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Higher Education Ph.D.
Doctoral Degree
Program type:
Major
Format:
On Campus
Est. time to complete:
3-5 years
Credit Hours:
72
Become a professor in education and help shape the next generation of leaders.
The Ph.D. program in higher education is designed for individuals primarily interested
in the scholarly inquiry and/or teaching of higher education as a field of study.
This degree qualifies you for a staff position or an administrative position at the
middle-management or senior level in a college, a university or a state or regional
higher education coordinating, accrediting or governing agency. It also prepares you
for positions in student affairs, administrative and business affairs or development/advancement
areas in higher education.
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Request More InfoWhy Earn a Higher Education Ph.D.?
If you are interested in scholarly research, exploration and teaching higher education, the Doctor of Philosophy degree is for you. This degree will provide you with a career as a professor or an applied researcher and prepare you for senior leadership positions in higher learning institutions, statewide higher education coordinating agencies, medical centers and government agencies.
Our faculty members have published more than two dozen books, monographs and book chapters and more than 100 refereed journal articles. Their research areas include leadership in higher education, higher education policy and finance, access and equity, institutional effectiveness, professoriate, student affairs and student development. Our faculty have:
- Served as editors or editorial board members for various academic journals
- Presented numerous papers at national and international professional meetings and conferences
- Generated more than $2 million in grants from federal, state and private foundations
The program is a member of the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate (CPED). CPED is a consortium of colleges and schools that aims to improve the quality of the doctorate in education.
Marketable Skills
- Assess, develop, implement, and evaluate strategies
- Advanced oral and written communication
- Resource management of people, physical/financial assets
- Produce and use theory-driven research/practices
- Multi-cultural/diversity competencies
Higher Education Ph.D. Highlights
Identify problems needing research.
Discover designated College strengths in diverse research strategies/methods.
Academic and research positions in graduate instructional programs of higher education,
higher education institutes and centers for the study of higher education.
Applied and management research positions in institutions of higher learning, government
agencies, consortia of higher education institutions and higher education professional
associations.
Senior administrative positions in four-year colleges and universities where in-depth
knowledge and understanding of the conceptual bases of higher education administration
are required.
Designed to provide both subject-matter competence and research skills.
What Can You do With a Higher Education Ph.D.?
The Higher Education Ph.D can prepare your for roles in:
- Academic and research positions in graduate instructional programs of higher education, higher education institutes and centers for the study of higher education
- Applied and management research positions in institutions of higher learning, government agencies, consortia of higher education institutions and higher education professional associations
- Senior administrative positions in four-year colleges and universities where in-depth knowledge and understanding of the conceptual bases of higher education administration are required
Higher Education Ph.D. Courses You Could Take
History and Philosophy of Higher Education (3 hrs)
Study of the development of higher education in the United States, including the forces
that have shaped institutions and institutional culture and practice. Identification
of the significant events and philosophies that have influenced the evolution of higher
education institutions and analysis of the implications of these for practice and
for the future of higher education.
Students in Higher Education (3 hrs)
Links theories about college student development and research methodology on the study
of college student outcomes. Specifically addressed are the conditions and kinds of
effects that college attendance has on students. The course considers topics of interest
to both practitioners and researchers.
Policy Studies in Higher Education (3 hrs)
Studies in the development, implementation and enforcement of policies by institutions
of higher education, state higher education coordinating and governing boards and
the federal government. Measurements of the impacts of policies on educational outcomes
and institutional management also are examined.
Organization and Administration of Higher Education (3 hrs)
Examination of the theoretical principles of organizational behavior, leadership and
institutional culture applied to a functional examination of administrative roles
in higher education.
Legal Aspects of Higher Education (3 hrs)
Legal aspects and issues affecting institutions of higher learning and their administrations,
faculties and students. Analyses of decisions rendered by the federal and state courts
concerning procedural and substantive due process, civil rights, and the operation
and function of higher education.
Proseminar in Higher Education (3 hrs)
Orients entering doctoral students to the study of higher education. Acquaints graduate
students with higher education as an interdisciplinary field of study that bridges
practice, theory, and empirical research. Enhances students’ abilities of critical
reading, critical thinking and analysis, writing, and inquiry.
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