Celebrating 25 years of the Joint PhD in Educational Studies Program
Celebrating 25 years of collaboration between Brock University, Lakehead University, and the University of Windsor in offering the Joint PhD in Educational Studies program.
About the Program
This program is built on a solid foundation of scholarship, research, and mentorship. The required course sequence is designed to provide students with both a broad and in-depth understanding of their field of study, along with a strong methodological framework in education. The program structure offers students the advantages of flexible learning environments including a combination of program delivery approaches designed to make distance study accessible and approachable; further, through the collaboration, the institutions can offer greater breadth and depth of scholarly and pedagogical expertise than could be offered by the institutions individually.
Program Timeline
In October 1999, the Deans of the Faculty of Graduate Studies at Brock University, Lakehead University, the University of Windsor, and the University of Western Ontario received approval from the Ontario Council of Graduate Studies (OCGS) to establish the first Ontario Joint PhD in Educational Studies program. The inaugural cohort began in July 2000. The program’s first OCGS periodic appraisal in 2004 earned the highest possible rating, “good quality.” In 2005, the University of Western Ontario chose to withdraw from the partnership. The 2011(U. Windsor) and 2019 (Lakehead U.) Institutional Quality Assurance Program reviews (IQAP), reaffirmed the program’s primary strength as its collaborative nature that offers students flexibility while building on the individual strengths and expertise of faculty at the partner universities. The main recommendations were to further strengthen the partnership between the three remaining universities and to clarify the comprehensive portfolio course expectations. In 2006 the Lakehead University Orillia Ontario Campus was established.
Where is the program now?
The Office of the Secretariat Program Committee is currently collaborating with the partner universities to develop a second option for the comprehensive portfolio course requirement. This initiative is nearing completion and is expected to be available for the incoming 2026 cohort. Additionally, work has begun on revamping the summer session courses.
If interested, consider staying in the loop on the Joint PhD in Educational Studies Program for future events and updates.
Where Are You Now?
As part of our 25th-anniversary celebration, we invite both alumni and current students to join in the festivities by sharing your journey. Fill out the form below to reconnect, reflect, and share your story with us!