Submit a research proposal during the first year of registration and defend it successfully before a panel of examiners appointed by the Dean, in collaboration with the relevant head of department, supervisor, and research coordinator, before they can start with the research.

The Nazarbayev University Graduate School of Education Ph.D. program combines intensive coursework, a module at one of the partner universities (the University of Cambridge or University of Pennsylvania), and an in-depth exploration of advanced research methodology to develop scholars and independent researchers in the field of Education. It is a full-time four-year program. Central to the NUGSE Ph.D. experience is the completion of a substantial piece of independent research, in the form of a Ph.D. dissertation. Graduates of the NUGSE Ph.D. program will be expected to act as key players in education reform and policy development in Kazakhstan.

The Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership, Policy, and Law will prepare professional educators to be part of a vanguard through the twenty-first century. These educators will be provided with: the necessary knowledge of their subject; an understanding of our diverse culture; technological skills; critical thinking skills required to make informed decisions and implement change; and the ability to provide a just and ethical, accurate, and meaningful education for their students.