With access to the collective scholarly resources of three respected Nova Scotia universities, students in the program obtain substantial knowledge of foundational and contemporary educational research. Students also acquire theoretical and methodological expertise to develop their own research topic.

In the first year of their program, students study full-time, taking a rigorous series of courses and preparing a comprehensive scholarly portfolio. In subsequent years, candidates conduct research leading to the completion of their doctoral dissertation.

Although they have five years to complete, normally, students will complete their doctoral program in about four years.