PhD in Education with a concentration in Higher Education Leadership

Candidates for the Ph.D. in Education degree must complete a minimum of 54 academic credit hours, pass the comprehensive exam, and submit and successfully defend a research-based dissertation. All students in the program will be expected to complete academic core and research courses of 27 credits and concentration courses of 27 credits. 

Find the complete PhD Program Handbook (2024) here.

Core courses include:

• ASLP 600 Introduction to Doctoral Studies and Academic Writing
• ASLP 640 Race and Public Policy in Education
• ASLP 642 Equity and Social Justice in Education
• ASLP 620 Introduction to Educational Research
• ASLP 700 Methods of Inquiry
• ASLP 710 Quantitative Research Methods
• ASLP 712 Qualitative Research Methods

Higher Education concentration courses include:

• RDHE 702 Historical Foundations of Higher Education
• RDHE 707 Finance and Budgeting in Higher Education
• RDHE 722 Organizational Theory in Higher Education
• RDHE 727 Legal Aspects of Higher Education
• RDHE 731 Governance and Administration in Higher Education
• RDHE 754 Higher Education Politics and Policy Analyses
• RDHE 763 Leadership in Higher Education

Residency Weekends

Required residency weekends are embedded in the Ph.D. program as a central part of the intensive, cohort-based model. Doctoral work can be a challenging process, but building peer structure helps students succeed. Residency weekends will help students get to know faculty and fellow cohort members and foster the development of their doctoral identity. They will occur once each semester for students who have not attained candidacy, and the dates will be set and distributed during orientation. 

The educational objectives for the Ph.D. in Education are the following:

• To advance research on inequity issues within the full P-20 educational pipeline.
• To prepare students to use original and existing research to transform educational practice.
• To equip future educational researchers with innovative teaching experience and cutting-edge transdisciplinary research experience to become attractive job candidates on the academic market.
• To prepare candidates to create a collaborative learning community that integrates all the various educational contexts.
• To prepare candidates to be critical thinkers who focus on leadership, policy, ethics, and social justice.

Admission Application Deadlines:

• January 15 - Priority deadline (Especially for those seeking graduate student funding)
• February 15 - Final deadline to begin an application
• March 1 - Final deadline to submit a complete application

All application materials must be received by this date for consideration

Visit the Graduate School page to apply today!

1. Applicants are required to have at least 1 year of post-master's, full-time professional work experience in a college/university setting, or closely related professional experience (such as a higher education association, policy association, state/federal agency focused on higher education, etc.) that would allow an applicant to understand the context and general environment of higher education.

2. Official transcripts of all academic work completed at other regionally accredited institutions of higher education are required prior to matriculating and beginning coursework. Applicants are expected to have an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or better on a 4.0 scale for the last two years of undergraduate work, and a GPA of 3.5 or better on all postgraduate study beyond the baccalaureate degree. Applicants with a graduate GPA of less than 3.5, but above 3.0 will be considered along with other materials that show academic promise for success.

3. Three (3) official recommendations from supervisors, faculty, or professionals who can comment on and attest to applicant's ability to engage in doctoral level work. Note that recommendations cannot come from family members or friends.

4. A written statement outlining the applicant's background and experience in higher education, specific career goals related to higher education, and how achieving a PhD through Morgan State University's program will assist in accomplishing those career goals. Applicants should also discuss any initial research ideas about the dissertation, and how faculty might be able to support and nurture those research ideas. Applicants are not required to identity a faculty "sponsor" or primary research advisor before being admitted; but if an applicant wishes to work with particular faculty that should be mentioned. It is imperative that applicants discuss all elements outlined above in their personal statement. 

5. A current resume or curriculum vita, documenting professional experiences.

6. A sample of professional writing (such as a professional paper, grant proposal, publication, or research proposal abstracts). If applicant does not have a recent professional writing sample, applicants are asked to respond to the following questions in a 4-5-page essay: What do you see as three (3) major trends or issues facing higher education? What are the implications of these trends/issues for campuses (including students, faculty, staff, or other constituents)?

7. International students, whose native language is not English, must provide a minimum TOEFL score of 590 PBT/97 iBT (scores approximately at the 75th percentile), or an IELTS score of 6.5, and demonstrate through the required written documentation and interview that they have requisite verbal and analytical skills needed to successfully complete the program. Applicants whose native language is not English must recognize that the program does not teach English Language skills; it is expected that international applicants have mastery and proficiency in both written and spoken English at a level that would allow them to fully participate in and contribute to the PhD program.

8. Personal interview with program faculty (at discretion of faculty).

9. NOTE: As of October 2017, GRE/MAT tests are no longer required for admission into the PhD program.

All application materials must be sent directly to the Graduate School. Any materials sent to the department or the program coordinator will not be placed in an applicant's file. It is the responsibility of applicants to ensure that all materials are appropriately submitted. Applicants should not ask the department to follow-up on their behalf.

Visit the Graduate School page to apply today!

Our program offers three types of funding:

• Graduate Research Assistantships
• Graduate Teaching Assistantships
• Tuition Awards

Many of our students also leverage their Tuition Remission benefits from local institutions like the USM schools, JHU, or Morgan State. Tuition Remission is determined and coordinated by your institution. We encourage you to speak with your HR representative about how to use these benefits.