Bill J. Priest Center for Community College Education

The Center was named in honor of Dr. Bill J. Priest, the founding Chancellor of the Dallas County Community College District and the inspiration for the Bill J. Priest Center at UNT. Dr. Priest served as Chancellor from 1965 to 1981. He is credited with building the community college system in Dallas. Today, the DCCCD is comprised of seven different colleges located throughout Dallas County, the R. Jan LeCroy Center for Educational Telecommunications, and various centers across Dallas County.

In addition to being the founding chancellor of DCCCD, Dr. Priest held leadership positions in a number of national community college initiatives including:

• Serving as a founder of the League for Innovation in the Community College
• President of the American Association of Community Colleges
• Chairman of the American Council on Education

Although the community college was a major part of Dr. Priest's life, he also had a lifelong love of baseball. He played professional baseball (a pitcher) and was inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame at the University of California at Berkeley. Additionally, he served his country as an intelligence officer for the United States Navy in the Philippines and postwar Japan.

He was a man loved and respected by people nationally who have benefited from his commitment to the community college movement and to the students the community college serves. Dr. Priest was born September 23, 1917 and died December 31, 2014.

To watch a tribute to Bill J. Priest by the Dallas County Community College District, visit: https://www.dcccd.edu/AU/WhoWeAre/History/Pages/Bill-Priest-Tribute.aspx

Council for the Study of Community Colleges

The Council for the Study of Community Colleges (CSCC) is an affiliate of the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) and a project of the Center for the Study of Community Colleges (www.centerforcommunitycolleges.org). Council members include university-based researchers and community college practitioners who further scholarship on the community college enterprise. The purposes of the Council are to:

• Contribute to the development of pre-service and in-service education for community college professionals;
• Conduct and disseminate research pertaining to community colleges;
• Serve as a forum for dialogue between university professors, graduate students, and
• community college practitioners who study community colleges;
• Disseminate information about related conferences and events;
• Provide research and other services to the American Association of Community Colleges and its affiliate councils;
• Recognize outstanding service to, research in, and publication about community college education; and
• Provide a unified and formal base of participation for CSCC members in AACC affairs.

The headquarters of the CSCC is housed in the UNT Higher Education Program in the Bill J. Priest

Center for Community College Education.

The CSCC holds an annual spring research conference where it awards the Barbara K. Townsend Emerging Scholar Award, Senior Scholar Award, Distinguished Service Award, etc. Particularly of interest to graduate students is the Dissertation of the Year Award for a student completing a dissertation relating to community college issues.

Higher Education Development Initiative

In the spring of 2013, the UNT Center for Higher Education became the UNT Higher Education Development Initiative (HEDI). The primary reasons for the name change were (a) for the name of the entity to come into better compliance with institutional rules on the criteria that distinguish organized efforts to advance research, teaching, and service, and (b) to better reflect the entity's contemporary mission.

The primary activities of HEDI currently are two, both of which reflect the meanings of "development" in several senses:

1. HEDI organizes and supports the annual UNT Texas Higher Education Law Conference. Founded by former UNT Vice President and General Counsel Richard Rafes, an attorney and a doctoral graduate of the UNT Higher Education Program, the Law Conference remains true to its objectives: to improve professional service in higher education in the state by expert presentation on legal and law-related issues, particularly those particular to Texas; and to create funding, via revenues above expenses, for graduate student scholarship support and academic initiatives in the Higher Education Program. In recent years, the conference, held in the early Spring, is attended by 250-300 people and creates $25,000 or more in scholarship funds annually.
2. HEDI supports the UNT Higher Education Program initiatives to support the expansion of higher education access and the enhancement of its quality, particularly among historically underserved and international populations. These initiatives are undergirded by a commitment to the philosophy that state, national, and world development on many fronts will be grounded in more and better higher education. A particular emphasis has been the development of partnerships, institutional development, and research in sub-Saharan Africa. The former HEDI Director, Dr. Marc Cutright, was a Fulbright Scholar to Uganda and East Africa during the 2013-14 academic year in support of these objectives. Several doctoral students completed dissertations on international education, particularly with an African focus. Support of initiatives under this large umbrella also supported faculty and staff research and service for minority students in the U.S.

