Program Overview

Educational Leadership & Administration (Higher Education) - Doctor of Philosophy

The Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Leadership and Administration (Higher Education) is a research-oriented degree. The program is designed to develop research proficiencies in educational leadership, with coursework and internships directed toward this goal. The Ph.D. also requires additional hours of coursework in an approved cognate area.

Required Courses

The following courses are required for the Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Leadership and Administration (Higher Education):

• ELAD 6110: Organizational Theory (3 credits)
• ELAD 6120: Elements of Research (3 credits)
• ELAD 6210: Quantitative Research I (3 credits)
• ELAD 6220: Qualitative Research I (3 credits)
• ELAD 6310: Concepts of Leadership in Education (3 credits)
• ELAD 6320: Foundations of Educational Administration (3 credits)
• ELAD 6410: Quantitative Research II (3 credits)
• ELAD 6510: Qualitative Research II (3 credits)
• ELAD 6525: Higher Education Law (3 credits)
• ELAD 6610: Scholarly Writing and the Southwest Border (3 credits)
• ELAD 6620: Evaluation Design in Education (3 credits)
• ELAD 6635: Higher Education Finance and Funding (3 credits)
• ELAD 6910: Dissertation Seminar (3 credits)
• ELAD 6998: Advanced Internship (6 credits)
• ELAD 7000: Doctoral Dissertation (18 credits)
• Cognate Coursework (15 credits)

Total Credits: 78

Cognate Coursework

Cognate coursework consists of 15 credits in an approved area. Possible cognate courses include:

• Child and Family Development
• Communication
• Feminist/Gender Studies
• Latino/a Studies
• Native American Studies
• Program Evaluation/Data Analysis
• Research Methods
• Social Justice/Critical Theory
• Sociocultural Theory
• Critical Race Theory/LatCrit
• Sociology

Suggested Plan of Study

The following is a suggested plan of study for the Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Leadership and Administration (Higher Education):

First Year

• Fall:
  • ELAD 6110: Organizational Theory (3 credits)
  • ELAD 6120: Elements of Research (3 credits)
• Spring:
  • ELAD 6210: Quantitative Research I (3 credits)
  • ELAD 6220: Qualitative Research I (3 credits)
  • Possible Cognate Course (3 credits)
• Summer:
  • ELAD 6310: Concepts of Leadership in Education (3 credits)
  • ELAD 6320: Foundations of Educational Administration (3 credits)
  • Possible Cognate Course (3 credits)

Second Year

• Fall:
  • ELAD 6410: Quantitative Research II (3 credits)
  • ELAD 6998: Advanced Internship (3 credits)
  • Possible Cognate Course (3 credits)
• Spring:
  • ELAD 6510: Qualitative Research II (3 credits)
  • ELAD 6998: Advanced Internship (3 credits)
  • ELAD 6525: Higher Education Law (3 credits)
• Summer:
  • ELAD 6610: Scholarly Writing and the Southwest Border (3 credits)
  • ELAD 6620: Evaluation Design in Education (3 credits)
  • ELAD 6635: Higher Education Finance and Funding (3 credits)

Third Year

• Fall:
  • ELAD 6910: Dissertation Seminar (3 credits)
  • Possible Cognate Course(s) (3-6 credits)
• Spring:
  • ELAD 7000: Doctoral Dissertation (6 credits)

Fourth Year

• Fall:
  • ELAD 7000: Doctoral Dissertation (6 credits)
• Spring:
  • ELAD 7000: Doctoral Dissertation (6 credits)

Total Credits: 75-78