WELCOME
The Canadian Doctoral Journey: Promise
and Possibility
Dr. Thomas G. Ryan, Professor of Education/Graduate Studies –
Nipissing University North Bay, Ontario, Canada
Dr. Scott Lowrey, Elementary School Principal – HWDSB,
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
CSSE Congress 2014: Brock University – CCGSE Workshop
• The Doctoral Journey: Perseverance
• Thomas G. Ryan – Editor – 13 Doctoral Studies
Stories
SOURCE: 2007 Ontario Government
Contributors
•Dr. Elizabeth Auger Ashworth, (Nipissing) University of Glasgow
•Dr. Carolyn Crippen - University of Victoria, British Columbia
•Dr. Heather McLeod - Memorial University of Newfoundland
•Dr. Verna McDonald, University of Northern British Columbia
•Olivia Zhang - Ph.D. Candidate - Simon Fraser Univ, Vancouver, Canada.
•Dr. Sherry Peden, Brandon University, Brandon, Manitoba
•Dr. Scott Lowrey, OISE/University of Toronto
•Dr. Kristen Ferguson, (York University) now at Nipissing University
•Dr. Ron Phillips, (Ph.D., Arizona, U.S.A.) now at Nipissing University
•Dr. David Young, St. Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, Nova Scotia.
•Dr. Richard Dominic Wiggers , Executive Director, Research and Programs,
for the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (HEQCO)
•Dr. Thomas G. Ryan, (Ontario Institute for Studies in Education/University of
Toronto) now at Nipissing University
In 2008 over 5,000 people graduated with a Doctoral
Degree in Canada; this represents a 40% increase from
2003
• University of Toronto awarded the first
Canadian doctorate in 1900, in physics
• Ontario had more doctoral graduates
whose mother tongue was a non-official
language (English/French)
Time taken to complete a doctorate
(TTD)
• Williams (2011) determined that “on
average, it took doctoral students in
Canada 5 years and 10 months to
complete their studies” (p. 10).
AGE
• “average age of all full and part-time
doctoral graduates, upon completion of
their degrees, was 36 years old with 20
per cent in the 20-29 year old cohort, 24
per cent over 40. . . the remainder in their
thirties” (Williams, 2011, p. 11).
Destination
• 2/3 (65%) of Ontario graduates pursued a Ph.D.,
to become university professors.
• As a Nation Canada consistently is given a ‘D’
grade whereas countries like Switzerland and
Sweden are granted ‘A’ grades for their financial
support of doctoral programs (The Conference
Board of Canada 2013).
Financial support
Path-making
• “doctoral programs need to position their
domestic students to become mobile and
capable of functioning anywhere in the
world — as PhDs in business, industry,
non-governmental organizations (NGOs),
and academe” (Nerad, 2010, p. 3).
Student ~ Supervisor
• Admittedly, relationships such as the
student-professor supervisory relationship
remain important elements that can impact
both the economics and the time to
completion for all doctoral students.
• In sum, “holders of the doctoral degree must
have demonstrated a high degree of intellectual
autonomy; an ability to conceptualize, design,
and implement projects for the generation of
significant new knowledge and/or
understanding; and an ability to create and
interpret knowledge that extends the forefront of
a discipline, usually through original research or
creative activity” (Council of Ministers of
Education Canada, 2013, p. 1).
Doctoral Journey Process
Components
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Application Process
You’ve been accepted! Begin with the end in mind.
Course Work: Mandatory and Elective
Comprehensive Exam
Proposal Hearing and Ethics Review
Research and Thesis Writing
Thesis Defense
Graduation!
Personal Reflections: Lessons
Shared and Lessons Learned
• One, research the doctoral programs that
best meet your learning needs and life
situation.
• Two, establish and commit to timelines
recognizing that you do not control all
factors as it relates to time.
• Three, be disciplined with your time allocation
for your studies, but remember to keep it in
balance with your commitments to family and
your partner.
• Four, go into your program of study with a good
idea of what your dissertation is going to be.
• Five, establish a strong relationship with your
thesis supervisor and follow most, not all, of their
advice.
• Six, seek the wisdom of many including
professors and your classmates. Read
critically.
• Seven, do your assigned readings. Reflect
upon them. Always seek deep, critical
understanding of what you read.
• Eight, methodology courses are your
friend.
• Nine, understand that people are
genuinely interested in your work and its
outcomes.
• Ten, the doctoral journey takes time, but it
should not take forever.
References
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Conference Board of Canada. (2013). How Canada performs: PH.D. graduates - key messages.
Author. Retrieved from http://www.conferenceboard.ca/hcp/details/education/phd-graduates.aspx
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Council of Ministers of Education Canada (CMEC) (2013). Statement on quality assurance for
degree education in Canada, Retrieved from
http://phase2.cmec.ca/Publications/Lists/Publications/Attachments/95/QAStatement-2007.en.pdf.
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Desjardins., L., & King., D. (2011). Expectations and labour market outcomes of doctoral
graduates from Canadian universities. Ottawa, ON: Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 81-595-M
No. 089. Statistics Canada and Human Resources and Social Development Canada.1-60.
Desjardins., L. (2012). Profile and labour market outcomes of doctoral graduates from Ontario
universities. Ottawa, ON: Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 81-595-M No. 098. Statistics Canada
and Human Resources and Social Development Canada.1-106.
King, D., Eisl-Culkin, J., & Desjardins, L. (2008). Doctorate education in Canada: Findings from
the survey of earned doctorates, 2005/2006. Ottawa, ON: Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 81595MIE2008069. Statistics Canada and Human Resources and Social Development Canada.175.
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Thank you!
thomasr@nipissingu.ca
slowrey@hwdsb.on.ca