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Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Discover Our PhD Program!

Interested in developing your expertise and conducting primary research in order to make a meaningful contribution to the fields of education, community, teaching and learning?

Completing a PhD in Education: Language, Culture and Teaching will provide you with the skills and knowledge to conduct research in order to positively impact teaching and learning.

Admission Requirements

In addition to meeting standard Faculty of Graduate Studies requirements, applicants to the Doctoral Program in Language, Culture and Teaching will have undertaken a Masters-level Program (with a B+ average) including a component based on original research at a recognized university. Applicants must submit evidence of relevant professional preparation and/or personal and career experience.

Applicants are required to submit a file of their academic, career, and life experience for admission to the Doctoral Program. This file shall consist of:

• Faculty of Graduate Studies admissions  application  form
• One official copy of  transcripts  of each post-secondary institution attended
• Three  letters of reference  (at least two must be from academic referees; the other may be from a professional referee)                - You will provide three names and email addresses of referees in your MyFile application, and referees will receive an automatic request for reference. They will have two weeks to complete the letter of recommendation online
• A  curriculum vitae
• A  statement of area of interest  with a discussion of intended research (see details below)
• Two  samples of written work
• English language test score  (if applicable)

Applicants of interest to the Program may be interviewed in the final stages of selection. This interview will be arranged at the convenience of both the Program and the candidate. The purpose of the interview is to assess the overall suitability of candidates and to determine if there are faculty members available in their area of research interest.

Final admission will be offered to candidates only if faculty supervision is available.

The Statement of Interest

What Makes a Good Doctoral Statement of Interest? Tips for applicants.

The statement needs to reflect who you are, what research interests you have and what would make you an asset to the program in 500 words minimum (2 pages, double spaced, 12 font).

It must be brief, concise, direct and clear. Use headings if needed. Make it easy to read. Remember the admissions committee reads hundreds of applications. Your Statement must stand out in form and substance.

At the doctoral level your statement should include:

• A brief comment of what you want to accomplish in the doctoral program, and what motivated you to choose your field and the particular program to which you are applying.
• Research questions you are curious about
• The kinds of theoretical framings you would like to engage in your research program
• The existing research you hope to extend
• Why you want to come to York’s Faculty of Education (as opposed to elsewhere)?
• Make an explicit connection between your interests and faculty expertise
• Have to offer the doctoral cohort you may potentially join
• Bring to the program and your colleagues
• Your active involvement in the field
• Identify in the statement how your past studies and/or work or other experiences are relevant to your research program choice

Do not repeat or list what is already in your CV. The statement is a chance for you to make sense of your application, in a holistic way, for the Admissions Committee.

Please note:

• It is an expectation that students attend all classes in their scheduled format (whether online, blended or in-person) in order to complete degree/diploma requirements.

Students who work full-time should register as part-time students.

Program Description

This program starts each September.

Students will undertake a program of studies with a minimum of 21 credits plus a doctoral dissertation.

Note: The program  does not  lead to teaching certification

Required Courses

A compulsory Seminar on Research and Issues in Language, Culture, and Teaching ( EDUC 5100 ) (6.0 credits). This seminar covers the conceptualizations of educational inquiry, theory and practice in relation to ongoing issues in holism, critical thought and the return to the humanities and arts as a way of informing human studies.

A compulsory  research methods course  beyond the introductory graduate level of at least 3.00 credits. (Students lacking pre-requisites must enrol in an introductory graduate-level course as an addition to their Program requirements. Equivalence of previous methods courses will be determined by the faculty supervisor in consultation with the Graduate Executive Committee). Courses  may be offered in an online, blended or face-to-face format. Course format is at the discretion of the faculty members who are teaching, so may vary in each academic year.

Elective Courses

A minimum of four half-courses (12.00 credits) or equivalent must be chosen from among the following:

• The formal course offerings of the Graduate Program in Education
• Courses in allied disciplines chosen from among the offerings of other graduate Programs at York University
• Courses in allied disciplines, to a maximum of one full course or equivalent, at other institutions
• Negotiated studies courses: Student Initiated Collaborative Inquiry (SICI), Directed Reading, Practicum Seminar. (Note: the content and weighting of negotiated studies courses must be determined by the faculty and approved by the Graduate Executive Committee).

