Higher Education Studies & Leadership, Ph.D.
The Doctor of Philosophy in Higher Education Studies & Leadership educates scholars and scholar-practitioners who desire to have meaningful, lasting influence on higher education. The program is uniquely balanced between research, academic rigor, and hands-on professional experience. Students entering the program can expect to be professionally challenged through their apprenticeships and academically challenged throughout the course sequence. The program is small and built on the idea that a great doctoral education stems from great mentorship. The program provides support, camaraderie, and debate as students come together from across the nation, representing a great diversity of regional and cultural world views.
Higher Education is a sophisticated enterprise, and the future scholars and leaders of higher education must be able to integrate research methodologies, complex critical thinking, and administrative responsibilities to foster meaningful change. Therefore, the Ph.D. in Higher Education Studies & Leadership has extensive learning outcomes woven throughout the curriculum. The degree requires 72 semester hours of graduate work arranged in eight blocks of courses. The degree plan may exceed 72 hours if students choose to complete additional courses.
Admission
Admission to the Ph.D. program in Higher Education Studies & Leadership is selective. Admission is based upon student vocational goals as well as a variety of background, skill sets/aptitudes, and dispositional factors that indicate potential success in the program. A hallmark of this program is the integration of Christian faith and learning, and students are expected to model this outcome.
All applicants must submit scores from the General Test of the GRE taken within the last five years, official transcripts of baccalaureate and master’s degrees from regionally accredited institutions, a curriculum vita/resume, a professional goals statement, three letters of recommendation, and a writing sample.
- Degree Plan
- Block I: Higher Education Core (15 Hours)
- Block II: Studies and Leadership in Higher Education (21 Hours)
- Block III: Research and Statistics (15 Hours)
- Block IV: Electives/Cognate (9 Hours)
- Block V: Professional Independent Study or Internship (3 Hours)
- Block VI: Comprehensive Exam (2 Hours)
- Block VII: Dissertation (7 Hours)
Degree Plan
Block I: Higher Education Core (15 Hours)
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| EDL 5379 | Foundations & History of Higher Education Leadership | 3 |
| EDL 6305 | Ethics and Values in Educational Leadership | 3 |
| EDL 6302 | Teaching and Learning in Higher Education | 3 |
| EDC 6345 | Christian Faith and Education | 3 |
| EDL 5375 | Sociology of Higher Education | 3 |
| Total Hours | 15 | |
Block II: Studies and Leadership in Higher Education (21 Hours)
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| EDL 5372 | Culture and Organization of Higher Education | 3 |
| EDL 5392 | Higher Education & the Law | 3 |
| EDL 5399 | Faith-Based Higher Education | 3 |
| EDL 6385 | Higher Education--Business and Finance | 3 |
| EDL 6363 | Advanced Studies in Educational Leadership | 3 |
| EDL 6306 | Student Success in Higher Education | 3 |
| EDL 6304 | Seminar: Politics, Policy and Governance of Education | 3 |
| Total Hours | 21 | |
Block III: Research and Statistics (15 Hours)
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| EDL 5300 | Research Applications in Educational Leadership (required only for students who have not already taken a similar course) | 3 |
| EDP 5334 | Statistical Methods (If the student has already taken a master’s level statistics course, they will be required to take either EDP 6360 Experimental Design I or EDP 6362 Applied Multiple Regression/Correlation Analysis in Education.) | 3 |
| EDL 5336 | Qualitative Research in Higher Education (required) | 3 |
| EDL 6335 | Research Practicum in Education (required) | 3 |
| In addition to the above required R&S courses, students will choose 3 to 6 hours (depending on whether the student needs to take EDP 5334) from the following (in consultation with his or her advisor). The courses chosen should assist with the publication of the dissertation. In addition, students can use their cognate or elective hours to take additional research courses: | 3-6 | |
| Measurement and Evaluation | ||
| Experimental Design I | ||
| Experimental Design II | ||
| Applied Multiple Regression/Correlation Analysis in Education | ||
| Psychometric Theory and Test Construction | ||
| Seminar in American Educational Thought | ||
| Ethnographic Research Methods in Education | ||
| Total Hours | 15 | |
Block IV: Electives/Cognate (9 Hours)
Students may take nine hours of their choice from within the department or across the university. We particularly encourage taking courses outside the School of Education that may expose students to other fields within the university. For instance, students may wish to take additional courses in management from the business school, particular methods courses from a particular discipline (e.g. history or sociology), or courses about education found in other disciplines (e.g., sociology of education, philosophy of education).
Block V: Professional Independent Study or Internship (3 Hours)
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Internship in Educational Leadership | ||
| Special Problems in Education | ||
| Special Problems in Educational Leadership | ||
| Total Hours | 3 | |
Block VI: Comprehensive Exam (2 Hours)
- EDL 6V95 Special Problems in Educational Leadership
Block VII: Dissertation (7 Hours)
- EDL 6V99 Dissertation
Total Number of Hours in the Program: 72 hours (65 hours of course work + 7 dissertation hours). The degree plan may be modified during advisement on an individual basis to meet each student’s needs.