Summary
The online Ph.D. in Higher Education Leadership for Changing Populations prepares effective leaders for increasingly diverse populations in higher education. The curriculum provides hands-on experience with education practice and policy with a focus on organizational management. The program requires coursework, comprehensive exams and a formal dissertation.
Curriculum
Changing Populations Core Courses
Higher Education Core Courses
Research Core Courses
Dissertation Courses
Comprehensive Examinations
Students complete written and oral comprehensive examinations demonstrating knowledge of the broad conceptual and procedural aspects of instruction for changing populations. The written portion of the exam requires students to write essay answers demonstrating proficiency in writing, critical thinking, and holistic perspectives, and to demonstrate their ability to articulate their perceived roles as agents of change in education.
Written and oral examinations must be passed in the following areas:
- Language and learning
- Philosophical perspectives
- Changing populations
Written comprehensive examinations are administered in August and January. If a student fails any section of the examination, the student will have one opportunity to rewrite the failed section. Written examinations are read by two faculty members. In the event of divided scoring, a third faculty member will be asked to review the examination. After two failures of any section, the candidate may not continue in the Ph.D. Program. Written examinations are not returned to students.
Grades assigned to comprehensive examinations are:
- Pass (P)
- Fail (F)
Students are officially notified of the results by the Assistant Dean of the School of Education.
Students must complete the comprehensive exam requirement within two years of completing course work.
Dissertation
The Dissertation is the culmination of the student's doctoral studies. In this scholarly work of original and independent research, the student addresses a problem or issue relevant to education, conducts research that is quantitative, qualitative, or historical/philosophical (depending on the chosen subject), and develops a dissertation that adds to knowledge in the field.
Dissertation Proposal
The student is assisted in the process of preparing a dissertation proposal through the Dissertation Seminar(s). To be eligible to enroll in the Dissertation Seminar, the student must have successfully completed all required courses, passed the written and oral comprehensive examinations, and be Good Academic Standing at the University.
The following courses are offered regarding Dissertation research:
- EDU-705 Dissertation Seminar (required for students engaging in qualitative or quantitative research) (3 credits)
- EDU-706 Dissertation Seminar: Methodology (required for students engaging in qualitative or quantitative research) (3 credits)
- EDU-707 Dissertation Seminar: Historical Methods (required for students engaging in historical or philosophical research) (3 credits)
These courses assist the student in developing a dissertation proposal. During this time, the student confers with the Dean of the School of Education to select a Dissertation Committee (a Chair and two readers) who are subsequently appointed by the PhD committee.
After completing the Dissertation Seminar(s), students must enroll in EDU-800 Dissertation Continuation (1-3 credit) for each academic semester (Fall, Spring and Summer) until they graduate.
When the student completes the dissertation proposal and the Chair and two readers approve it, the student submits the proposal to the School of Education Ph.D. Committee to approve. Students are expected to submit a proposal to the School of Education Ph.D. Committee within two years of passing comprehensive examinations. If a student fails to submit a proposal within this timeline, he/she must appeal to the Dean of the School of Education for an extension of time.
Advancement to Candidacy
Once the School of Education Ph.D. Committee approves the dissertation proposal, the student is considered a Ph.D. Candidate. Once the Ph.D. Committee approves the proposal, students conducting research with human subjects also apply to the IRB for approval for their research.
Submission of the Dissertation
The candidate submits drafts of the dissertation to the dissertation advisor and readers for suggestions and review throughout the process of research and writing. When the candidate, advisors, and readers agree the dissertation is ready for final review by the School of Education Ph.D. Committee, the candidate submits required copies to the Dean of the School of Education. Due dates for submission of dissertations to the Dean are January 1 (for May graduation) and August 1 (for December graduation). If the dissertation is found to be satisfactory, the committee schedules the dissertation defense. Manuscripts that do not follow the format expectations set forth in the Dissertation Handbook will not be accepted.
Dissertation Defense
The candidate defends the dissertation before the PhD Committee in consultation with the advisor, readers and the candidate. The Committee includes faculty from the School of Education. Where relevant to the student's research topic, the Committee may also include a faculty member from a complementary discipline. The dissertation defense must be successfully completed by these dates:
- April 1 for May graduation
- November 1 for December graduation
These are firm deadlines.
Dissertations are graded as follows:
- Pass with distinction
- Pass
- Fail
Candidates are expected to defend their dissertation within two years of being admitted to candidacy. If a candidate fails to defend a dissertation within this timeline, he/she must appeal to the Dean of the School of Education for an extension of time.