NOTE:  Students may take no more than 6.00 credits outside the Graduate Program in Education toward their degree requirements.

Courses  may be offered in an online, blended or face-to-face format. Course format is at the discretion of the faculty members who are teaching, so may  vary in each academic year.

Comprehensive Examination

The Comprehensive Examination consists of a public defence of the dissertation proposal.

A Comprehensive Examination is set at the completion of all required course work, and typically held within six months of -- and no more than one year from -- the end of the student's course work. Additional details on the Comprehensive Examination are available in the Graduate Program in Education Handbook.

Doctoral Dissertation Proposal & Dissertation

For regulations on the Dissertation Proposal & Dissertation Oral Examination, please consult the  Faculty of Graduate Studies site  for details.

Residency & Regulations

All graduate students at York University are responsible for being familiar with and following policies and procedures, including registering and paying fees in accordance with  Faculty of Graduate Studies and University policies, deadlines and procedures.   By registering, each student becomes bound by the policies and regulations of York University, including the Faculty in which the student is registered.

Both full-time and part-time study options are available. Students must maintain continuous registration, including payment of applicable (tuition) fees, in every fall, winter and summer term up to and including the term in which all requirements for their program of study are successfully completed, in accordance with Faculty and program regulations.

Students who fail to maintain continuous registration, including payment of applicable fees, will lose their status as full-time or part-time graduate students and will be withdrawn from their program of study. Students who have been withdrawn as a result of failure to observe registration requirements may petition for reinstatement.

Doctoral students must register and pay fees for a minimum of the equivalent of six terms of full-time registration. All requirements for a doctoral degree must be fulfilled within 18 terms (6 years) of registration as a full-time or part-time doctoral student in accordance with Faculty of Graduate Studies Registration Policies, including the requirement of continuous registration.

Students who successfully complete a doctoral degree in less time than the program length will, prior to convocation, be responsible for payment of a balance of degree fee.

Please be advised that programs in the Faculty of Education are intended to be delivered on campus or in official offsite locations in Toronto. Although mandated restrictions resulting from covid-19 have required classes to run online in the 2020-21 academic year, it is an expectation that students attend all classes in their scheduled format (whether online, blended or in-person) in order to complete degree/diploma requirements.   

The York University Online Summer B 2024 session begins on 6/24/24! Apply here by 6/19/24.

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eLearning is a formal learning activity that occurs when students and instructor are separated by geographic distance or by time. Exploring and learning the course material can happen through websites, podcasts, blogs, Wikis, audio/video lecture recordings and online discussion forums.

Learn more about learning through technology at York on the Teaching & Learning website .

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Browse the eLearning Courses on the  Course Timetables Website.

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Department of Computer Science

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Computer Science

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PhD in Computer Science

You will be based in the Department of Computer Science overlooking the lake on Campus East .

You will benefit from modern offices and collaboration spaces, and well-equipped research labs with a specialist in-department team to support your requirements throughout your studies. 

We will provide you with a laptop connected to the University network, and you will have 24/7 access to your desk and workspace. Distance learning students are allocated a work desk for the duration of their stay while they are in York.

For on-campus researchers, most of your training and supervision meetings will take place on campus at the University of York, though your research may take you further afield.

PhD by distance learning

We offer the opportunity to study for a PhD by distance learning. This is available to students based in the UK and abroad, studying full-time or part-time. Our PhD by distance learning offers the same high quality of supervisory support (primarily online), and demands the same level of academic rigour as a campus-based PhD.

You will undertake your research and thesis production remotely, joining us on campus only occasionally. You will be expected to visit York at your own expense at the following stages of your study:

• Two weeks at the start of enrolment for induction, to meet your supervisor and your research group, and to meet other PhD students;
• Two one-week visits each year at important stages ('milestones') of your study (the number of visits is reduced accordingly if you are a part-time student);
• You will normally attend your PhD viva in person.

When you are not in York, you will continue to benefit from regular supervision meetings using online communication platforms, such as Zoom. Read more about how we support distance learners .

Are you an international applicant? It is important for you to note that it is your responsibility to meet any requirements for legal entry into the UK at the time of each of your visits. While the University and Department can provide supporting letters, the University cannot make any guarantees regarding entry visas or legal residence.  Read more about applying for a visa.

