Higher Education, Ed.D.

Return to: School of Education and Human Development: Degree Programs

All Ed.D. programs in the School of Education and Human Development are designed to prepare scholar/practitioners to assume leadership or supervisory roles in their educational fields, or work as faculty members in higher education institutions. The primary purpose of the Ed.D. in Higher Education is to provide experienced and practicing educators with a broad and systematic understanding of higher education, a definitive knowledge of selected aspects of educational theory and practice, and an ability to apply research in an informed and critical manner to educational practice and problems.

Ed.D. students in Higher Education complete a program of study totaling 72 credits consisting of a minimum of 60 hours of coursework, including a required higher education core (12 credits), additional coursework in research methods (18 credits), a content minor organized around a theme or set of questions of the student’s choice (12 credits), and elective courses in higher education (12 credits). Students will choose their content minor with the advice and consent of their advisors. Courses for the content minor may be taken outside of the program and the School of Education and Human Development (EHD). Typical content minor areas include student affairs, higher education policy, the organization and governance of higher education, the economics of higher education, and the social foundations of higher education.

Students entering the doctoral program with a master’s degree can apply up to 24 hours of credit to their doctoral program, provided that the program area faculty judges that the courses are sufficiently comparable to substitute for courses offered in the doctoral program.

Program Requirements

Core Courses (12 credits)

EDLF 8640 - Inequality in Higher Education Credits: 3
EDLF 8654 - Organization and Governance in Higher Education Credits: 3
EDLF 8662 - Politics and Education Credits: 3
EDLF 8665 - Contemporary Issues in Higher Education Credits: 3

Electives

Minimum of 12 credits required distributed between 3 categories: Student Experience/Student Development; History, Philosophy, & Contexts; Governance & Policy

EDLF 5820 - Organization & Management of Colleges and Universities Credits: 3
EDLF 5830 - College Student Experience Credits: 3
EDLF 6010 - Financial Management & Budgeting in Higher Ed Credits: 3
EDLF 6020 - Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity in Higher Education Credits: 3
EDLF 6030 - Student Affairs in Colleges and Universities Credits: 3
EDLF 7130 - College Student Development Credits: 3
EDLF 8651 - History of Higher Education Credits: 3
EDLF 8653 - Curriculum in Higher Education Credits: 3
EDLF 8663 - The American Professoriate Credits: 3
EDLF 8664 - The Community College Credits: 3
EDLF 8680 - Economics and Education Policy Credits: 3

Research Courses (minimum of 18 credits)

EDLF 5301 - Academic Writing for Practitioner-Scholars Credits: 1
EDLF 8382 - Educational Inquiry for Practitioners Credits: 3
EDLF 8383 - Qualitative Inquiry with Data Management & Analysis Credits: 3
EDLF 8384 - Lab of Practice of Qualitative Inquiry Credits: 1
EDLF 8385 - Survey Inquiry for Practitioners with Data Management and Analysis Credits: 3
EDLF 8386 - Lab of Practice of Survey Inquiry Credits: 1
EDLF 8387 - Practical Evaluation for Practitioners Credits: 3
EDLF 9810 - Research Seminar in Higher Education Credits: 3 (This course is designed to prepare doctoral students to write their capstone proposals and may be taken only by individuals who have finished the research sequence and have no more than six credits to complete.)

Content Minor (minimum of 12 credits)

Students may take their content minor courses outside the program and the School of Education and Human Development, or they may choose courses from other EHD programs. The minor is meant to supply the student with substantive knowledge of and a theoretical grounding in an area that might be the topic of the dissertation. Courses to be taken for minor credit must be negotiated with and approved by the student’s advisor.

Capstone (minimum of 12 credits)

EDLF 9991 - Ed.D. Research Credits: 1 to 12 (may be repeated for credit)

Preliminary Assessment

Upon completion of 12 credits, students will submit a portfolio that includes 3 previously submitted papers and a reflection on how their research to date informs their career path. The portfolio will be used to assess students’ progress and serve as a prerequisite for continued enrollment in the Ed.D. program.

Comprehensive Examination

All Ed.D. students are required to pass a written comprehensive examination prepared by the Higher Education faculty. The comprehensive exam will test students’ knowledge in a range of topics and will serve as a prerequisite for continuation to the Ed.D.