The Doctor or Philosophy in Higher Education is designed to prepare students for successful professional careers in diverse higher education settings, including public and private colleges and universities, government agencies, and professional associations. The doctoral program focuses on Administration and Policy Analysis.

The PhD in Higher Education is a 60 semester hour program. Students take core educational courses along with courses selected with faculty based on the student's interests and goals. The program culminates with the completion of original research addressing a problem in higher education based on the student's area of interests and goals. The program is fully online, combining synchronous (via video-conferencing platforms) and asynchronous (via Blackboard) instruction and student guidance.

Admission to the PhD in Higher Education

In addition to admission requirements of the College of Graduate Studies, admission to the doctoral program requires the following:

• A master’s degree from an accredited college or university

• A minimum GPA of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale for all previous graduate academic work

• Previous academic work necessary to successfully complete a doctoral program in the area of study

• A statement of purpose indicating your commitment to pursuing a career in the field of higher education, and a description of your potential research topic for dissertation study

• A sample graduate paper (or essay, article, etc.) demonstrating conceptualization and writing skills

• Two letters of reference, including at least one from a faculty member who can speak to your ability to conduct research and to write at the graduate level

• Current employment in a higher education environment and at least three years of work experience in higher education

What to Submit with Your Application

• Official transcripts from all institutions of higher education

• Statement of purpose

• Writing sample

• Two letters of recommendation 

• Resume or curriculum vitae

Requirements for the PhD in Higher Education

For the Doctor of Philosophy in Higher Education degree, students must complete the following program requirements:

• A minimum of 60 semester credit hours of approved doctoral level (7000/8000 level) course work
• 24 credit hours of higher education specialization
• 6 credit hours focusing on diversity, equity, and social justice
• 15 credit hours of assessment, evaluation, and research tools 
• A written comprehensive program examination
• An oral comprehensive program examination after passing written examination
• 15 credit hours of dissertation research
• An oral presentation and defense of a dissertation research proposal
• An oral presentation and defense of the completed dissertation research in a public forum
• A written document of the completed dissertation research in approved style and format

All coursework and requirements of the doctoral degree must be taken within a seven-year period immediately preceding the date the degree is awarded.

Other Program Requirements 

Coursework Phase

• A doctoral program committee is required before the completion of 18 credit hours. The doctoral program committee has a minimum of three members who are selected from the membership of the graduate faculty of the University. The doctoral program committee is responsible for assisting the student in the development of a plan of study and assuring competence by overseeing the comprehensive program written examination and the comprehensive program oral examination.

Program EXAMINATIONS 

• A written comprehensive program examination
• An oral comprehensive program examination after successful completion of the written examination

Dissertation Research Phase

• A doctoral dissertation committee is required immediately after the completion of the required coursework and comprehensive program written and oral examinations. The dissertation committee has a minimum of four graduate faculty members including one who is not in the discipline major. The dissertation committee is responsible for guiding dissertation research and approving the dissertation concept, research proposal, and the completed dissertation research, both the written dissertation and oral dissertation defense. Students must work closely with the committee throughout the dissertation process. 

• All research with human subjects must be approved by the Institutional Research Board before beginning any phase of the research study. Students must complete IRB training as defined by the University's Human Research Protection Program.

• A public defense of the dissertation is required.

• The final written dissertation must be approved by the dissertation committee and formatted according the guidelines of the college and the College of Graduate Study. Electronic submission of the dissertation to OhioLINK ​is mandatory.

• PhD graduates in Higher Education will demonstrate: 1. ability to read, understand, and critically evaluate research in higher education;
• 2. knowledge of the conceptual and theoretical bases in the higher education areas of a) institutional organization and b) student learning and development;
• 3. ability to address issues of educational diversity, equity, and social justice from a global perspective, and promote socially just policies and practices;
• 4. understanding and critical evaluation of current issues and trends in higher education;
• 5. ability to apply qualitative, quantitative, and/or mixed methods research in higher education;
• 6. skills in academic writing, thinking, critical analysis, and ability to construct and communicate knowledge in higher education;
• 7. skills in self-directed learning, self-reflection, and self-assessment;
• 8. ability to successfully defend a dissertation research.