PhD in Higher Education

Develop an advanced understanding of the dynamic forces shaping higher education.

The PhD in Higher Education is committed to advancing scholarship, research, and practice in the field of higher education. The program is focused on critical scholarship and centers equity, inclusion, and justice.

Students have research interests ranging from student access to student outcomes, student development and affairs, faculty, organizations, and administration, community colleges and community college leadership, and policy.

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Program Facts

Degree Type

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Credits

72

Format

In-Person

Time Commitment

Full-time or Part-Time

Duration

3 - 5 years

Enrollment Term

Fall

Application Deadline

December 1

Admission Requirements

No GRE Exam is required

Program Overview

The PhD in Higher Education is committed to advancing scholarship, research, and practice in the field of higher education. The program is focused on critical scholarship and centers equity, inclusion, and justice. Our students research interests include student access, student outcomes, student development and affairs, faculty, organizations, and administration, community colleges and community college leadership, and policy.

The program has a core set of courses designed for students to gain an understanding of historical, political, philosophical, and social elements that shape and continue to reshape higher education. The curriculum is designed to ground students in the study of higher education as a discipline and critical scholarship within the field. Students develop an area of research specialization. The curriculum in higher education is complemented by courses within other programs in the Educational Foundations, Organizations, and Policy Department and across the School of Education. In addition, through a strong focus within the program on rigorous methodological training, students gain competency in both quantitative and qualitative research methods and take advanced courses in the methodological approaches they plan to utilize in their research.

Prerequisites

There are no specific prerequisites for this degree, but interested students should verify that they fulfill the admissions requirements.

Admission Requirements

Applicants must complete the School of Education online admissions application that will include:

  • Resume or curriculum vitae (CV)
  • Goal statement
  • Contact information for three professional references
  • Academic transcript
  • Writing sample

View full admissions requirements

Curriculum

The PhD in Higher Education is a 72-credit program.

The curriculum consists of study through major-area courses, research methods, first-year seminars, electives, writing workshops, and an original dissertation created by the student.

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Career Pathways

  • Faculty at institutions of higher education
  • Researchers at educational think tanks and major policy institutes
  • Leaders of administrative units with teaching and research responsibilities.