Program Overview

Higher Education Administration - Ph.D.

Overview

The Ph.D. degree in Higher Education Administration prepares students for careers as highly effective higher education administrators and staff professionals. The coursework prepares students for the varied challenges facing two-year, four-year and graduate institutions and communities today, and helps shape educational institutions in the future.

Contact Information

• Tara Hudson | |
• Connect with an Admissions Counselor: U.S. Student | International Student

Program Delivery

• Delivery: In person
• Location: Kent Campus

Examples of Possible Careers and Salaries*

• Education administrators, all other
  • 8.1% much faster than the average
  • 52,100 number of jobs
  • $87,580 potential earnings
• Education administrators, postsecondary
  • 3.7% about as fast as the average
  • 190,500 number of jobs
  • $97,500 potential earnings

• Source of occupation titles and labor data comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook Handbook. Data comprises projected percent change in employment over the next 10 years; nation-wide employment numbers; and the yearly median wage at which half of the workers in the occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less.

Admission Requirements

• Master's degree from an accredited college or university
• Minimum 3.000 graduate GPA on a 4.000-point scale (minimum 3.500 graduate GPA is recommended)
• Official transcript(s)
• Résumé or curriculum vitae
• Goal statement
• Two letters of recommendation
• Interview
• English language proficiency - all international students must provide proof of English language proficiency (unless they meet specific exceptions to waive) by earning one of the following:
  • Minimum 79 TOEFL iBT score
  • Minimum 6.5 IELTS score
  • Minimum 58 PTE score
  • Minimum 110 DET score

Program faculty will assess applicants holistically, considering academic credentials, related professional experience, academic or professional references and scholarly and professional activities, among others.

Application Deadlines

• Fall Semester
  • Funding deadline: December 1
    All application materials (including applicable fee, transcripts, recommendation letters, etc.) must be submitted by this deadline to be considered for an assistantship or any other funded position.
  • Rolling admissions
• Spring Semester
  • Rolling admissions
• Summer Term
  • Rolling admissions

Program Requirements

Major Requirements

• Course List Code | Title | Credit Hours
  • Major Requirements
    • HIED 76598 | RESEARCH IN HIGHER EDUCATION ADMINISTRATION | 3
    • HIED 76653 | COLLEGE STUDENT DEVELOPMENT: THEORY AND PRACTICE 1 | 3
    • HIED 76656 | HIGHER EDUCATION CURRICULUM | 3
    • HIED 76657 | LEADERSHIP IN EDUCATION ORGANIZATIONS 1 | 3
    • HIED 76662 | POLITICS AND POWER IN ORGANIZATIONS | 3
    • HIED 76667 | BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION IN HIGHER EDUCATION | 3
    • HIED 76670 | INTERNATIONALIZATION OF HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS | 3
    • HIED 76671 | THE ADMINISTRATION OF MULTICULTURALISM AND DIVERSITY IN HIGHER EDUCATION 1 | 3
    • HIED 80080 | DISSERTATION PREPARATION SEMINAR | 3
    • HIED 86558 | ADVANCED EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP | 3
    • RMS 75510 | STATISTICS I FOR EDUCATIONAL SERVICES | 3
    • RMS 85515 | QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH DESIGN AND ANALYSIS | 3
    • RMS 85516 | QUALITATIVE RESEARCH DESIGN | 3
  • Major Electives, choose from the following: 2 | 18
    • CES 78182 | CAREER COUNSELING |
    • RMS 78806 | HIGHER EDUCATION DATA AND INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCH |
    • Higher Education (HIED) Doctoral Courses (70000 or 80000 level)
    • Additional courses as approved
  • Research Electives, choose from the following: | 6
    • RMS 78710 | INTRODUCTION TO MEASUREMENT |
    • RMS 78711 | MODERN TEST THEORY: ITEM RESPONSE THEORY |
    • RMS 78713 | MULTIVARIATE ANALYSIS IN EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH |
    • RMS 78714 | FACTOR ANALYSIS IN EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH |
    • RMS 78716 | STATISTICS II: ANOVA AND NONPARAMETRIC TESTS |
    • RMS 78728 | MULTIPLE REGRESSION |
    • RMS 78898 | COMPARATIVE RESEARCH DESIGN |
    • RMS 85517 | ADVANCED QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH IN EDUCATIONAL SERVICES |
    • RMS 85518 | ADVANCED QUALITATIVE RESEARCH IN EDUCATIONAL SERVICES |
    • RMS 85520 | MIXED METHODS RESEARCH |
    • RMS 85540 | GROUNDED THEORY AND PHENOMENOLOGICAL RESEARCH |
    • RMS 85560 | CRITICAL SOCIAL RESEARCH |
    • RMS 88795 | SPECIAL TOPICS: EVALUATION AND MEASUREMENT |
    • Additional courses as approved
  • Culminating Requirement
    • HIED 80199 | DISSERTATION I 3 | 30
  • Minimum Total Credit Hours: | 93

1. Students who completed HIED 66653, HIED 66657 and/or HIED 66671 (or their equivalents) at the master's degree level may have HIED 76657, HIED 76653 and/or HIED 76671 waived as requirements for the Ph.D. degree. These students may graduate with fewer than 93 credit hours but no fewer than 84 total credit hours.
2. Major elective courses are to be determined by the students and their advisor(s).
3. Upon admission to candidacy, each doctoral candidate must register for HIED 80199. It is expected that a doctoral candidate will continuously register for Dissertation I for a total of 30 credit hours, and thereafter HIED 80299, each semester until all requirements for the degree have been met.

Graduation Requirements

• Graduation Requirements Summary
  • Minimum Major GPA | Minimum Overall GPA
    • • | 3.000

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of the program will be able to:

1. Understand the administrative and financial functions performed on a college or university campus.
2. Understand the complexities of college/university budgeting process and construct a divisional or departmental budget.
3. Understand and commit to the diverse nature of higher education in the United States.
4. Articulate the challenges and opportunities associated with the provision of a diverse, multicultural educational setting, including the impact of demographic changes on higher education and familiarity with strategies to diversify higher education.
5. Understand the role of a faculty member and the curriculum development process in an institution of higher education.
6. Understand the rights and responsibilities of employees and students within institutions of higher education, as well as the responsibilities of the institutions.
7. Understand research methodology to conduct individual research.
8. Understand the internationalization of higher education institutions, including explaining the different rationales for internationalization that may motivate different stakeholders in higher education and analyzing an institution’s internationalization goals and activities in terms of both an institutional strategy and in terms of student learning outcomes.

Why Kent State University

A Ph.D. for the Working Professional

Ready to start your terminal degree in Higher Education?

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Real World Experience

Explore all internship and assistantship opportunities.

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Would Our Community Be the Place for You to Learn and Grow?

The HIED program includes over 100 students working toward a master's or doctoral degree, six program faculty, and over 700 alumni.

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