Entry requirements

Undergraduate and masters degrees.

The PhD in Computer Science is intended for students who already have a good first degree in Computer Science or a related field.

For entry to the PhD programme, we require at least a 2:1 undergraduate degree, or a qualification equivalent to a UK Masters degree with a minimum average grade of 60%.

We are willing to consider your application if you do not fit this profile, providing you are able to demonstrate that you have the required amount of Computer Science knowledge and experience to succeed on the programme.

English language requirements

If English is not your first language you must provide evidence of your ability.

Find out more about English Language requirements for research degrees

How to apply

Find a potential supervisor.

You should find a potential supervisor in our Department whose area of research overlaps with yours. We encourage you to contact them to discuss your research proposal before you apply. Please identify the name of your potential supervisor in your application.

On our Research web pages, you can explore our research groups which reflect the core research strengths and expertise within the Department of Computer Science. On the web page for each research group, you'll find more information about the aims and objectives of the group and the names of group members. You can use this information to identify the groups where research interests match your own.

If you have any questions or need further information, please contact [email protected] .

Submit your application

We require you to submit the following documents:

• Research proposal
• Academic transcript(s )
• Your curriculum vitae (CV)
• Personal statement
• Details of two academic referees

Your research proposal needs to outline the nature of your proposed study and give some indication of how you will conduct your research. The purpose of this exercise is to ensure that you and your potential supervisor(s) have matching research interests.

Your proposal can build on your chosen supervisor's area of work and may be prepared with the help of your chosen supervisor. It should be about 500 to 1,000 words in length, in English and in your own words. Read more about writing a research proposal .

You can apply and send all your documentation electronically through our online system. You don’t need to complete your application all at once: you can start it, save it and finish it later.

After you have applied, you can track the status of your application and view any official correspondence online. If you have applied for an advertised scholarship, decisions on funded places may take a little longer.

Applicant interviews

If we are impressed by your full application, personal statement and references, we will invite you to interview.

The interview panel will be made up of your potential supervisor(s) and another independent academic. During your interview, it is important that you demonstrate an understanding of your chosen topic and its supporting theories.

For students based outside the UK, interviews are held online via Zoom. Applicants based in the UK are offered the opportunity to attend their interview in York. If you choose to attend in person, your visit will include a tour of the Department and its facilities.

Related links Explore our PhD opportunities Research groups in the Department of Computer Science About our research degrees Applying for a research degree Funding for research degrees Information for International students Accommodation Life at York

Department of Computer Science Deramore Lane , University of York , Heslington , York , YO10 5GH , UK Tel: work 01904 325501

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Earn an Online Doctorate in Education from NYU

Innovative change in your organization starts here. expand your leadership skills and create new solutions to persistent challenges with your edd in leadership and innovation..

NYU Steinhardt’s EdD in Leadership and Innovation is more than an educational leadership degree program. It’s a cohort of professionals, faculty, and distinguished cross-sectoral leaders interested in education and learning. Collectively, they understand that by working together, they can effect sustainable and scalable change through education leadership jobs in their organizations.

This Doctorate in Education serves a diverse range of experienced professionals. Rooted in a rigorous academic experience and shared passion, the advanced degree is designed for cross-sector leaders who are motivated to create change in education and learning.

Students accepted into the program bring with them real-world challenges. They are encouraged to question and explore, to take risks and succeed, to push and innovate.

This is a unique educational leadership degree that addresses the needs of working professionals with a rigorous online doctorate in education program that can be completed in as few as 24 months.

We [leaders] need to know how to speak to each other in a common language. Our EdD in Leadership and Innovation creates the space where we can find a common language as we work across sectors to solve problems. Dr. Noel S. Anderson Founding Faculty

Solving problems means challenging preconceptions.

Transformative change can result when you allow your point of view to be questioned. So, one of the best ways to develop knowledge, skills, new approaches, and solutions is to work with others — people across all sectors who will challenge you with differing perspectives.

We bring together students and instructors from inside and outside the scope of traditional education to push you to think differently and to ask tough questions.

When you intentionally gather people from different personal and professional backgrounds to collaborate, something powerful occurs: change happens. It’s how to build new processes, solutions, policies, and powerful new tools — and how to create visionary leaders.

We believe leaders are learners, and that education is essential to great leadership.

