Offered by Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, Canada, Educational Technology and Learning Design: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) is a doctorate in Information Systems & Technology programme. The programme runs for 4 years, delivered on campus. Teaching is in English. Tuition for international students is CAD 2,193 per semester (CAD 2,193 per semester for local students).
This PhD trains researchers and designers who study how technology gets used in learning, with an explicit emphasis on context, on the social side of ed-tech, and on the interaction between learner, tool and setting rather than technology alone. It runs alongside the department's master's program in the same area, drawing on shared coursework, and typically expects students to pick up methods training from the master's level if they have not already. Degree requirements total a minimum of 43 units across required and advanced-methods coursework, a satisfactory/unsatisfactory comprehensive exam, and a dissertation, with students expected to take part in the department's Educational Technology Program Institute every term and to finish within 18 terms. Graduates go on to academic, corporate, school-board and R&D research roles.
Requirements
Minimum GPA:3.50 / 4.33
Admission Requirements: The stored program URL (etld-phd.html) now 404s: SFU has consolidated its doctoral offerings, including Educational Technology and Learning Design, into a single unified PhD in Education, within which ETLD is a research focus chosen through coursework and supervision rather than a separate stream. That program's Application & Tuition page requires a thesis-based MA from SFU or its equivalent from a recognized institution, a cumulative GPA of at least 3.5/4.33, and submitted evidence that the applicant is capable of undertaking substantial original research; contacting a prospective supervisor beforehand is encouraged but not required. Applicants whose first language is not English must demonstrate command of English sufficient for graduate study, normally through an IELTS Academic overall band of 6.5 (minimum 6.0 per section) or a TOEFL iBT overall score of 90 (minimum 20 per section); those who completed a prior degree taught and examined in English in a country where English is the primary language are exempt from this testing.
Application Details
Start Date:September
Application Deadline:Domestic applicants apply through EducationPlannerBC, with one set of dates per applicant type rather than by citizenship. Fall 2027 entry: high-school-route applications open 1 October 2026 and close 31 January 2027, while transfer applications open 1 March 2027 and close 15 April 2027 (Education and Contemporary Arts transfer applicants may apply from 1 October 2026). Spring 2027 entry runs 1 July to 15 September 2026, and Summer 2027 entry runs 1 December 2026 to 15 January 2027. Admission documents are generally due 28 February 2027 (Fall) and offers must be accepted by 1 May. International applicants use the same EducationPlannerBC dates and portal; SFU publishes no separate international deadline. These are institution-wide dates; this programme publishes no deadline of its own.
