Education, Ed.D., Concentration in Higher Education Administration

Requirements

This degree requires a minimum of 75 credits beyond the bachelor’s degree. Candidates may, with the approval of the HIED faculty, transfer up to 30 semester hours from previous graduate level coursework. A bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree from regionally accredited institutions are required of all students to be admitted to the Ed.D. program.

Additional Information:

The Ed.D. curriculum emphasizes advanced research methodologies, organizational theory, policy analysis, and change management strategies specifically contextualized for higher education environments. Through dissertation research focused on problems of practice, students contribute meaningful solutions to pressing issues facing contemporary educational institutions.

The Ed.D. is especially appropriate for experienced professionals who intend to work as mid to senior administrators in community colleges and universities. Graduates of the HIED Ed.D. program typically advance to executive leadership positions in U.S. and international postsecondary institutions, serving as Deans, Vice Presidents, Provosts, and Presidents. Some graduates choose to join the professorate, bringing their practical leadership experience to the preparation of future education professionals.

Ed.D. students are required to attend an online orientation during their first fall semester in the program.

Preliminary Examination

HIED Ed.D. students must complete a written preliminary examination to advance to doctoral candidacy. The preliminary exam question(s) are chosen by the Ed.D. student’s doctoral committee. A preliminary exam rubric will be provided to the student by the dissertation chair.

Dissertation

HIED Ed.D. students must research, write, and defend an original dissertation. HIED program dissertations take a range of formats and can include but are not limited to: Traditional five-chapter dissertations, three-chapter Dissertations in Practice (DiP), Documentaries, Submitted Manuscripts (Journals), and other doctoral-level projects. HIED Ed.D. students will work with their doctoral committee chair to identify the type of dissertation they will pursue.

Admission Requirements

This is a high demand degree program and admission to the program is competitive. Meeting the minimum requirements does not ensure that an individual will be admitted.

Preference in admission to this program is given to individuals working in higher education in the state of Wyoming (University of Wyoming or Wyoming community colleges). Applications from individuals in other educational settings will be considered for admission provided that there is space available in the program to accommodate additional students.

To be considered for admission to the Ed.D. in Higher Education Administration program, applicants must meet the following minimum requirements:

• Hold a Master’s degree from an accredited institute of higher education.
• Have a minimum 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale on previously completed bachelor’s and master’s degrees.
• GRE: The GRE is required for consideration into the Ed.D. program, unless applicants meet the requirements listed below for a GRE waiver. Applicants must have a minimum GRE score of 151 verbal, 153 quantitative, and 4.0 analytical writing.
• TOEFL  550 minimum written or 80 minimum online, or IELTS: 6.5 minimum overall scores are required for international, non-native English speaking applicants.

GRE Waiver: The GRE requirement may be waived under the following conditions:

• Applicant has a minimum of 4 years full-time Higher Education Administration experience at the director (or higher) level, or
• Applicant is the first or sole author on a peer-reviewed journal article or is the first or sole author on at least two edited book chapters. No other publications or writing samples will be considered, or
• Applicant is a graduate of UW’s Master of Arts in Higher Education Administration Program or has completed UW’s Community College Leadership Graduate Certificate.

Applicants must request that the GRE be waived in writing and must provide evidence of at least one of the above criteria as part of their application packet. Please upload the GRE waiver request to the GRE scores section of your application packet.

If an applicant does not have GRE scores to submit, and do not meet the requirements of the waiver, they are encouraged to apply to the Community College Leadership Certificate program instead.

Application Deadlines:

February 1- Fall/Summer

September 15 - Spring

How to Apply

Step 1: Apply to UW and the School of Counseling, Leadership, Advocacy and Design through the online applicant portal.

1. Click here to access the UW graduate applicant portal. Make sure to use the corresponding application admittance semester indicated above.
2. After completing the initial information page, you will receive an email from the system including a link and your temporary username and password.
3. Please complete the contact, academic, residency information, etc.
4. 4. Submit the $50 application fee
5. Submit ALL required documents to the online document portal (see below for details)

Step 2: Submit official copies of transcripts to UW Admissions

Include ALL documents listed below in order for your application to be considered

• A letter of application. You should discuss your professional and academic goals as well as share your perceptions about how the Ed.D. in Higher Education Administration will help in achieving those goals. Any special issues that you think the admissions committee should know about (e.g., undergraduate or master’s GPA below 3.0, past graduate HIED courses taken under the “six-credit rule”, etc.) should also be highlighted.
• A professional resume or curriculum vitae. No one format is “correct”, but the information most important to include is your education and work experience.
• GRE scores. Applicants requesting that the GRE be waived must do so in writing as part of the application packet. Please upload to the GRE section of your application.
• Three references provided. Full contact information for three references who might speak to your academic potential and/or potential for a career in higher education, including an active email address, should be offered in a separate document clearly marked as “References”. Once the Office of Admissions has this information, they will contact the references via email and request that they complete a questionnaire and upload a letter. It is a good idea to check with Admissions in advance of the admissions deadline regarding any reference letters that may still be outstanding, and follow up with any of those references.