidate needs to clear the common entrance test (recommended by some universities) for applying. Although the MPhil candidate can directly apply. 

For foreign or international students the English proficiency test is compulsory. 

Bachelor’s master and MPhil all three degrees must be obtained from internationally recognized universities. 

Read more: PhD vs EdD- Which One is Best for You.

PhD in Education- admission process:

A candidate needs to select a subject from a university website or followed by the advertisement. 

Apply online through the university’s official website and print the admission form. Submit the hardcopy of a form to the university with the application fees. 

Appear in the common entrance test held by university and clear it with good grades. 

In the next step, a candidate has to prepare a research proposal to appear in the PhD interview. Soon after, a prospective fellow needs to select their PhD supervisor.

After getting admission, a candidate needs to complete coursework in a year to go further in the tenure. 

PhD in Education- duration: 

PhD in Education as well as EdD- doctorate in Education both are a higher level of research and professional educational degrees. Generally, a minimum of 3 years along with 1 year of coursework is compulsory for the PhD. 

A PhD in Education takes 3 to 6 years or sometimes 8 years to complete. At terminal, a candidate needs to defend their thesis. 

Read more: How much does a PhD Degree Cost in the USA, UK and India?

PhD in Education- subjects and syllabus 

Subjects generally studied in the stream Education are principles of Education, Educational Psychology, Educational evaluation and Fundamentals of teaching and education. 

The syllabus to study the PhD in Education are: 

Topic	Study
Principle of education, Teachers Education and higher studies	Basics of Education and study. Concept, meaning, scope, histron and other factors of Teachers education. Concept of higher EducationProfessional development and code of ethics for Teacher and Educators. Trends in Teacher education. Innovative practise in teacher education.
Education and Leadership	Introduction to Educational Leadership and managements, theories of management, human resource management, financial and material management, records and registrations. Concept, meaning nature and theories of Leadership in Education and administration. Quality management in Education and school.
Educational Evaluation	Concept, type, need importance and principle of Educational evaluation process. Measuring of variability, central tendency and probability and probability curve and standardization testing.
New trends in Education	Grading system, use of computational tools in education and outcomes of techniques.
Educational Psychology	Principle, concept, scope and function of Educational psychology, Theories of if, factor affecting learning, Physical- mental and overall health.
Special education
Literacy and reading	Educational policymaking

These are the subjects, topics and syllabus are studied in the PhD in Education. A candidate needs to choose a topic from the subject given above. 

Available programs for PhD in Education: 

No extensive lab research is involved in the educational doctoral program hence it is available in regular, part-time, full-time, funded or online. Universities across India, USA, UK offer various programs for PhD in Education as well as other related topics. 

PhD in Education- Jobs and opportunity:

After completing PhD in Education, a candidate can get renowned positions in academia as well as in private sectors. They can even become Educational coaches or consultants, Educational Leader, professor, lecturer, Dean or researcher in Education. 

They can get jobs as; 

• Educator at Media house or publishing house, 
• Research and development agencies 
• Private tutor 
• Colleges and schools 
• Government Educational department and agencies 
• Content or copywriter 
• Journalists 
• Educational coordinator 

PhD in Education- salary and income 

Education and Educational policies are important for every government and henceforth continuous improvement needed. New researchers or educators need to improve present knowledge in order to improve the Education system. 

PhD in Education or EdD are high potential and high demanding doctoral degrees worldwide. 

A PhD in Education degree holder can earn (annual earning) 

• $69,000 to $1,05,000 in the USA 
• 3,60,000 INR to 10,00,00 INR in India 
• 17,000 euro to 35,000 euro in the UK

Note that the income is not fixed, it may vary based on the experience and expertise of the researcher. Private consultants or practitioners can even earn higher than that too. 

Related article: PhD Job Opportunities and Expected Salary.

How to prepare for the PhD in Education?

A prospective student has to prepare for a PhD in Education from their Master’s degrees because to enroll into PhD, majorities of universities seek a common entrance test. 

Therefore they need to prepare earlier after that applicant needs to apply online from the official website of the university. 

Soon after, candidates need to prepare a research proposal on a particular topic addressing a particular problem and need to submit it to the university along with their degree certificate, test marks, and application form. 

