Kathmandu University School of Education
Ph.D. in Education – Brochure
School of Education, Kathmandu University (KUSOED)

The university is located at Hattiban, Lalitpur is one of the seven schools of Kathmandu University. It was established in 1997 with the aim of contributing to enhancing the quality of education in the country. The school carried out its first activity in raising the quality of public schools in Dhulikhel Municipality mainly through in-service teacher training and other programs. Its first academic programs were initiated in 1998 with MPhil and PhD in Educational Leadership. In the coming years, the School expanded its academic activities by adding new programs, thereby, escalating its scope. In 2022, the School runs PGDE, Bachelors, Masters, Master of Philosophy, and Doctoral programs. The School today inspires and empowers educators from Nepal as well as countries from Asia, Africa, Europe, and Americas with an aim of creating a generation of engaged and socially responsible global citizens.

Vision, Mission, and Value Statements

School of Education Kathmandu University has been an innovative educational institution since its inception in 1997. It has been recognized as an educational innovator, policy influencer, and driver in the country and beyond. To take a lead role in the educational activities in the country and beyond, the School has established its vision as 'Transforming Society through Educational Excellence'.

To materialize the vision, KUSOED has the following mission statement:

Preparing competent, multidisciplinary education professionals and leaders through knowledge creatin and innovative academic services.

In the process of achieving its vision through the stated mission above, KUSOED is committed to the following values:

Maintaining respect, integrity, courage, and humanity by promoting local wisdom, creativity, collaboration, innovation, work culture, sustainability, and quality.

To attain the motto of KUSOED, it offers PhD program from four departments:

• PhD in STEAM Education
• PhD in English Language Education
• PhD in Educational Leadership
• PhD in Development Studies

PhD in STEAM Education

PROGRAM OVERVIEW 

Kathmandu University School of Education (KUSOED) envisages that the proposed PhD in Education, Specialisation in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) Education, program reflects the rigorous research-based, interdisciplinary, and contemporary academic program in the field of teacher education. By its nature, the purpose is to emphasize on capacity building of potential STEAM educators, researchers, and academicians from Nepal and abroad whose research is likely to become a basis for improving practices in their academic professions by utilising the perspectives and practices arising from intersections of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics Education. Given this perspective, the school can enrol qualified post-graduate students in STEAM education from diverse fields of STEM-related (e.g., Mathematics, Mathematics Education, Physics, Economics, Chemistry, Science Education, Engineering, Technology, Health Sciences, Physical Sciences) in the proposed program to address the needs of producing human resources in integrated and multidisciplinary research and practice in education. Insofar as the School has the relevant faculty members and/or it can outsource from among the international partner institutions. More so, international experts in the field can also be invited for short-term visits to enhance the research capacity of our research students and faculty members. It offers rigorous theoretical and practical orientation for practitioners aspiring to become leaders in fields associated with STEAM Education.

PROGRAM OBJECTIVES AND ATTRIBUTES

By completing PhD STEAM Education, research students are expected to demonstrate:

• an ability to identify research issue(s) and to develop viable research design as per the ethos of paradigm(s), methodologies and methods employed in their research
• a sound understanding of the major areas, focus and contours of local, regional and international research in their respective research area
• a capacity for critical assessment of relevant scholarly literature in their field of study
• an ability to accomplish defined scholarly research within a specific research program
• an ability to develop, implement and evaluate educational programs for the concerned community of practice
• well-developed flexible problem-solving abilities (skills, knowledge and attitudes) appropriate to the area of study
• an ability to develop the ethos of life-long learning in their personal and professional contexts
• an ability to develop entrepreneurial orientation toward STEAM Education  
• an ability to accomplish independent research/inquiry in education related issues in general and STEAM education in a particular

  Possible courses

In case of candidates requiring specific course works, they will be offered one or more out of the following list as recommended by the supervisor(s).

STEAM ED 625: Quantitative Research in STEAM Education

STEAM ED 630: Qualitative Research in STEAM Education

EDUC 640: Mixed Methods Research

EDUC 650: Transformative Education Research and Practice

EDUC 660: Participatory Action Research

STEAM ED 600: Lenses of STEAM Education

STEAM ED 620: Reflective Practice in STEAM Education

STEAM ED 611: Curricula in STEAM Education

STEAM ED 615: Teaching and Learning in STEM Education

PhD in Educational Leadership

PROGRAM OVERVIEW: 
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD.) in Educational Leadership is a rigorous program of advanced study and research. This program intends to produce graduates with the capacity to conduct research independently at a high level of originality and quality. This program offers the candidates with substantial grounding in high quality research and analytical skills in educational leadership.  The program aims at cultivating critical, discursive, analytical, creative, and innovative skills of graduates through sharing, reflecting, advocating, researching, and theorizing on the contemporary issues, policies, research works and practices of educational leadership. The program further aims to garnish the advanced research skills of national and international scholars whose research works could be example to improve practices in their professions and could contribute to the education sector at local, national, and global levels.
PROGRAM OBJECTIVES AND ATTRIBUTES:

