Program Availability
The online/hybrid Educational Administration: Higher Education Leadership PhD is open to eligible students in the U.S. (including the District of Columbia and all U.S. territories). The program is closed to students residing in countries other than the U.S. except for U.S. military and State Department personnel and their family members with APO/FPO addresses. This PhD is a blended online learning program using a combination of online coursework and intensive on-campus workshops.
Why Earn an Educational Administration PhD at Indiana State?
Our PhD in Educational Administration includes a focus on preparing you for administrative leadership positions at public or private four-year colleges and universities, community colleges, technical schools, and for-profit post-secondary institutions.
Benefit from a Program Designed for Working Professionals
The Educational Administration PhD is designed for professionals who are currently working in higher educational settings and desire a quality educational experience that allows them to continue meeting family and work responsibilities.
This post-master’s program follows a scholar/practitioner philosophy that stresses knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary for leading higher education institutions in the twenty-first century. The program offers opportunities for mentoring and support from a network of alumni who provide valuable insight and guidance throughout the program.
The curriculum includes significant supervised practice coursework and blends class-based, practicum-based, and independent learning experiences. The curriculum also includes an integrated internship experience designed to familiarize students with a minimum of three administrative units within an institution of higher education. Coursework and dissertation projects focus on problems of practice.
Master's degree coursework is applied to the curriculum such that students take 45 credit hours of coursework (15 courses) plus 18 dissertation hours to meet the requisite 90 hours needed to complete the degree. Students can complete the program in two academic years or five semesters. Students are required to complete three weeks of residency on campus during the summer.
This PhD is a blended online learning program using a combination of online coursework and intensive on-campus workshops held on the ISU campus in Terre Haute, Indiana. The program is not delivered completely online.
How Our Cohort-Based Program Works
Students begin the program with a cohort group and commit to moving through the program’s schedule of studies with that cohort group. Students enroll full-time (3 courses for 9 credit hours) each semester for five consecutive terms over a two-year period, including a summer session. Coursework is delivered through a combination of distance learning and intensive on-campus workshops. The Internet and video/audio conferencing technologies are used. Courses during the academic year consist of three Friday/Saturday on-campus workshop seminars and weekly virtual sessions that generally meet one afternoon per week. The summer session between the first and second academic year combines virtual sessions, directed study, and a required three-week residency on campus.
The program offers a consistent course schedule. For cohorts starting in the Fall of odd years, classes are held on Wednesdays. For cohorts starting in the Fall of even years, classes are held on Thursdays.
Learn from Our Excellent Faculty
As a graduate student in the Department of Educational Leadership, you will benefit from classes taught by dedicated faculty mentors with diverse expertise and experience. All hold advanced degrees, collaborate with practicing professionals, and engage in scholarly and service activities at the state, regional, national, and international levels.
Recent faculty awards include the University’s Presidential Medal for Exemplary Teaching and Scholarship, the Theodore Dreiser Distinguished Research and Creativity Award, and the Bayh College of Education Holmstedt Distinguished Professorship Award.
What You’ll Learn in the Higher Education Leadership Program
The program includes a Basic Core, an Internship Core, and an Advanced Core.
- Coursework in the Basic Core provides a firm grounding in the organizational context of higher education, including its history, social and philosophical foundations, and contemporary challenges. The Basic Core also introduces students to the processes of educational inquiry and research.
- The Internship Core consists of two semester-long, field-based experiences under the supervision of a university supervisor and an on-site mentor.
- In the Advanced Core, students investigate the major functional areas of higher education and contemporary management science and leadership theories.
Emphasis is on problem-based learning in the courses, and the internship experiences give students opportunities to link theory to practice as well as enhance the learning environment for students and faculty. Upon completion of coursework, students take comprehensive examinations (prelims) integrating what they have learned in classes and internships. Once admitted to candidacy, students plan, propose, conduct, present, and defend their dissertation research.
Career Possibilities for Higher Education Leadership Graduates
Our Educational Administration: Higher Education Leadership PhD program opens doors to administrative leadership positions at public or private four-year colleges and universities, community colleges, technical schools, and for-profit post-secondary institutions.
Welcome from the Chair
Dr. Mary Howard-Hamilton, Chair of the Department of Educational Leadership, and the Dr. Lotus Delta Coffman Distinguished Research Professor at Indiana State University.
Admission Requirements and Instructions
The online Educational Administration: Higher Education Leadership PhD program has a new cohort of students starting each fall semester. Individuals may apply to the program by February 15, with notification of decision by April 15 for admittance the following fall. Failure to submit all admission materials in a timely manner can delay the admission decision.
Note: It must not be assumed that meeting minimal standards guarantees admission to the program.
Admission Requirements and Information
Applicants must possess a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree from a regionally accredited institution.
Applicants must have a minimum cumulative B+ grade point average in all graduate coursework attempted.
The GRE (Graduate Record Examination) is not required for admission to this program.
Applicants must have graduate work and experience commensurate with the student's objectives as evaluated by a committee appointed by faculty in the Department of Educational Leadership
Application should include a current curriculum vitae and a personal narrative statement of professional goals and past experiences.
Application should include three letters of recommendation who can comment on the applicant’s potential as a leader. Important: Have the names and email addresses of your references available at the time that you are completing your admission application as you will need to enter them in the online application. Explain to your references that they will receive an email from Indiana State University requesting that they submit a letter of recommendation. Please ensure that your references expect to receive this request. It will be sent to your references immediately upon completing the application.
Application Instructions
The following are application instructions and deadlines for the online Educational Administration: Higher Education PhD program.
How to Apply
Complete Indiana State University’s online application for admission at apply.indstate.edu/apply/. (https://apply.indstate.edu/apply/)
Submit official transcripts from all colleges previously attended. To be official, transcripts must be sent directly from the college attended to: Graduate Admissions, Indiana State University, Welcome Center, 318 North Sixth Street, Terre Haute, IN, 47809. E-transcripts should be sent to admissions@indstate.edu.
Submit a nonrefundable application fee of $45.00 (U.S. citizens and permanent residents) or $65.00 (international students) payable by Visa, MasterCard, or check or money order payable to Indiana State University. Submit payment to: Indiana State University, Graduate Admissions, Welcome Center, 318 North Sixth Street, Terre Haute, IN, 47809.
Submit the following as part of the online application process.
- A current resume or curriculum vitae.
- A personal narrative statement of professional goals and past experiences.
- Three letters of recommendation with the names and email addresses of the individuals.
- The completed Departmental Application.
Next Steps
Once admitted, students receive notification from the University as well as their University ID number needed to activate their University Username on the MyISU Portal. The Portal offers access to online registration, University records, and other important University services, including email and University announcements.
Note: Returning ISU students must apply for re-admission if they have not attended Indiana State University for more than two calendar years.