The HEDI operates without any ongoing budget allocation, release time for faculty, or special office space. Thus HEDI represents an exceptional fiscal value for the University of North Texas and the taxpayers of the state.

History of the Higher Education Development Initiative

Since 1972, the Higher Education Development Initiative has been in near-continuous operation under the name of the Center for Higher Education.

The first Director of the UNT Center for Higher Education was the late Dr. Dwane Kingery, former Dean of the College of Education, Professor of Secondary Education, and Professor of Higher Education. He directed the Center from 1972 until 1992. He was particularly active in the solicitation of donations to support student scholarships and conference travel.

The late Dr. Barry Lumsden, Professor of Higher Education, assumed the position of Director in 1994 and served in this capacity until 1996. He enabled the Center to co-sponsor the Journal of Community College Research and Practice, of which he was the founding editor. Dr. Paul Dixon, former Dean of the College of Education, directed the Center from 1996 through the Fall, 1998. During his tenure, the Center began co-sponsoring the annual UNT Texas Higher Education Law Conference.

After another brief interruption in service, the late Dr. Jack Baier, Professor of Higher Education, began his term as Director of the Center, with a special emphasis on publication in the field of Student Affairs.

Dr. Marc Cutright became Director of the Center upon his appointment to the Higher Education faculty in 2007. He co-directed the Law Conference with Dr. Richard Fossey, an attorney and Professor of Educational Administration, from that time through the 2011 conference. The conference enjoyed enrollment increases of 40% and 30% in two consecutive years. Dr. Cutright assumed the role of sole director of the Law Conference in 2012.

During the 2012-13 academic year, the University of North Texas conducted an extensive review of all centers and institutes to determine alignment of their structures with current definitions of such entities. Dr. Cutright served on the Executive Council of Directors that conducted this review. When it became clear that the Center for Higher Education operated differently than most Centers on campus, he requested that the name be changed to the Higher Education Development Initiative. This request was approved by the Provost, the Dean of the College of Education, and the Council. The change in title did not substantively affect the operations or purposes of HEDI.

Dr. Cliff Harbour assumed the Director position after Dr. Cutright retired in August 2017. In March 2018, the Higher Education Development Initiative conducted its 22nd Annual Texas Higher Education Law Conference and planning is now underway for the 23rd Annual Conference to be held in March 2019.

The Program in Higher Education supports the College of Education’s mission to improve education and promote human development by providing experiences that enhance students’ understanding of higher education and that encourage their scholarly curiosity. The Program in Higher Education offers two doctoral degrees:

Ed.D. degree is to develop college and university administrators and community college faculty members with strong action oriented research skills and extensive training in leadership and management.

Ph.D. degree is to develop faculty members, institutional researchers, and policy analysts who can advance the field of higher education through scholarly works. The flexibility of the Ph.D. program also allows students to have extensive training in leadership, management, and a minor field.

The program offers quality academic training through diverse perspectives that challenge the student’s intellect and creativity by integrating knowledge, professional competence, experience, and innovation into a program of study that develops researchers and practitioners who will be critical thinkers and effective leaders in the 21st century institutions of higher education.

The faculty in the Program of Higher Education expects all doctoral students to develop knowledge and competence in these areas by the time they graduate:

1. Higher Education Systems

   1. Develop an understanding of higher education history sufficient to critically analyze contemporary conditions and practice (institutions, governance, policy/politics, faculty, students, & curriculum) in terms of social, economic, and political conditions from which higher education in the United States has evolved.

   2. Critically assess the complex issues and current trends in higher education based on historical connections of the current context and practice of higher education in the United States and draw conclusions about the implications of these for the future.

   3. Compare and discriminate between theories of leadership and administration which apply to higher education institutions.

   4. Compare and contrast the conditions under which assessment, evaluation, and institutional effectiveness theories and models can be applied.