University allots a research guide after completion of PhD interview and the student has to pay fees. 

To go ahead in their research career the pupil needs to complete the coursework in their first year. 

Read more: How to become a Doctoral Candidate?- 12 Recommendations.

Top PhD in Education programs for 2021: 

Harvard University (Cambridge, MA)

• Doctoral degree program- Graduate school of Education 
• Fees- N/A 
• Type- Full-time PhD 

Available subjects: 

• Doctor of Philosophy in Education 
• Doctor of Education 
• Doctor of Education Leadership 

Stanford University, (Stanford, CA)

• Doctoral degree program- Graduate school of Education 
• Fees- $52,479 
• Type of degree- Full time 

Available subjects: 

• Elementary Education 
• History and social Education
• Science Education 
• Teacher Education 
• Literacy and Language Education 
• Race, inequality and Language in Education 
• Economics of Education 
• Higher Education 
• Developmental and Psychological Education 
• Educational policy 
• International Comparative Education 
• Organizational studies 
• Sociology of Education 
• PhD minor in Education 

University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, Mi)

• Doctoral degree program- school of Education 
• Fees- $24,354 to $49,000 per year 
• Type of Degree- Full time 

Available subjects: 

• Education and Psychology 
• Educational studies 
• Educational foundations and Policy 
• Learning technologies 
• Literacy, language and culture 
• Educational Policy, Leadership and innovation
• Mathematics education 
• Science education 
• Teaching and teacher education 
• English education 
• Research, Evaluation and assessment in Education 
• Organizational behavior and management 
• Academic affairs and student development 
• Individually designed concentration 
• Public policy in postsecondary education 

University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA)

• Doctoral degree program- Graduate School of Education
• Fees- $1,689
• Type of Degree- Full-time and Part-time

Available subjects: 

• Education, Culture and Society
• Educational Linguistics
• Executive Doctorate in Higher Education Management
• Higher Education
• Intellectual communication
• Interdisciplinary Studies in Human Development
• International Education development
• Learning science and Technology
• Medical Education
• Quantitative Methods in Education
• Educational Policy
• School Leadership
• Teaching, Learning and Teacher Education

Columbian University (New York, NY)

• Doctoral degree program- Teachers college (Graduate school of Education, Health and Psychology)
• Fees- $1,700
• Type of Degree- Full-time and Part-time

Available subjects: 

• Doctor in Educational Leadership

New York University, (New York, NY)

• Doctoral degree program- Steinhardt
• Fees- $43,000 per year (Full-time) and $1,795 per year (Part-time)
• Type of Degree- Full-time and Part-time

Available Subjects

• PhD in Childhood and Childhood Education
• History, Social studies and Global Education
• Literacy Education
• Mathematics Education
• Science and Environmental Education
• Special Education
• Urban Education

University of Washington, (Seattle, WA)

• Doctoral degree program- Steinhardt
• Fees- $16,000 to $31,000
• Type of Degree- Full-time

Available Subjects

• Educational Organizations, Leadership and Policy Studies
• Leadership in Higher Education
• Learning Science and Human Development
• Multicultural Education
• School Psychology
• Special Education
• Teacher Quality and Teacher Education

John Hopkins University, (Baltimore, MD)

• Doctoral degree program- School of Education
• Fees- $43,900 per year (Full-time) and $1,458 per year (Part-time)
• Type of Degree- Full-time and Part-time

Available Subjects

• Doctor of Philosophy in Education
• Doctor of Education

University of Florida, (Gainesville, FL)

• Doctoral degree program- School of Teaching and learning
• Fees- $499 to $1,139
• Type of Degree- Full-time

Available Subjects

• Educational technology
• English Education
• Science Education
• reading and literacy Education
• Social Studies Education
• Statistics Education
• Teacher, Schools and Society
• Mathematics Education

Ohio State university, (columbus, OH)

• Doctoral degree program- College of Education and Ecology
• Fees- $11,500 to $35,144
• Type of Degree- Full-time

Available subjects:

• Educational studies and Educational Policy

Conclusion:

Doctorate or PhD in Education is one of the most demanding degrees. There are plenty of online as well as regular PhD subjects are available for novice and experts. Note that some criteria may vary from university to university. To do PhD in Education in other countries, a person must have to complete an English skill examination.