Doctorate in Educational Psychology

1.1          These Regulations govern the awards of the degrees of Doctorate in Educational Psychology (EdPsyD) and Postgraduate Diploma in Theoretical Educational Psychology (PGDip) (exit award only).

1.2          In these Regulations, Head of School may also be taken to refer to their nominee. The Head of School’s nominee shall normally be the Course Director.

2.1          A candidate for the degree of Doctorate in Educational Psychology must:

• Be eligible for the British Psychological Society Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership, having normally at least an upper second class undergraduate honours degree from a recognised higher education institution with psychology as the main field of study

• Submit evidence of adequate training and ability to undertake the proposed course of advanced study

• Be approved by the Head of School as a candidate for the degree.            

2.2          Before being admitted to the degree of Doctorate in Educational Psychology a candidate must:

• Undertake research in fields of study approved by the Head of School

• Engage in advanced study under the direction of a teacher in the University appointed by the Head of School. For the thesis, candidates will study under the direction of teachers in the University appointed by the Head of School as the candidate’s supervisory team

• Engage in advanced practical training under the direction of a Chartered Educational Psychologist appointed by the Head of  School

• Satisfactorily present the results of research, study and training in a research thesis and pass such academic and placement assessments as may be required by the Head of School).

3.1          The course shall be studied on a full-time basis and the period of study and registration shall, subject to the following exceptions, be three years:

• The candidate may, with the permission of the Head of School, spend no more than twelve months of the Period of Study at some other approved place of study or research. When the nature of the research requires that work should undertaken elsewhere than in the University, the Head of School may appoint an additional supervisor

• Permission to extend the normal period of study and registration by up to six months may be granted by the Head of School on the recommendation of the candidate’s University tutor. The Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor UEA Doctoral College may give special permission for further extensions to the Period of Study on the recommendation of the Head of School                     

• The Head of School may permit the interruption of the period of study and registration if there are special reasons for doing so. The Head of School shall specify the length of interruption which may not exceed twelve months

• Permission to transfer to part-time study being approved by the Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor UEA Doctoral College, in accordance with Regulation 12 below.

4.1          A candidate shall attend lectures, seminars, tutorials or supervisions as prescribed by the School and is required to attend placements as an integral part of the programme of study.

4.2          There shall be an annual review of the progress of each candidate in each year of the candidate's period of study and registration undertaken by the candidate and supervisory team and monitored by or on behalf of the Head of School. The candidate’s tutor and supervisory team shall also report to the Head of School at any time when the candidate appears not to be making satisfactory progress, is otherwise not fulfilling the conditions that have been laid down or appears unlikely to reach the standard of the degree.

5.1          A candidate shall be subject to assessment in respect of each year of study. This assessment shall be based upon the candidate’s performance during the year in research, coursework and educational placements as prescribed by the Head of School, as follows:

5.1.1      Doctorate in Educational Psychology

• Year 1: 180 credits of specified FHEQ Level 8 modules (including placement)

• Year 2: 180 credits of specified FHEQ Level 8 modules (including placement)

• Year 3: 180 credits of specified FHEQ Level 8 modules (including placement and an up to 40,000 word thesis).

5.1.2      Postgraduate Diploma in Theoretical Educational Psychology

Passing at least 120 credits from taught modules undertaken within Years 1 and/or 2 shall be necessary and sufficient for the exit award of the Postgraduate Diploma in Theoretical Educational Psychology, providing that either (a) the candidate is not planning to continue on the Doctorate in Educational Psychology; or (b) this is offered as in Regulation 8.5 below when the award of Doctorate in Educational Psychology is not being recommended.

5.2          At the end of each year of study, the Board of Examiners shall review the candidate’s overall performance during that year and shall:

• If all the assessment criteria for that year have been satisfied, allow a candidate to proceed to the next year of the course (if at the end of Years 1 or 2) or (if at the end of Year 3) to be considered for the award of the degree in accordance with Regulation 10 below

• If all the assessment criteria for that year have not been satisfied, act in accordance with Regulations 5.3-5.5 below.

5.3          In all years an opportunity for reassessment of any failed component(s) may be permitted by the examiners on one occasion only, provided always that:

• Two failed practice portfolio components (of the Professional Practice modules) at either first assessment or reassessment shall represent an outright failure of the course.  This may happen in one of two ways:

  • Practice Portfolio A is failed at first attempt and is then failed at second attempt (reassessment); or 

  • Practice Portfolio A is failed at first attempt and passed at second attempt (reassessment) but then Practice Portfolio B is failed at first attempt.
    Where reassessment is allowed the Board of Examiners will specify particular goals that need to be attained.