2. Higher Education Principles and Practices

   1. Interpret fiscal principles, legal standards, and information technology to effectively manage organizational units and institutions.

   2. Assess the value of theories and principles which guide the development and function of organizational culture and human relations in higher education organizations.

   3. Critically analyze the research literature and synthesize for practice in these areas:

      1. Student demographics and cultures

      2. Student development theory

      3. College experience

      4. Student attitudes and values

      5. Access, retention, success.

   4. Assess curricula trends, issues, and problems to understand and improve teaching and learning.

   5. Synthesize and integrate theories of instruction and learning to research, assess, create, implement, and improve instructional outcomes.

   6. Critically analyze and assess the conditions of the professoriate in postsecondary institutions to plan actions to improve the development and performance of the faculty.

   7. Analyze theories and models of assessment, evaluation, and institutional effectiveness.

   8. Evaluate current needs for assessment, evaluation, or institutional effectiveness in an institution of higher education or in some component of an institution.

3. Research & Field Experience

   1. Critique the research literature in higher education in terms of the quality of its theoretical soundness, research methods, data analysis, and conclusions.

   2. Integrate major higher education problems and issues through a synthesis of the research literature.

   3. Demonstrate the ability to select, design, execute and report theoretically based qualitative and/or quantitative research that meets standards stipulated by education research professional organizations.

   4. Conduct higher education research that can be submitted for publication or presented at a professional conference.

4. Role of Scholar, Researcher & Professional

   1. Develop a working knowledge of the philosophies and theories of higher education. Draw conclusions about how these philosophies and theories direct policy and practice, administration, instruction and learning, research, and institutional types historically, in the present, and potentially in the future.

   2. Apply critical and reflective thinking to develop a personal statement of ethics to guide one’s professional practice and career.

   3. Develop and articulate a personal philosophy of higher education.

   4. Apply ethnical thinking and adhere to ethical guidelines as stipulated by higher education professional associations.

   5. Articulate and promote the role of higher education in service to the public good.

   6. Understand and promote the pluralism of cultural values and diversity of thought in higher education scholarship and practice.

