DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN EDUCATION: EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP

The Ph.D. in Educational Leadership is designed to develop individuals who can provide leadership to educational practice in the 21st Century. Our graduates will be prepared to play roles in public and private schools, higher education administration, or research and teaching about educational policy and practice at the college or university level.

The Educational Leadership Doctoral Program is designed for the working adult. Upon entering, students become part of a cohort, that is, they take all department courses together. Leadership classes are almost always offered on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings. Higher Education cognate courses are offered on Tuesday evenings.

Program Features

Theory & Practice: The Ph.D. in Educational Leadership is what you need if you are looking for a degree that combines deep theoretical exploration with practical and relevant examples from experienced professors.

Leadership Focus: The Ph.D. program has two strands, one focusing on K-12 and the other focusing on post-secondary leadership. However, the overarching doctoral level training addresses leadership issues impacting P-16 education.

Individualized Research: The Ph.D. program allows students a great deal of flexibility in determining their research focus and interests. Topics of past graduates have ranged from early childhood leadership to college program evaluations, from issues arising from ESL implementation to school reform initiatives, and from attitudes of middle school children on teacher caring to perspectives held by exemplary college instructors.

Faculty Support: Once admitted, each student is assigned a program advisor to assist him or her in their program decisions. As the student moves through the program, the advisor will be replaced by a research chair and a committee of faculty to support and coach the student through the process of conducting independent research.

Mentor Support: All students identify and work with a mentor, a practitioner in the area of leadership who might hold a position to which the student aspires. The mentor will provide a setting for analyzing and applying the research and theory presented in the program and will assist the student in assessing his/her professional development needs.  

Dissertations:  The PhD. in Educational Leadership has completed over 140 dissertations since its creation in 1999.  Covering topics from kindergarten teacher efficacy through racial bias in hiring in higher education, the range of research speaks highly of the quality of our students’ work.  A list of recent dissertations is available for your information.

Ph.D. Program Coordinator: Julia B. Smith, Ed.D.
(248) 370-3082
[email protected]
475B Pawley Hall

Department Secretary: Ann Marie Lindstrom
(248) 370-3070
[email protected]
480D Pawley Hall

Deadline for all applications and admission requirements is February 1 of each year. Candidates for the Ph.D. in Educational Leadership will be selected based on an analysis of several criteria:

• Leadership experience, especially as reflected in the submitted vita; 
• The content of three (3) references to be solicited by the student; 
• The student's graduate level grade point average as indicated on official transcripts; 
• A goal statement
• The score on the Department Writing Response

For some applicants, an interview with members of the department may be requested. The selection committee will consider only the writing, verbal, and quantitative scores.