Ph.D. in K-16 Educational Leadership and Policy Studies

Thank you for your interest in the Ph.D. degree in K-16 Educational Leadership and Policy Studies. The Ph.D. degree is designed for candidates who seek to enter careers in research, institutional assessment, policy analysis, institutional leadership, or the professoriate. The program challenges the conventional wisdom that K-12 and post-secondary education are different worlds by bringing together scholars and students from all levels of education to work and study together Particularly, the program will focus on narrowing achievement gaps by studying factors and creating more efficacious transitions within the educational experience. Working from the premise that all people can learn at high levels, the program will study the systemic barriers that prevent so many children, adolescents, and young adults from achieving their fullest potential.

In addition to becoming experts in their particular area of inquiry, candidates will receive a broad foundation in the study of educational leadership and policy development. Candidates in the Ph.D. program will be part of a cohort throughout their three years of coursework, leading to the comprehensive exams and dissertation. Research has demonstrated that cohort models can be very effective in fostering deep learning and increasing the likelihood of students moving towards program completion. We expect that most of the students in the program will work full-time and therefore the cohort will take only six graduate semester credit hours (two courses) per semester. The number of candidates selected for the first cohort will be limited to fifteen.

For further information about the Ph.D. program in K-16 Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, contact Dr. James C. Hardy, Ph.D. Program Director.

Application information (PDF)

Updated: 26 June 2007