The blended Doctorate in Educational Studies (Ph.D) with specialization in Educational Leadership & Higher Education program is designed to prepare students for a scholarly research position as faculty in education leadership and higher education or for positions that require knowledge of educational leadership and/or higher education and extensive research preparation.
Students choose the Educational Studies, Ph.D. (Educational Leadership & Higher Education) program to:
- Gain innovative approaches to today’s education programs.
- Acquire insight in how to lead, enforce and research education policy and procedures at the college level.
- Develop a diverse learning community that engages in intense, graduate study of contemporary issues from multiple perspectives.
- Learn from internationally renowned faculty who craft rigorous opportunities for advanced study, mentor students and engage in funded research.
The program provides students with constructive experiences that enhance their academic and professional success by:
- Demonstrating a commitment to the study of problems of practice and contributing to policy development and analysis.
- Providing mentored opportunities for teaching in higher education.
- Working with faculty who offer opportunities to participate in international research initiatives, overseas conferences and comparative travel-study.
- Assisting individuals to tailor a program of study to their scholarly and professional interests.
- Preparing students to conduct and share educational research.
- Encouraging and promoting academic writing for different audiences and stakeholders.
Student’s complete coursework in areas related to higher education including:
- Leadership, planning and finance.
- History and philosophy.
- Policy, law and politics.
- Higher education environments.
- Teaching, learning and student affairs.
- Community colleges.
Note: A minimum of 45 semester hours must be completed at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln after admission to this program. Six credit hours of coursework must be in-residence, on-campus, as approved by the student’s adviser. These are typically completed as one-week in-residence sessions during the summer. These courses focus on special topics of major interest and allow for extensive interaction with experts in the field.
More about the Educational Studies (Educational Leadership & Higher Education Specialization) program:
The University of Nebraska—Lincoln offers two nationally recognized Doctoral degrees in Educational Leadership and Higher Education, the Ph.D. and the Ed.D. The programs are offered to individuals interested in any level (P-20) of education. The program is described as an online program; however, all students are encouraged or required to travel to campus. The Ph.D. requires students to complete a minimum of 6 credit hours of on-campus research residency seminars. Normally, all doctoral students will be on campus to present the dissertation proposal and for the final defense of the dissertation study.
Courses are offered on the regular semester and summer session schedule of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Research residency seminars are offered during the summer in a hybrid fashion (time-intensive on-campus experiences followed by additional online content) to facilitate the on-campus residency requirement. Courses are announced in the UNL online schedule and students register for courses using the University web-based enrollment and billing system.
New applicants should be aware that not all advisors can accept new students every year. We recommend that you contact the individual faculty members to learn about their scholarly interests and advising capacity in the course of preparing your application for admission.