BENCHMARKS	ACTIONS
Program Admission
Receiving admission letter from the Higher Education Program and the Toulouse Graduate School	Subscribe to the UNT Higher Education Listserv (see page 55 for instruction). Contact your interim advisor to discuss coursework. Consult with your interim advisor on scholarship opportunities. Contact Higher Education Program Coordinator immediately if you are interested in graduate/research assistantship. Consider joining AGSHE (see page 75 for more information).
Program Orientation (before the Fall semester starts)	The Higher Education Program holds new student orientation once per year in late August before the Fall semester starts. We will contact each new student individually and announce orientation on our program listserv. All new doctoral students are expected to attend the orientation.
Maximum Time to Degree	UNT doctoral students have a maximum of 8 years to complete the degree. Time is counted from the earliest course on degree plan (including transferred credits).
Completing Coursework
Complete Doctoral Degree Plan and submit it to program office before the completion of 21 credit hours	Work with your advisor to file a doctoral degree plan before the completion of 21 credit hours. If no degree plan is filed after the completion of 21 credit hours, you will be banned from further class registration until the degree plan is filed with Toulouse Graduate School.
Complete doctoral residency requirements	To meet the university’s doctoral residency requirements, you must take 9 credits hours for 2 consecutive semesters or 6 credit hours for 3 consecutive semesters. Please see page 23 (Ph.D.) or page 28 (Ed.D.) for detail.
Complete all coursework listed on the degree plan	Maintaining a grade of B or above for all degree plan courses. If you need to make changes to your degree plan, please file a Degree Plan Change and/or Committee Composition Change form (https://coe.unt.edu/counseling-and-higher-education/resources#) and submit it to your advisor for approval.
Select a Major Professor and form a Dissertation Committee before taking the qualifying exam	Please see page 42 for instruction.
Qualifying Exams
Meet the prerequisites for taking the doctoral qualifying exam	Students must meet ALL the prerequisites before taking the Higher Education Program doctoral qualifying exam: Fully admitted to the Higher Education doctoral program Degree plan submitted and approved by Toulouse Graduate School o All course deficiencies completed All degree plan courses completed or in the last 9 hours o All degree plan courses have a grade of B or above No incomplete (I grade) on degree plan courses Doctoral residency completed A dissertation committee in place
Pass the Written Qualifying Exams	The written qualifying exam is offered twice per year: early February for the Spring semester and early September for the Fall semester. You must register with the Higher Education Program Coordinator to take the exam. The registration information will be distributed on the Higher Education Listserv a few months before the exam. The written exam is a 2-week take home exam including 3 sections: o Historical, Theoretical, and Philosophical Foundations of Higher Education Organization and Administration of Higher Education o Research in Higher Education Students who fail any section of the exam are allowed to take the failed section again in a future administration of the exam. Students who fail any section of the exam twice are automatically dismissed from the Higher Education doctoral program. Students who wish to appeal their qualifying exam results must follow the Policy on Appeals of Qualifying Exam Results in page 69.
Pass the Oral Qualifying Exam	Students are allowed to take the oral qualifying exam after they passed all sections of the written qualifying exam. The oral qualifying exam is held in front of the student’s dissertation committee. Students should contact their major professor for instructions on completing the oral qualifying exam. Students who fail the oral qualifying exam twice are automatically dismissed from the Higher Education doctoral program.
Dissertation
Prepare a dissertation proposal and pass the proposal defense	Students work with their major professor to prepare a dissertation proposal. With the permission from the student’s major professor, coordinate and schedule a proposal defense with the student’s dissertation committee. A completed dissertation proposal and a Dissertation Proposal Defense Scheduling form (https://coe.unt.edu/counseling-and-higher- education/resources#) must be sent to the dissertation committee and the department chair at least 2 weeks prior to the proposal defense. The proposal defense is open to the public.
Complete the dissertation and pass the dissertation defense	After passing the proposal defense, the student works with his/her major professor to complete the dissertation. With the permission from the student’s major professor, coordinate and schedule a dissertation defense with the student’s dissertation committee. A completed dissertation with abstract and a Dissertation Defense Scheduling form (https://coe.unt.edu/counseling-and-higher- education/resources#) must be sent to the dissertation committee and the department chair at least 2 weeks prior to the dissertation defense. The dissertation defense is open to the public.
Graduation, Awarding of Degree
Apply for Graduation	Please check the Toulouse Graduate School web site for Graduation Information. The deadline to apply for graduation is very early in the semester. If you plan to graduate in a particular semester, you must apply for graduation before the deadline. Check the Toulouse Graduate School web site for Graduation Deadlines.
Attend Commencement Ceremony	All UNT doctoral graduates receive individual recognition in a university- wide commencement ceremony. Please coordinate with your major professor to ensure his/her availability to hood you in the ceremony.
After Graduation
Maintain Your Alumni Information	Join the UNT Higher Education Program Alumni Listserv. Please consider joining UNT Alumni Association. Update your contact information at this web site to receive news and updates from UNT.
Contribute to the UNT and the Higher Education Program	Please consider donating to the UNT Foundation. Maintain your relationship with your major professor and other program alumni.

The Ph.D. program in higher education is designed for individuals primarily interested in the scholarly inquiry and/or teaching of higher education as a field of study. The Ph.D. in higher education is particularly appropriate to the following careers:

• Academic and research positions in graduate instructional programs of higher education, higher education institutes and centers for the study of higher education;
• Applied and management research positions in institutions of higher learning, government agencies, consortia of higher education institutions and higher education professional associations; and
• Senior administrative positions in four-year colleges and universities where in-depth knowledge and understanding of the conceptual bases of higher education administration are required.