By completing PhD in Educational Leadership program, research students are expected to demonstrate:

• a capacity to design, conduct and report independent and original research in the area of educational leadership
• a sound understanding of contemporary issues, policies, research works and practices of educational leadership and reflect their practices
• a capacity for critical judgment of relevant scholarly literature and theories to locate direction and dimension of the area of study
• well-developed, critical, discursive, analytical, creative, and innovative skills for solving problems in the area of study
• the ability to analyze and interpret research information as per the ethos of paradigm(s), methodologies and methods employed in their research
• the capacity to share effectively the results of research and scholarship by oral and written communication
• a sound understanding of scholarly conventions in their fields of study
• a capacity to collaborate with other researchers and organizations
•  an ability to manage information effectively, including the application of computer systems, software and online databases
• the capacity to advocate research-based decisions making

Possible course

In case of candidates requiring specific course works, they will be offered one or more out of the following list as recommended by the supervisor(s).

EDUC 600 Educational Dimensions

EDUC 620 Research Methods

Educ 621 Advanced Qualitative Research Methods or

Educ 622 Advanced Quantitative Research Methods

EDLE 621 Theories and Practice in Educational Leadership

EDLE 632 Organizational Theory/Development and Organization Behavior

EDLE 642 Human Resource Management and Development in Education

EDLE 652 Policy and Governance for Educational Leadership

EDUC 640 Mixed Methods Research

EDUC 650 Transformative Education Research and Practice

EDUC 660 Participatory Action Research

EDUC 644 Statistical Methods in Education and Social Science Research

EDUC 611 Academic Writing and Research

                PhD in Development Education

PROGRAM OVERVIEW:

Meeting the 21st challenges and directions for creative development professionals who can apply and integrate critical thinking and practical experiences from a wide range of perspectives and be innovative in seeking meaningful solutions, the Department of Development studies introduces Ph.D. in Development Studies is introduced. The purpose of this program is to emphasize the capacity building of potential research of national and international scholars whose research is likely to become a basis for improving practices in their professions and could contribute to the development sector at local, national, and global levels. The program further aims to equip the analytical and practical skills to engage in development issues critically and debates from an interdisciplinary perspective and work across the intersections of development policy, research, and practice. The program's objective is to enable students to engage in social transformation processes utilizing research-based expertise and critical and comparative analysis.

PROGRAM OBJECTIVES AND ATTRIBUTES

After the completion of the PhD, students will be able to:

• develop the receiving and responding ability for the conceptualizing development activities in society
• develop critical and reflecting ability on the development activities in their socio-cultural context and beyond
• critique the existing grand theories of applying theories to study development practices
• develop competencies to value of the local ways of exploring, knowing and practicing of development
• demonstrate sound understanding of research methodology and practices to prepare for independent research
• capacitate to connect with local and global circles of the scholarly and intellectual community

 POSSIBLE COURSES

In case of candidates requiring specific course works, they will be offered one or more out of the following list as recommended by the supervisor(s).

EDUC 620 Research Methods

EDUC 621 Advanced Qualitative Research Methods or

EDUC 622 Advanced Quantitative Research Methods

EDUC 640 Mixed Methods Research

EDUC 650 Transformative Education Research and Practice

EDUC 660 Participatory Action Research

EDUC 644 Statistical Methods in Education and Social Science Research

EDUC 611 Academic Writing and Research

DEVP 611 Sociology of Education and Development

DEVP 621 Development Policy and Planning

DEVP  631 Development Theory and Practice

DEVP 641 Monitoring and Evaluation

PhD in English Language Education

PROGRAM OVERVIEW:

As a response to the changing needs in the field of English language education, the Department of Language Education launched PhD in English Language Education program in 2020. This program made a departure by putting less emphasis on coursework with increased emphasis on substantial research-related requirement leading to a thesis on substantive area of specialisation. The dissertation entails an independent, original and closely defined research project carried out under the mentoring of an assigned supervisor. By its nature, the purpose of this 40-50 credit program is to put emphasis on capacity building of potential research of Nepali and international scholars whose research is likely to become a basis for improving practices in their professions. Given this perspective, the program can accommodate qualified post-graduate students in English from diverse fields of study: English language education/teaching, English literature, English linguistics, etc. We envisage that program framework will enable research students to be highly creative and innovative in their research productivity, thereby serving as a platform for them to explore newer avenues in English language education. Research students are expected to create their own learning spaces, thereby enabling themselves as prominent researchers in their respective fields.

PROGRAM OBJECTIVE AND ATTRIBUTES

By completing PhD in English Language Education program, research students are expected to demonstrate

• an ability to identify research issue(s) and to formulate viable research questions;
• capacity to design, conduct and report independent and original research on a distinct research program;
• ability to define, derive and apply appropriate quality standards for their research;
• a sound understanding of the major areas, focus and contours of local, regional and international research in their respective research area;
• capacity for critical assessment of relevant scholarly literature in their field of study;
• well-developed flexible problem-solving abilities (skills, knowledge and attitudes) appropriate to the area of study;
• ability to analyse and interpret research data as per the ethos of paradigm(s), methodologies and methods employed in their research;
• the capacity to share effectively the results of research and scholarship by oral and written communication;
• sound understanding of scholarly conventions in their fields of study;
• sound understanding of the need to respect for truth and intellectual integrity, and the ethics of research and scholarship;
• capacity to collaborate with other researchers and organizations; and
• ability to manage information effectively, including the application of computer systems, software and online databases where appropriate to the student's field of study.

