Higher Education Administration Doctoral Program

New weekend cohort will start Fall 2011. See Details.

Applicants who have a master's degree as well as teaching, administrative, or staff experience in higher education institutions may work towards either a Doctor of Philosophy or a Doctor of Education degree. The Doctor of Education program primarily serves those seeking administrative positions, while the Doctor of Philosophy program serves those interested in focusing on research. Candidates should have good academic and leadership credentials.

Both degrees require 60 hours of coursework, a doctoral examination, and 15 dissertation hours. Students are also required to complete a residency requirement. Courses are offered nights and weekends to accommodate schedules of full-time educational professionals. Some online options exist for select courses.

The majority of students in the program are part-time students with full-time jobs in colleges, universities, or education agencies. Doctoral degree students have eight years to complete the degree.

Learn more about graduate school at Illinois State University.

Goals and outcomes

The higher education concentration allows experienced educators and administrators to reflect on and advance their knowledge in ways that will further their careers and enhance their ability to make a contribution to higher education. A doctoral degree graduate with the higher education concentration will have the knowledge and skills necessary to:

Advance and apply scholarship on higher education administration to the leadership of higher educational institutions and organizations. In particular, graduates will be well-versed in the following areas, which are essential to understanding and articulating the educational roles of colleges and universities:

cultural, ethical, and societal issues that affect higher education
economic, legal, and political issues that affect higher education
organization, governance, leadership, and administrative theories
higher education finance, law, and planning
history of higher education

Understand and utilize design and analysis factors when interpreting research literature and when conducting research and evaluation studies.
Identify and utilize appropriate instructional and administrative technologies.
Understand the roles, functions, and interrelationships among a college's or university's major constituents, including students, faculty, staff, alumni, and trustees.
Promote diversity initiatives within higher education settings.
Conduct research that contributes to an understanding of administrative practice and/or theory and disseminate the results of that research to relevant audiences.

Admission

Admission to the programs in EAF is competitive. Candidates should have good academic and leadership credentials. The Department considers admission three times a year. Learn about the application process.

Financial Information and Assistance

Costs are determined yearly by the Board of Trustees. The current costs are as listed at the student accounts site. Financial assistance is available through scholarships, graduate assistantships, and tuition waivers. Learn about financial aid opportunities.

Requirements

Courses

You may go to the Univerisity's "Course Finder" page to learn more about the courses.

EAF 428.01: Topics in Educational Foundations: College Student Personnel
EAF 461: Student Development Theory in Higher Education
EAF 462: Organization and Administration of Student Affairs Functions in Higher Education
EAF 463: College Students & Their Cultures
EAF 464: Practicum in College Student Personnel Administration
EAF 466: College Students and the Law
EAF 468: Seminar on the History of American Higher Education
EAF 469: Comparative Higher Education
EAF 473: Organization and Administration of Community Colleges
EAF 482.01: Administration Seminar (culminating Master's Seminar)
EAF 484: Administration of Continuing Education and Public Service
EAF 561: Organization & Governance in Higher Education
EAF 563: Crucial Issues in American Higher Education
EAF 564: Planning in Higher Education
EAF 570: Public Finance of Higher Education
EAF 571: College & University Administration
EAF 578: Legal Bases of Higher Education
EAF 582: Administrative Theory in Education
EAF 583: Seminar in Educational Leadership

Complementary courses

EAF 411: Educational Evaluation and Assessment
EAF 415: Qualitative Research in Educational Settings
EAF 492: Politics of Education
EAF 508: Applied Educational Research
EAF 509: Research Design in Education: Issues and Standard Practices
EAF 510: Research Methodology and Statistics in Education II
EAF 511: Research Methodology and Statistics in Education III
EAF 513: Educational Evaluation and Assessment
EAF 515: Methods of Qualitative Research in Education
EAF 521: Moral and Political Foundations of Educational Policy Analysis
EAF 523: Seminar in Educational Policy Analysis
EAF 524: Educational Policy Advocacy
EAF 525: Foundations of Comparative Multicultural Educations
EAF 594: Research Seminar in Education
EAF 599: Dissertation Research

Transfer hours
While you cannot count master's degree hours toward a doctorate, you can count up to 30 hours from an education specialist program towards a doctoral degree with a stipulation that the transferred hours have to occur within eight years from the time one graduates. For example, students who defend their dissertation in 2008 could only transfer in courses from 2000. They could not transfer courses taken 1999 or earlier.

Students are also required to complete a residency requirement that involves a minimum number of course hours rather than presence on the Illinois State campus. Applicants with a recent education specialist degree from an accredited institution must take at least 30 hours beyond the education specialist coursework and 15 dissertation hours.

Computer requirements
To successfully complete Educational Administration and Foundations courses, students in all programs are expected to have frequent and convenient access to a computer and Internet resources. Illinois State University students can take advantage of special hardware and software pricing as well as installation support at ISU TechZone. Review the computer and technology requirements for EAF students.

Course of study

Department doctoral procedures

The Department Doctoral Procedures outlines the steps and information you will need during your doctoral candidacy. Learn about the orientation, guidelines through the course of study, and information about the dissertation and defense.

Advisement

An academic adviser is assigned by the EAF Department to each doctoral candidate. Each student designs a plan of study in consultation with an academic adviser in EAF.

Residency policy

Students are required to complete a residency requirement. Learn about the Residency Policy.

Apply for Graduation.

Within the first 2 weeks of the semester you plan to graduate go to http://www.graduationservices.ilstu.edu/graduates/procedures.asp

If you have not submitted the degree audit for yet to the Department at the proposal hearing, complete one and send to the EAF Department chair.

Program faculty

The following faculty who specialize in higher education. There are several other faculty in EAF who are involved in the higher education administration concentration in teaching, scholarship, or professional service roles as well as professionals having adjunct, part-time relationships.

Questions?

For more information about the doctoral program, please contact:

Mohamed Nur-Awaleh
342 DeGarmo Hall
(309) 438-5155