Admission Requirements

Students seeking admission to the doctoral program in Higher Education should apply for either the Ed.D. or Ph.D. program depending on their academic preparation, prior experience, and career goals. Both doctoral programs offered in higher education enable students to acquire knowledge about and evaluate major organizational, behavioral and learning theories applicable to higher education; to conduct applied and/or original research in the field of higher education; to become familiar with past, present and emerging patterns of organization and professional administrative practice in higher education; and to observe and participate in the actual practice of higher education administration and/or research. However, the two programs differ significantly in length and emphasis and in course work, research tool, minor field, and dissertation requirements.

Admission to the doctoral program is selective. Students seeking admission to the doctoral program in Higher Education should submit the following items online to the UNT Toulouse Graduate School:

1. UNT Toulouse Graduate School application form;
2. Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended;
3. Three recommendation forms, including at least one from a faculty member with whom the student has studied or conducted research (please contact the Higher Education Program office for recommendation form);
4. A curriculum vitae or resume;
5. An admission essay (i.e., statement of purpose); and
6. A sample of the applicant’s best recent written work in the form of a published article or book chapter, a research term paper, master’s thesis, or a professional report for which the applicant is the sole or primary author.

All the admission documentation must be submitted online to the UNT Toulouse Graduate School. GRE or GMAT scores must be submitted directly from the testing agency.

In addition to the minimum requirements of the College of Education listed under the “Admission Requirements” heading in the appropriate section of the UNT graduate catalog, admission to the Ed.D. or Ph.D. program in higher education is contingent upon the following:

1. An acceptable GPA (The successful candidate for admission will normally have an overall GPA of 3.6 or higher from a graduate degree program, based on a 4.0 grading system);
2. The quality and relevance of the applicant’s prior undergraduate and graduate work;
3. The quantity and relevance of the applicant’s prior work experience in higher education
4. administration, teaching, and/or research;
5. The clarity and fit of the applicant’s career objectives;
6. The strength of the professional/educational references;
7. The quality of the admission essay and writing sample; and
8. An interview with program faculty.

There is an application deadline for each semester. Contact the program office for deadline dates. After review of the completed application packet, eligible applicants will be invited to interview with program faculty. For additional information, prospective students should contact the Higher Education Program office at 940-565-2045 or e-mail coe-che-info@unt.edu.

Degree Requirements

The Ph.D. in Higher Education requires a minimum 72 hours (66 hours if the internship requirement is waived) beyond the master’s degree or 102 (96 hours if the internship requirement is waived) hours beyond the bachelor’s degree.

Higher Education Doctoral Core.....................18 hours

Provides the student with a broad overview and integrated perspective of higher education as a field of study and academic enterprise:

EDHE 6000	Proseminar in Higher Education (this course must be completed in the first year of the doctoral study)
EDHE 6510	History and Philosophy of Higher Education
EDHE 6520	Students in Higher Education
EDHE 6550	Policy Studies in Higher Education
EDHE 6710	Organization and Administration of Higher Education
EDHE 6790	Legal Aspects of Higher Education

Minor or Cognate Area..............................12 hours

The student completes a minor of at least 12 semester hours from courses outside the Program of Higher Education, or a cognate field of 12 semester hours in an area of specialization in higher education. The student must work with his or her major professor to select the minor or cognate area.

Higher Education Elective Course Requirements.......6 hours

Courses are to be selected from the program’s course inventory and should enable the student to gain either a broader exposure to the various specializations in higher education or an in-depth knowledge of one particular area of specialization.

Internship..........................................6 hours

An administrative, research, and/or teaching internship of 6 semester hours is required of all doctoral students. Internship may be waived for students who have been employed in a full-time administrative position, or a teaching or research position in an institution, agency, or association of higher education for at least one academic year, or the equivalent as determined by the higher education faculty. Administrative internships consist of at least 120 clock hours of closely supervised administrative work per 3 semester hours of credit and culminate with a written report of the internship experience. Research internships require the close supervision of the student’s research project by a graduate faculty member of the university and culminate in a publishable or presentable research paper. Teaching internships consist of at least 40 hours of supervised teaching per 3 semester hours of credit and culminate with a portfolio documenting the experience.