• If considering the Year 3 thesis and/or its oral presentation to be unsatisfactory, the examiners may make recommendations to the Head of School for consideration in accordance with Regulation 8.5 below. Each individual component of a module must be passed in order to pass the module.

5.4          In circumstances where a reassessment, because of its nature or timing, cannot with reasonable practicability be completed within the year of study to which it relates, in Years 1 and 2, the examiners may permit a candidate to proceed to the next year of the course, and in Year 3 to complete outstanding requirements of the programme on condition that:

• There are no Professional, Statutory or Regulatory Body requirements that preclude this;

• The reassessment shall be arranged and completed as soon as practicable in accordance with a timetable to be stipulated by them; and

• The examiners shall consider the outcome of the reassessment at the earliest feasible opportunity.

5.5          A candidate who fails to satisfy the examiners in any reassessment of work completed in any year and conducted in accordance with Regulations 5.3-5.4 above shall normally be required to withdraw from the University.

6.1          The research thesis will consist of a portfolio of written material of up to 40,000 words, comprising an introduction and overview, a literature and/or methodology review paper, an empirical paper and a final bridging and reflective chapter (including contributions to the field and detail on the proposed dissemination).

6.2          A candidate who wishes to submit a thesis must apply to the Associate Director (Postgraduate Research) (or nominee). A thesis may be presented for examination at any time after the beginning of the last six months of the candidate's prescribed Period of Study provided that not more than three years has elapsed since the date of registration as a candidate for the degree.

6.3          The Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor UEA Doctoral College may give special permission for extensions to the period within which the thesis must be presented on the recommendation of the Head of School concerned.

6.4          A candidate for the degree shall, not later than three months before the submission of the thesis and in any case no later than three months before the end of the period of advanced study and research, submit for approval to the appropriate Head of School the precise title of the thesis to be examined.                             

7.1          The Head of the School shall recommend for approval by the Faculty Associate Dean of Postgraduate Research, the names of two or more examiners, at least one of whom shall be an external examiner. This recommendation shall normally be made not later than three months before the expected date of the submission of the thesis.

8.1          A candidate shall be examined orally on the thesis and on subjects relevant to it. The examination shall normally be held within a timetabled series of viva examinations in the final year of registration. Where the examination will be held outside of the timetabled examination period it shall normally be held within three months of the date of the submission of the thesis. Exceptions to this shall require approval by the Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor UEA Doctoral College.

8.2          Prior to the oral examination of the thesis the examiners shall each prepare independent preliminary reports regarding the candidate’s performance.

8.3          In exceptional circumstances the Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor UEA Doctoral College may, on sufficient grounds submitted by the candidate and/or their supervisory team, with the agreement of the examiners, and on the recommendation of the Head of School, waive the requirement for the oral examination or agree to its replacement by an alternative form of assessment.

8.4          The examiners having examined the candidate shall send their joint final report and recommendation to the Head of School. If the examiners do not agree upon their recommendation or if for any other reason the Head of School needs a further opinion, they shall recommend to the Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor UEA Doctoral College the appointment of an additional examiner who shall conduct a further examination of the candidate.

8.5          The Head of School having considered the final report and recommendation of the examiners appointed in respect of the examination of the thesis shall then proceed in the following ways:

• If the thesis and performance in the oral examination are of sufficient merit, they shall recommend that the candidate be considered for the award of the degree of Doctorate in Educational Psychology at the Final Assessment Board, subject to successful completion of all assessment components

• If the thesis and performance in the oral examination are of sufficient merit, but minor corrections are required, they shall recommend that the candidate be required to complete minor corrections within six months, and be considered for the award of the degree at the subsequent Final Assessment Board, subject to successful completion of all assessment components

• If the thesis and performance in the oral examination are not of sufficient merit for the degree of Doctorate in Educational Psychology but there is reasonable expectation that the thesis, if  revised, could reach the standard required for the degree, the Head of School shall recommend either:

  • that the candidate be asked to submit a revised thesis; or

  • that the candidate be given the option either of submitting a revised thesis or of being considered for the award of the Postgraduate Diploma in Theoretical Educational Psychology at the subsequent Final Assessment Board, providing that the required taught elements have been passed to allow an award of the Postgraduate Diploma. 
    A candidate who is given this option shall be allowed a period of not more than ten working days from receipt of formal notification of the outcome of the examination to decide which of these alternatives to accept.
    A candidate who submits a revised thesis shall do so within one year, and may be required to undergo further oral examination and shall be required to pay a reassessment fee. A candidate shall not be allowed to submit a revised thesis on more than one occasion.