The NYU EdD is a rigorous online doctorate degree program that combines the discipline of a top-tier university with an innovative approach to education and leadership. We offer accessibility through enhanced technology and the personal connection of face-to-face instruction.

We examine the most important issues leaders in education and learning face today and discover solutions that make change possible for tomorrow. We apply an academic lens to myriad sectors so students graduate from the doctoral program in education with the core competencies for impactful director and executive-level career options.

The research, analysis, writing, and critical thinking involved in students’ strategic design and implementation of a change management project are assets that students will bring to current and future employers.

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A doctorate is the pinnacle of an arts and science education. Founded in 1886, the Graduate School of Arts and Science at NYU is among the oldest schools offering doctoral programs in the United States. Today NYU’s doctoral programs span the humanities, sciences, and social sciences, and students pursue cutting-edge research with the close supervision of NYU’s internationally recognized research faculty. New York City resources complement and enhance our vibrant intellectual communities. Use the links below to explore Doctor of Philosophy and dual advanced degrees at New York University.

Ph.D. Programs Dual Degree Programs

Postgraduate research

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Working alongside renowned experts, you'll play a key role in pushing forward the boundaries of knowledge in your chosen field.

Our research degrees allow you to focus in depth on a piece of independent and original research, and give you the chance to uncover knowledge that can change people's lives.

Find a research degree

All research degrees | Online and distance learning courses

Types of degree

Qualifications include: PhD, MPhil, iPhD and MA/MSc by research. We offer specific studentships and funded projects, or you can find a potential supervisor who matches your research interest.

A number of funding opportunities are available from our departments, the Research Councils UK, our Doctoral Training Centres, as well as scholarships for international students.

Fees and expenses

Find out about tuition fees, additional costs and living expenses. Fees vary by course and whether you're classified as a UK or international student.

Find out how and when to apply, and about the supporting documents you'll need to provide, including your research proposal.

As a research student at York, you'll be part of a dynamic, world-class university. You'll collaborate with pioneering academics, across disciplinary boundaries, on discoveries that can make our world a better place. You'll be supported by your department and our Graduate Research School every step of the way to ensure you can make an impact.

More reasons to choose York

York helped me develop my critical thinking and analytical skills in a creative environment with state-of-the-art facilities. My training also helped me become an independent researcher and prepared me for my current role. Dr Wei He Lecturer in the Department of Biology, Northwest University, Xian, China (PhD Biology)​

 Centres for doctoral training

PhD students are an integral part of our research community and many students join us as part of a Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT), Doctoral Training Centre (DTC), or Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP).

Each year we award over £7m of studentships through UK Research and Innovation.

Find out more

We are here to support you throughout your time at York to ensure that you make the most out of your learning experience. As a postgraduate student, you'll have access to a range of support that will help you with your wellbeing and academic life.

Our  York Graduate Research School  looks after our research student community. They offer a wide range of support including mentoring schemes, research skills training and help with university processes such as funding rules and submitting work. You will also have access to peer-to-peer support activities and career development support with our dedicated postgraduate research careers consultant. The School will help to ensure you receive consistently high quality supervision and training.

The  Building Research and Innovation Capacity (BRIC) Team  provides support and development opportunities for you to excel in your chosen field.

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NYU Center for Data Science

Harnessing Data’s Potential for the World

PhD in Data Science

An NRT-sponsored program in Data Science

• Areas & Faculty
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• Medical School Track
• NRT FUTURE Program

Advances in computational speed and data availability, and the development of novel data analysis methods, have birthed a new field: data science. This new field requires a new type of researcher and actor: the rigorously trained, cross-disciplinary, and ethically responsible data scientist. Launched in Fall 2017, the pioneering CDS PhD Data Science program seeks to produce such researchers who are fluent in the emerging field of data science, and to develop a native environment for their education and training. The CDS PhD Data Science program has rapidly received widespread recognition and is considered among the top and most selective data science doctoral programs in the world. It has recently been recognized by the NSF through an NRT training grant.

The CDS PhD program model rigorously trains data scientists of the future who (1) develop methodology and harness statistical tools to find answers to questions that transcend the boundaries of traditional academic disciplines; (2) clearly communicate to extract crisp questions from big, heterogeneous, uncertain data; (3) effectively translate fundamental research insights into data science practice in the sciences, medicine, industry, and government; and (4) are aware of the ethical implications of their work.

