The Higher Education Administration Program offers a PhD program in Tuscaloosa only.
The PhD degree prepares students to assume scholarly roles in higher education. The PhD program emphasizes working with faculty in one-on-one settings with students participating in a mentored teaching and research sequence. Students investigate and contribute to a body of knowledge that informs higher education policy and practice at institutional, statewide, national, and international levels.
Admission Requirements
In addition to the minimum Graduate School admission requirements, to be considered for regular admission an application must include:
- Three letters of recommendation
- A one-page statement of purpose for pursing the degree
- Vita or resume
- Writing Sample: A five-page writing sample describing a problem that faces higher education today (nationally), analyzing salient points of the issue, and evaluating potential solutions. The sample should demonstrate formal writing and should include appropriate citations. Applicants may submit an academic paper in lieu of the five-page essay, preferably on a recent topic related to higher education.
Application Deadline
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Higher Education: January 15. Qualified students interested in graduate assistantships should have all application materials by this date.
See the Admission Criteria section of this catalog for more information.
Curricular Requirements
The PhD requires 78 semester hours beyond the master’s degree. These 78 semester hours include at least 54 hours of coursework and 24 hours of dissertation research. The program of study also includes 12 semester hours in theoretical foundations and a minimum of 12 semester hours in research methods.
PhD students also are required to complete mentored teaching and mentored research courses. In mentored teaching, students are required to assist a higher education faculty member with course instruction. In mentored research, students work individually with a higher education faculty member to complete a research project.
| Code and Title | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| Program Core (18 hours) | ||
| AHE 601 | Professional Sem High Ed | 3 |
| AHE 507 | Student Development Theory I | 3 |
| AHE 670 | Higher Education Policy | 3 |
| AHE 603 | College & University Teaching | 3 |
| AHE 640 | Organizational Change | 3 |
| BEF 653 | Studies in Higher Ed History * | 3 |
| AHE Electives | 9 | |
| Students are required to take 9 semester hours in AHE electives. | ||
| Research Courses | 12 | |
| Students should discuss a course sequence with the advisor and select 12 hours from BER courses. Suggested courses include the following: | ||
| Statistical Methods In Educ | ||
| Survey of Educational Research | ||
| Inqry As Interp: Qual I | ||
| Reflect Resist: Qual II | ||
| Theoretical Foundations | 9 | |
| Students should discuss course options with the advisor prior to registration. Theoretical Foundations courses are typically selected from BEF courses, or possibly from BEP courses. | ||
| Mentored Teaching | ||
| AHE 688 | Mentored Teaching | 3 |
| Mentored Research | ||
| AHE 689 | Mentored Research | 3 |
| Dissertation Research | 18 | |
| Dissertation Research | ||
| Total Hours | 72 | |
| Footnotes | |
|---|---|
| * | BEF 653 Studies in Higher Ed History counts toward the 12 hours Foundations requirement as well as fulfillment of the programmatic core. |
Transfer Credit
Graduate School information on Transfer Credit.
Doctoral Plan of Study
Graduate School information on the Doctoral Plan of Study.
Comprehensive Exam
Students take the comprehensive exam when they have completed their required coursework for the PHD program. Doctoral students complete a take-home exam question which is followed by an oral defense at the end with their dissertation chair and one other faculty member.
Graduate School information on Comprehensive Exams.
Admission to Candidacy
Once students pass the comprehensive exam, they will be considered a candidate and can enroll in dissertation hours, based on the approval of faculty.
Graduate School information on Admission to Candidacy.
Continuous Enrollment Policy
Graduate School information on Continuous Enrollment.
Dissertation Requirements
Graduate School information on Dissertation Requirements.
Time Limit for Degree Completion
Graduate School information on Time Limits.
Academic Misconduct
Graduate School information on Academic Misconduct.
Withdrawals and Leave of Absence information
Graduate School information on Withdrawals and Leave of Absence information
Academic Grievances
Graduate School information on Academic Grievances.
Grades and Academic Standing
Graduate School information on Grades and Academic Standing.
Graduate School Deadlines
Information on Graduate School Deadlines.
Application for Graduation
Information on the Application for Graduation.
While a GRE score is not required for admission, preference for a limited number of college-funded assistantships is given to applicants for full-time study who take the GRE and achieve a composite score of 300 or better. Other competitive assistantship, fellowship, and scholarship opportunities may be available for applicants without GRE scores.
Students who are interested in or need other assistantships or funding are encouraged to apply for College of Education scholarships (https://education.ua.edu/students/scholarships/) and through the student employment websites (Careers at University of Alabama (ua.edu); Job Search (ua.edu).
Graduate School information on Financial Assistance.