FAQ
Answering the questions you want to know about our department. Don't see your question here? Please contact us. We're here to help.
-
Will my previous graduate course work count toward the Ph.D?
After students are accepted into the program, they are allowed to transfer a limited number of hours with the approval of the doctoral committee and program officials.
Acceptance of transfer credit is enhanced when courses have been taken at the advanced graduate level (i.e., post master’s degree) and completed recently at an accredited university with evidence of excellent performance.
For further information, please check the student handbook for the Ph.D. program in Educational Leadership. -
What is the doctoral committee?
Ph.D. students work closely with a mentor who serves as chair of a four-member committee.
The committee is formed during the first semester of enrollment and approves the program of study and monitors the student’s progress through the entire program. In addition, the student’s committee plays a pivotal role in comprehensive examinations and the dissertation.
Ideally, a Ph.D. candidate is assigned to a chairperson who has a line of research congruous with his or her research interests. -
What can I do with a Ph.D. in educational leadership with a concentration in higher education administration?
Most of our students are looking for mid- and senior-level positions in non-academic areas of the college or university such as student affairs, housing and residence life, business affairs, alumni and development, enrollment management and athletics. Some of our students are faculty wishing to continue in higher education at the academic administrative positions. While they might hold a terminal degree in their academic field, a Ph.D. in higher education administration will increase their job opportunities and understanding of higher education.
-
How long will it take to complete the degree in educational leadership with a higher education administration concentration?
Full-time students with graduate assistantships could finish in three years; part-time students may take as little as four years but much depends on one's dissertation progress.
-
Is it possible to complete the residency requirement for the Ph.D. while continuing to work full-time?
Yes. The residency requirement is completed in the first year of the doctoral program.
Students are required to complete two courses for three consecutive semesters beginning in the fall semester of the entry year. After fulfilling this requirement, students may take one course per semester.
None of the classes a student is required to take during the residency year begin before 4 p.m. -
Are any courses offered online?
The majority of the doctoral courses are offered on campus.
There are a few courses offered online and some students have taken up to two cognate courses off campus or online through other universities. -
Do all students in the prekindergarten to grade 12 concentration intend to be administrators in elementary and secondary public schools?
Although most students in this concentration plan to work in district or school-level administrative positions, others do not.
Other career aspirations have included professor, researcher, consultant, state department employee, curriculum specialist and teacher leader. -
Do all students in the prekindergarten to grade 12 concentration take the same courses in the Ph.D. program?
Students take the same courses in the core and in research.
With the approval of their doctoral committees, they select preferred courses in the concentration, cognate and foundations courses. -
Is it possible to obtain administrative licensing while pursuing the Ph.D. in educational leadership with a prekindergarten to grade 12 concentration?
Absolutely. Many of the Ph.D. candidates already have obtained a principal’s license prior to becoming a doctoral student.
However, students who have not and who desire to obtain administrative licenses can work with their doctoral committees to tailor their course work in the concentration and cognate to meet this objective.
Obtaining licensing in conjunction with the Ph.D. may require additional courses. -
Who should I contact for more information about the Ph.D. program in educational leadership?
If you are interested in pursuing the higher education administration concentration, contact Michelle Welkener at michelle.welkener@notes.udayton.edu, or by telephone at (937) 229-3620.
If you are interested in pursuing the prekindergarten to grade 12 concentration in educational leadership, contact Ted Kowalski at theodore.kowalski@notes.udayton.edu, or by telephone at (937) 229-2562.