College of Education Research Core..................6 hours

The College of Education requires that each doctoral student complete

• EPSY 6010 Statistics for Educational Research*
• EPSY 6020 Research Methods in Education

*Students who have not taken a master’s level research course may need to take EPSY 5210 Educational Statistics to meet the prerequisite for EPSY 6010. EPSY 5210 is not counted toward the degree.

Higher Education Research Requirement..............15 hours

Each Ph.D. candidate must be competent in the modes of scholarly inquiry common to the major field of study. The higher education program requires Ph.D. students to complete 6 hours of Higher Education Program Research Core and 9 hours of advanced quantitative or qualitative research methodology beyond EPSY 6010 and EPSY 6020.

Higher Education Program Research Core (6 hours)

Higher Education Program research core consists of a series of two courses that must take in sequence and in consecutive semesters. This series is designed to help students strengthen their skills in conducting higher education research and in preparing for doctoral dissertation research. Prerequisites include College of Education research core (EPSY 6010 and EPSY 6020) and 30 hours completed in the higher education program.

• EDHE 6120 Seminar in Higher Education Research I
• EDHE 6540 Seminar in Higher Education Research II

Advanced Research Methodology (9 hours)

Ph.D. students are required to take at least 9 hours of advanced quantitative or qualitative research coursework beyond EPSY 6010 and EPSY 6020. Students must work with their major professor to select courses that will equip them for dissertation research.

Dissertation Research Requirement........minimum of 9 hours

The principal goal of the Ph.D. dissertation is the demonstration of the student’s ability to conduct independent research. The research design must be congruent with the modes of inquiry used in conducting research on higher education and must be a report of independent research with a strong theoretical foundation. Moreover, the dissertation must be of publishable quality. No dissertation enrollment is permitted until the student passes the doctoral qualifying exam. Only 9 semester hours of dissertation credit are applied to the degree program, even though more dissertation hours may be accumulated. Please check university policy on the requirement of continuous enrollment.

Doctoral Dissertation Committee

Each Ph.D. student must select a dissertation committee prior to taking the doctoral qualifying exam. The dissertation committee consists of a minimum of FOUR graduate faculty members including a major professor, a member from the Higher Education Program (either full-time or affiliate faculty), a member external to the Higher Education Program (and maybe external to the college or university) and a fourth member (either full-time or affiliate program faculty or external to the program). The major professor must be a full-time graduate faculty of the Higher Education Program. Students who have a minor are encouraged to select the external member from the minor field. Students should consult with the major professor to form the dissertation committee. Please check the university and college dissertation committee policies for other requirements.

Additional Requirements

Minimum Grade Requirement

All courses required and used toward the doctoral degree in Higher Education must be passed with a grade of “B” or better.

Residency Requirement

All doctoral students at UNT are required to complete the residency requirement prior to taking Doctoral Qualifying Exam. The residency requirement consists of two consecutive semesters at UNT with a minimum of 9 graduate hours in each term or three consecutive semesters with a minimum of 6 graduate hours in each term. The summer semester may be excluded for the purpose of determining consecutive semesters.

Doctoral Qualifying Exam

Students who have met the residency requirement and completed all coursework on the degree plan (exclusive of dissertation) with a grade of B or better will be allowed to take the doctoral qualifying exam. Students who have met the residency requirement and are in the last 9 hours or less of coursework (exclusive of dissertation) and will complete these hours in the current semester may take the doctoral qualifying exam with permission from the major professor. The Higher Education Program doctoral qualifying exam includes written and oral components. Students who fail any part of the exam twice will be automatically dismissed from the program. Students who pass the doctoral qualifying exam are admitted to candidacy.