 POSSIBLE COURSES

In case of candidates requiring specific course works, they will be offered one or more out of the following list as recommended by the supervisor(s)

EDUC 600 Educational Dimensions

ELED 620 Quantitative Research in English Language Education

ELED 630 Qualitative Research in English Language Education

ELED 640 Mixed Methods Research in English Language Education

EDUC 650 Transformative Education Research and Practice

EDEL 609 Language Teacher Education and Development

EDEL 619 Contemporary Thoughts in English Education

EDEL 629 Issues in English Language Education

EDEL 639 Trends in Applied Linguistics

EDUC 642Academic Writing and Research

EDUC 652 Statistical Methods in Research

EDUC 662 World Englishes

ELED 631 English and the Postcolonial Discourses

ELED 632 English in Nepal

DURATION

Generally, full-time Ph.D. students are expected to complete their research in 3 years. Part-time students can submit their research work after 4 years.  The maximum duration for the completion of the degree requirements for full-time students is 6 years, and 8 years for part-time students.  

ELIGIBILITY FOR ENROLMENT:

• For STEAM Education, minimum of 17 years of schooling with Masters in one of the STEM-related fields (e.g., Mathematics, Mathematics Education, Physics, Chemistry, Science Education Engineering, Technology, Health Sciences, Physical Sciences)
• For English Language Education, minimum 17 years of schooling with Masters in English language Education/teaching, English Literature and English Linguistics
• For Education Leadership and development Education, 17 years of formal education or an MPhil degree from a recognized university
• MPhil or equivalent in relevant field of study is desirable
• In case of less than 17 years of schooling, a bridge course of a semester is to be taken in consultation with the supervisor(s),
• Minimum CGPA 3.0 out of 4 in the terminal degree for CGPA system and minimum first division in the yearly system, and 
• Passing the admission test

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

• Completion of the application blank,
• Copies of credentials,
• A copy of the curriculum vitae, and
• Reference letters
• A fully developed research proposal of around 5000 words (written in English)
• A 5000-word research paper (published or unpublished) on any topic (written in English)
• If the concerned department is satisfied, it recommends the applicants to the Research Committee.
• The Research Committee evaluates the proposal and make the final decision.
• The Research Committee considers the following aspects while making its evaluation:

• Past academic records
• Research proposal
• Writing ability [written test]
• References
• Relevant work experience (if any)
• Interview
• Presentation based on the research proposal
• 5000-word paper on any subject (published or not published)

 PATHWAY

Generally, the following pathway is suggested for the successful completion of the program in the case of fulltime students:

• Demonstration of knowledge and skills necessary to conceptualize a research project by completing the research methodology related Courses (semester one)
• Demonstration of the ability to conceive and plan a closely defined research program by presenting the research proposal to the research committee (between the end of semester one and middle of semester two)
• Demonstration of adequate knowledge of research methodologies, and relevant literature by satisfactorily completing the qualifying assessment by producing two papers on methodology and thematic areas respectively (within semester two)
• Research field work (after completion of two qualifying papers)
• Publication of related requirements and participation in the conferences (during the time of study)
• Submission of the written thesis
• External reviews of the thesis
• Viva voce

 EVALUATION OF THE THESIS

The modus operandi of the thesis evaluation will be followed as specified in Research Guidelines for PhD developed by/for Kathmandu University

  FACULTY AND STAFF

Professors

Bal Chandra Luitel, PhD (Dean)

Laxman Gnawali, PhD (Associate Dean)

Mahesh Nath Parajuli, PhD

Mana Prasad Wagley

Associate Professors

Dhanapati Subedi, PhD (HoD, Educational Leadership)

Prakash Chandra Bhattarai, PhD (HoD, Development Education)

Assistant Professors

Tikaram Poudel, PhD (Coordinator, Research and Innovation Center)

Binod Prasad Pant, MPhil (Acting Head, Department of STEAM Education)

Parbat Dhungana, MPhil

Suresh Gautam, PhD

Shesha Kanta Pangeni, PhD

Lecturer

Indra Mani Shrestha, MPhil

Lina Gurung, PhD

Post Doc

Roshani Rajbanshi, PhD

Research Assistants

Bikash Ghaju

Netra Kumar Manandhar

Surendra Prasad Bhatt

Administrative Staffs

Shiva Prasad Mainali (Senior Manager)

Suman Acharya (Officer)

Prabina Kayastha (Library)

Mandira Dhungana (Finance)

Bibek Bhandari (IT)

Raju Maharjan (Store)

Anju Gautam (Store)

Dil Bahadur Shrestha (Front Desk)

 Ganesh Khatiwada (Front Desk)