Our programmatic mission is to nurture this new generation of data scientists, by designing and building a data science environment where methodological innovations are developed and translated successfully to domain applications, both scientific and social. Our vision is that combining fundamental research on the principles of data science with translational projects involving domain experts creates a virtuous cycle: Advances in data science methodology transform the process of discovery in the sciences, and enable effective data-driven governance in the public sector. At the same time, the demands of real-world translational projects will catalyze the creation of new data science methodologies. An essential ingredient of such methodologies is that they embed ethics and responsibility by design.

These objectives will be achieved by a combination of an innovative core curriculum, a novel data assistantship mechanism that provides training of skills transfer through rotations and internships, and communication and entrepreneurship modules. Students will be exposed to a wider range of fields than in more standard PhD programs while working with our interdisciplinary faculty. In particular, we are proud to offer a medical track for students eager to explore data science as applied to healthcare or to develop novel theoretical models stemming from medical questions.

In short, the CDS PhD Data Science program prepares students to become leaders in data science research and prepares them for outstanding careers in academia or industry. Successful candidates are guaranteed financial support in the form of tuition and a competitive stipend in the fall and spring semesters for up to five years.* We invite you to learn more through our webpage or by contacting  [email protected] .

*The Ph.D. program also offers students the opportunity to pursue their study and research with Data Science faculty based at NYU Shanghai. With this opportunity, students generally complete their coursework in New York City before moving full-time to Shanghai for their research. For more information, please visit the NYU Shanghai Ph.D. page .

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She Just Earned Her Doctorate at 17. Now, She’ll Go to the Prom.

Dorothy Jean Tillman II of Chicago made history as the youngest person to earn a doctoral degree in integrated behavioral health at Arizona State University.

By Alexandra E. Petri

When Dorothy Jean Tillman II successfully defended her dissertation in November 2023 to earn her doctoral degree from Arizona State University, she couldn’t wait to share the news with her best friend.

“It was a surreal moment,” Dr. Tillman said, “because it was crazy I was doing it in the first place.”

Dr. Tillman, at only 17, became the youngest person to earn a doctoral degree in integrated behavioral health from Arizona State’s College of Health Solutions, all before she was eligible to vote. Earlier this month, Dr. Tillman, now 18, took part in Arizona State’s commencement ceremony and delivered remarks as the outstanding 2024 graduate at the College of Health Solution’s convocation.

Lesley Manson, program director for the doctorate of behavioral health at Arizona State and Dr. Tillman’s doctoral chair, said Dr. Tillman displayed extraordinary perseverance, hard work and dedication for her young age, tackling every challenge head-on.

“She can serve as a real role model,” Ms. Manson said.

Dr. Tillman, called D.J. by her family and friends, was an early bloomer. She grew up in Chicago and was home-schooled from a young age, first in a group setting through online classes, and then by her mother, Jimalita Tillman, a single parent with a background in community theater.

Dr. Tillman was part of a gifted program before transitioning to home-schooling. Jimalita Tillman continued her daughter on an accelerated track: By the time she was 8, she was taking high school classes. While most 9-year-olds were learning math and reading, Dr. Tillman was starting college online.

At the time, they lived with Jimalita Tillman’s mother, Dorothy Wright Tillman, a civil rights activist who worked alongside the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and was a Chicago alderman. Dr. Tillman is her grandmother’s namesake (hence the II at the end of Dr. Tillman’s name).

During her early college days, Dr. Tillman’s classroom was often a Starbucks in Chicago, and her days began as soon it opened, she said. Her go-to order was an iced peach green tea with lemonade.

“Around the time when kids went to lunch, we’d be closing the computer,” said Dr. Tillman, who said her discipline and focus come from her grandmother.

Because of her age, Dr. Tillman lived at home while pursuing her higher education, and most of her coursework was online — a challenge for a self-described social butterfly. “I do love meeting new people and talking to people and understanding them and how their brains work,” she said. She found other ways to stay connected with friends through after-school activities.

At 10, she earned her associate degree in psychology at the College of Lake County in Illinois. At 12, she received her Bachelor of Science in humanities at Excelsior College in New York, and at 14, she earned a Master of Science from Unity College in Maine. She chose those fields because they can help scientists “understand why people treat the environment the way they do,” she told Time for Kids in a July 2020 interview.