Minimum Total for Ph.D..........................66-72 hours

The Ed.D. program in higher education is designed for individuals interested primarily in the application of theory to practice. It is particularly appropriate for persons who aspire to administrative leadership careers in one or more of the following areas:

• Senior leadership positions in four-year colleges and universities, such as dean of students, vice president for student affairs, dean of administration, vice president for administration, vice president for development, assistant to the president, dean of continuing education and dean of a college of education.
• Senior leadership positions in two-year community colleges, junior colleges and vocational/technical institutes, such as department chair, dean of learning resource centers, chief academic affairs officer, vice president of student services, dean of business services, and president.
• Higher education middle management administrative positions in student affairs, administrative affairs, business affairs and development in all types of institutions of higher education, including such positions as director of housing, director of financial aid, coordinator of student life/student activities, student center director, director of institutional research, director of development, and director of continuing education.
• Senior administrative and staff positions in higher education coordinating and/or policy agencies in state, regional and federal government.
• Administrative leadership positions with higher education accrediting agencies, professional associations, consortia and other professional organizations.

Admission Requirements

Students seeking admission to the doctoral program in Higher Education should apply for either the Ed.D. or Ph.D. program depending on their academic preparation, prior experience, and career goals. Both doctoral programs offered in higher education enable students to acquire knowledge about and evaluate major organizational, behavioral and learning theories applicable to higher education; to conduct applied and/or original research in the field of higher education; to become familiar with past, present and emerging patterns of organization and professional administrative practice in higher education; and to observe and participate in the actual practice of higher education administration and/or research. However, the two programs differ significantly in length and emphasis and in course work, research tool, minor field, and dissertation requirements.

Admission to the doctoral program is selective. Students seeking admission to the doctoral program in Higher Education should submit the following items online to the UNT Toulouse Graduate School:

1. UNT Toulouse Graduate School application form;
2. Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended;
3. Three recommendation forms, including at least one from a faculty member with whom the student has studied or conducted research (please contact the Higher Education Program office for recommendation form);
4. A curriculum vitae or resume;
5. An admission essay (i.e., statement of purpose); and
6. A sample of the applicant’s best recent written work in the form of a published article or book chapter, a research term paper, master’s thesis, or a professional report for which the applicant is the sole or primary author.

All the admission documentation must be submitted online to the UNT Toulouse Graduate School. 

In addition to the minimum requirements of the College of Education listed under the “Admission Requirements” heading in the appropriate section of the UNT graduate catalog, admission to the Ed.D. or Ph.D. program in higher education is contingent upon the following:

1. An acceptable GPA (The successful candidate for admission will normally have an overall GPA of 3.6 or higher from a graduate degree program, based on a 4.0 grading system);
2. The quality and relevance of the applicant’s prior undergraduate and graduate work;
3. The quantity and relevance of the applicant’s prior work experience in higher education
4. administration, teaching, and/or research;
5. The clarity and fit of the applicant’s career objectives;
6. The strength of the professional/educational references;
7. The quality of the admission essay and writing sample; and
8. An interview with program faculty.

There is an application deadline for each semester. Contact the program office for deadline dates. After review of the completed application packet, eligible applicants will be invited to interview with program faculty. For additional information, prospective students should contact the Higher Education Program office at 940-565-2045 or e-mail coe-che-info@unt.edu.

Degree Requirements

The minimum total number of hours required for the Ed.D. is 63 hours (57 if the internship requirement is waived) beyond the master’s degree.

Higher Education Doctoral Core.....................18 hours

Provides the student with a broad overview and integrated perspective of higher education as a field of study and academic enterprise:

EDHE 6000	Proseminar in Higher Education (this course must be completed in the first year of the doctoral study)
EDHE 6510	History and Philosophy of Higher Education
EDHE 6520	Students in Higher Education
EDHE 6550	Policy Studies in Higher Education
EDHE 6710	Organization and Administration of Higher Education
EDHE 6790	Legal Aspects of Higher Education

Cognate Area.......................................15 hours

The student completes a cognate of at least 15 semester hours from courses within the Program of Higher Education in consultation with his or her major professor. Courses from outside the Program of Higher Education may be taken as part of the cognate with the permission of the student’s major professor. Students are encouraged to focus on, but not limited to, the following cognate areas:

• Community College Leadership
• Student Affairs Administration
• Organization and Administration
• Teaching and Learning in Higher Education

Internship..........................................6 hours

An administrative internship of 6 semester hours is required of all doctoral students. Internship may be waived for students who have been employed in a full-time administrative position, or a teaching or research position in an institution, agency, or association of higher education for at least one academic year, or the equivalent as determined by the higher education faculty. Administrative internships consist of at least 120 clock hours of closely supervised administrative work per 3 semester hours of credit and culminate with a written report of the internship experience.

