Higher Education Administration, Ed.D. (69 hrs)

Location(s): Hybrid

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Program Overview

The purpose of the Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in higher education administration is to prepare candidates to be successful leaders in post-secondary institutions through visionary planning, strategic utilization of resources, effective management and leadership, and practical application of research.

Classes are offered in a combination of in-person, online, and hybrid formats, making it ideal for the working student who wants to take their education to the next level. William Carey uses Canvas as the learning management system for online coursework.

Program Admission Requirements

Students are admitted to the Ed.D. program as a cohort class when a sufficient applicant pool is available. Admission requirements are competitive, and no students will be admitted on a provisional or probationary basis. Because students earn a specialist’s degree as they progress through the Ed.D. program, the education specialist’s degree in higher education administration awarded from William Carey University will be accepted as credit toward the higher education administration doctoral degree.

To fulfill requirements for admission to the Ed.D. in higher education administration, the student must:

Complete an online application Apply to Carey to Graduate Admissions
Submit all official transcripts electronically to Graduate Admissions
Have a GPA > 3.25 in a related specialist program
Hold a specialist or graduate degree from an accredited college or university
Submit two recommendation forms: one from a professor and one from a supervisor.
Submit a resume or curriculum vita to the higher education administration program coordinator.
Complete an interview conducted by the higher education administration doctoral admissions committee.
Submit Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores earned within the past five years of application submission date. These scores must include the quantitative, verbal, and written components.

Transfer Credit

Students may transfer six hours of approved coursework from an institution that is fully accredited by a recognized accrediting agency. Coursework used in a previous degree may not be used toward the specialist degree.

Program Progression and Graduation Requirements

Program Progression

The academic requirements for the Ed.D. in higher education administration include successful program progression and graduation requirements. The program progression requirements are as follows:

Must maintain a GPA > 3.0.
Must complete all required program work within a period of six years after enrolling in the higher education administration program. If the student has already completed a specialist’s degree in higher education administration, the student will have three years to complete coursework and the dissertation.
A signed program of study must be filed prior to completing nine hours.
Students may only have one replacement grade. This includes specialist and doctoral-level coursework. Other courses may be retaken and averaged in the student’s GPA. Students who make more than two ‘C’s or below in the program (this includes specialist and doctoral coursework) will be dismissed from the program.

Graduation Requirements

The academic requirements for the Ed.D. in higher education administration degree include successful completion of the specialist’s degree in higher education administration, doctoral coursework, comprehensive examination, and dissertation. In addition, there is a GPA requirement. Specifically, to meet the graduation requirements of the doctoral program, the student must:

Complete 69 program hours as outlined in the program of study.
Pass a written comprehensive examination.
Successfully complete all dissertation requirements as per the dissertation guidelines, chair, and committee. This includes successfully defending the dissertation proposal and final defense before the dissertation committee.
Have a cumulative GPA > 3.0.
Must maintain continuous enrollment until degree is completed.

Program of Study (69 hrs)

Higher Education Administration Core (21 hrs)

Research Courses (15 hrs)

Elective (3 hrs)

Must be a single > 600-level course selected with advisor approval.

Optional Cognate Content Area (18+ hrs)

Students may take hours in a discipline-specific area for the purpose of content credentialing. The student will select courses with advisor approval. All courses must be > 600-level.

Comprehensive Examination

The student will take and successfully pass a comprehensive examination after completing the doctoral coursework. It is the student’s responsibility to see his/her advisor to schedule a test time.

Dissertation Requirement (12 hrs)

The student must take 12 hours of dissertation study. It is recommended that the student take three hours each over four terms, and the student must be enrolled in dissertation hours the term he/she successfully defends. The student must successfully defend the dissertation proposal and the final study results after data are collected. The student will receive specific dissertation requirements from the program coordinator and dissertation chair.

EDH 8800 - Dissertation 1-12 hrs (12 hrs required)