Ellen Winner, a professor of psychology at Boston College and the author of “Gifted Children: Myths and Realities,” said that children like Dr. Tillman have a motivational intensity she calls a “rage to master.”

“One of the reasons they push themselves is they have a high, innate ability of some kind, and so learning, in whatever they are gifted in, comes easily to them and it’s very pleasurable,” she said. Schools are often not equipped for such gifted children, she added, which may lead parents to home-school their children. The trade-off, she and some experts say, is missing out on socialization and learning with children their age.

“There’s no perfect solution to kids like this,” Ms. Winner said.

Jimalita Tillman said she was sure her daughter was finished with higher education after earning her master’s degree. Dr. Tillman had just launched an organization to support Black youth in Chicago interested in STEM and the arts called the Dorothy Jeanius STEAM Leadership Institute. It was 2020, just after the beginning of the pandemic.

She was surprised when her daughter said she wanted to pursue her doctorate, and even tried to dissuade Dr. Tillman. But Dr. Tillman wanted to help young people with their mental health. She told her mother to trust her.

“I had to follow her lead,” Jimalita Tillman, 42, said.

Dr. Tillman was accepted into the management concentration at Arizona State’s College of Health Solutions, an online doctorate program. Her thesis on developing programs to reduce the stigma for college students seeking mental health services was based on a study she conducted for an in-person internship at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago. Dr. Tillman hopes her story resonates with girls who are talkative, outgoing “out-there kind of girls who are trying to figure themselves out but are very smart.”

“I want them to see someone who has taken that energy, sparkle and excitement and packaged it in a way that is classy and beautiful,” she said.

Dr. Tillman may now have her doctorate, but she’s also excited about teenage things — like attending a prom. On Saturday, she going as her best friend’s date to his senior dance. They’re taking an Escalade outfitted with stars on the ceiling, she said, a feature she requested and that her mother made happen.

Dr. Tillman has been focused on school and her professional pursuits, and she plans to host her institute’s summer camp again. Then, she said, she plans to take a beat and have a “fun teenage summer,” doing things she loves, discovering new hobbies and figuring herself out in the process.

“I want to focus on who I am,” she said.

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Bryan Kohberger’s lawyers call surprise witness in attempt to poke holes in evidence that he was at grisly University of Idaho murder scene

L awyers for Idaho quadruple murder suspect Bryan Kohberger called a surprise witness on Thursday — likely telegraphing their attempt to poke holes in a prosecutors’ evidence that he was at the scene of the grisly killings.

Kohberger’s attorneys called Moscow Police Department Detective Lawerence Mowery to the stand for a hearing about whether prosecutors are doing enough to turn over evidence to the defense.

Public defender Anne Taylor grilled Mowery about about cell tower data he had gathered as part of the investigation into the November 2022 murders.

She asked him to walk through in meticulous detail the process he he used to collect that data, which prosecutors are using to allege Kohberger was the man who killed students University of Idaho students Ethan Chapin, Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, and Xana Kernodle.

Cell phone data suggesting Kohberger was in the vicinity of the off-campus house where the students were stabbed to death was one of the primary pieces of evidences that led to Kohberger being charged in the murders that shocked the nation.

At the hearing Thursday, Mowery was asked whether he had ever deleted files during his investigation, and whether the evidence presented to the defense was the full extent of the cell phone data he collected during his investigation.

Despite the lengthy questioning, the state offered no substantial input on the defense team’s claim that evidence was being withheld from discovery, according to KHQ .

Kohberger’s lawyers have been adamant that prosecutors are holding out evidence, which they believe may be critical to their ability to defend Kohberger.

“The state knows full well what they have and what they’re withholding from us,” said Taylor at a hearing earlier this month, according to the Idaho Statesman.

“We don’t know what they’re going to show, but we know they exist.”

Prosecutors claim a white Hyundai Elantra seen on video at least four different near the victims’ home the night of the murder was Kohberger’s — but the defense has complained full footage of those drive-bys hasn’t been released.

The 29-year-old criminology graduate student’s defense claim there is cellphone data that will exonerate him.

They have previously attempted to have the case thrown out, citing a lack of evidence, but were unsuccessful.