College of Education Research Core..................6 hours

The College of Education requires that each doctoral student complete

• EPSY 6010 Statistics for Educational Research*
• EPSY 6020 Research Methods in Education

*Students who have not taken a master’s level research course may need to take EPSY 5210 Educational Statistics to meet the prerequisite for EPSY 6010. EPSY 5210 is not counted toward the degree.

Higher Education Research Requirement...............9 hours

Each Ed.D candidate must be competent in the modes of inquiry methods common to the major field of study. The higher education program requires Ed.D students to complete 6 hours of Higher Education Field Research Courses and 3 hours in quantitative or qualitative research methodology beyond EPSY 6010 and EPSY 6020.

Higher Education Field Research (6 hours)

Higher Education Field Research consists of a series of two courses that must take in sequence and in consecutive semesters. This series is designed to help students strengthen their skills by creating research-based solutions for real-life issues in higher education administration. Prerequisites include College of Education research core (EPSY 6010 and EPSY 6020) and 30 hours completed in the higher education program.

• EDHE 6120 Seminar in Higher Education Research I
• EDHE 6540 Seminar in Higher Education Research II

Advanced Research Methodology (3 hours)

Ed.D. students are required to take at least 3 hours of advanced quantitative or qualitative research coursework beyond EPSY 6010 and EPSY 6020. Student must work with their major professor to select courses that will equip them for dissertation research.

Dissertation Research Requirement........minimum of 9 hours

The principal goal of the Ed.D. dissertation is the demonstration of the student’s ability to solve practical issues in higher education by conducting independent research. The research design must be congruent with the modes of inquiry used in conducting research on higher education. Ed.D. students are encouraged to conduct action research that applies theories in creating solutions for real- life issues in higher education. No dissertation enrollment is permitted until the student passes the doctoral qualifying exam. Only 9 semester hours of dissertation credit are applied to the degree program, even though more dissertation hours may be accumulated. Please check university policy on the requirement of continuous enrollment.

Doctoral Dissertation Committee

Each Ed.D. student must select a dissertation committee prior to taking the doctoral qualifying exam. The dissertation committee consists of a minimum of FOUR graduate faculty members including a major professor, a member from the Higher Education Program (either full-time or affiliate faculty), a member external to the Higher Education Program (and maybe external to the college or university) and a fourth member (either full-time or affiliate program faculty or external to the program). The major professor must be a full-time graduate faculty of the Higher Education Program. Students who have a minor are encouraged to select the external member from the minor field. Students should consult with the major professor to form the dissertation committee. Please check the university and college dissertation committee policies for other requirements.

Additional Requirements

Minimum Grade Requirement

All courses required and used toward the doctoral degree in Higher Education must be passed with a grade of “B” or better.

Residency Requirement

All doctoral students at UNT are required to complete the residency requirement prior to taking Doctoral Qualifying Exam. The residency requirement consists of two consecutive semesters at UNT with a minimum of 9 graduate hours in each term or three consecutive semesters with a minimum of 6 graduate hours in each term. The summer semester may be excluded for the purpose of determining consecutive semesters.

Doctoral Qualifying Exam

Students who have met the residency requirement and completed all coursework on the degree plan (exclusive of dissertation) with a grade of B or better will be allowed to take the doctoral qualifying exam. Students who have met the residency requirement and are in the last 9 hours or less of coursework (exclusive of dissertation) and will complete these hours in the current semester may take the doctoral qualifying exam with permission from the major professor. The Higher Education Program doctoral qualifying exam includes written and oral components. Students who fail any part of the exam twice will be automatically dismissed from the program. Students who pass the doctoral qualifying exam are admitted to candidacy.

Minimum Total for Ed.D..........................57-63 hours