• If the thesis and performance in the oral examination are not of sufficient merit for the degree of Doctorate in Educational Psychology and the Head of School is not of the opinion that the candidate should be permitted to submit a revised thesis, they shall recommend that the candidate be considered for the award of the Postgraduate Diploma in Theoretical Educational Psychology at the subsequent Final Assessment Board, provided that the required taught elements have been passed to allow an award of the Postgraduate Diploma. 

9.1          A candidate shall submit an electronic copy of teh final version of the research thesis in accordance with rules approved by Senate.

9.2          If a candidate is approved for the award of the degree the Associate Director (Postgraduate Research) (or nominee) shall deposit a copy of the research thesis in the University Library, where it shall be available for consultation. The Head of School, at the request of the candidate, may determine that a particular thesis shall, for a period of up to three years specified by the Head of School, be available only to those who have written permission to consult it.

10.1        There shall be a Final Assessment Board at which the Board of Examiners shall consider the results of all candidates at the end of their Period of Study. The Final Assessment shall be carried out by the Board of Examiners with the external examiners in attendance and in accordance with the Instructions to Examiners for Research Degrees at the University of East Anglia.

10.2        The examiners shall receive the results of all assessments, including the thesis and any reassessment of the assessment components, which count towards the award and any recommendations made by the Exceptional Circumstances Panel.

10.3       To pass the programme requirements, candidates must have demonstrated the required standards of professional competence in their supervised professional practice placements in the judgment of their placement supervisor(s) and University tutor(s), in addition to meeting the ‘Pass’ criteria for the assessed academic and research requirements.

10.4        Overall, in order to be eligible to apply for registration with HCPC, candidates must have passed all the assessed academic, research and professional practice requirements of the programme and have met all the Health and Care Professions Council’s Standards of Proficiency (SOPs) for practitioner psychologists within their part of the Register (Educational Psychology), in parallel to meeting the learning outcomes required by the British Psychological Society as a condition of eligibility to become a Chartered Educational Psychologist.

10.5        The Board of Examiners shall recommend to Senate that the degree of Doctorate in Education Psychology be awarded, provided that they are satisfied in all respects as to:

• Performance in the Year 3 assessment or permitted reassessment, including the thesis (see Regulations 5.2-5.5 and Regulation 8 above)
• Confirmation from the relevant examiners of satisfactory performance in any permitted re-assessment relating to an earlier year of study but deferred in accordance with Regulation 5.4 above.

11.1        The Exceptional Circumstances Panel advising the Board of Examiners shall consider exceptional circumstances formally reported to it, and make recommendations to the Board, in accordance with the University’s Exceptional Circumstances Regulations for Research Programme Assessment.

11.2        The Board of Examiners shall formally approve the compensation / remedy / assessment or other recommendation made by the Exceptional Circumstances Panel. Any alternative arrangement shall only be approved by the Board if it is in the candidate’s best interest.

11.3        The Exceptional Circumstances Panel advising the Board shall treat all statements of exceptional circumstances as confidential, not to be disclosed outside the meeting of the Panel. Where circumstances are particularly sensitive, candidates may ask that the disclosure of the information be limited.

13.1        Candidates for the degrees of Doctorate in Educational Psychology and Postgraduate Diploma in Theoretical Educational Psychology will be designated as Category A (including faculty of Schools and such other candidates as the Senate shall determine) or Category B. Candidates in Category B shall study the degree of Doctorate in Educational Psychology or Postgraduate Diploma in Theoretical Educational Psychology in accordance with Regulations 1 to 12 above. Category A candidates shall be permitted to proceed to the degree of Doctorate in Educational Psychology or Postgraduate Diploma in Theoretical Educational Psychology in accordance with Regulations 1 to 12, subject to the following modifications.

13.2        In the case of Category A candidates, references to the Head of School in Regulations 2 (General Preconditions to an Award), 3 (Duration of Course) and 8 (Examination of the Thesis) shall be interpreted as references to the Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor UEA Doctoral College, or to their nominee if they have a conflict of interest. Thus, the oral examination of any Category A candidate for the degree of Doctorate in Educational Psychology shall be conducted exclusively by external examiners appointed by the Senate on the recommendation of the Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor UEA Doctoral College.

13.3        In the case of Category A candidates, references to the Head of School in Regulation 4 (Attendance and Progress) shall be interpreted as references to the Faculty Associate Dean of Postgraduate Research, or to their nominee if they have a conflict of interest.

13.4        In the case of Category A candidates, references to the Faculty Associate Dean of Postgraduate Research in Regulation 7 (Appointment of Examiners for the Thesis) shall be interpreted as references to the Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor UEA Doctoral College or to their nominee if they have a conflict of interest.

13.5        The Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor UEA Doctoral College shall be advised of any application from any Category A candidate to continue the Period of Study as a candidate for the degree after ceasing to be a member of staff.