Learn more about our Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Administration: Higher Education Administration program
Thursday, August 19, 2021 at 5:00 PM
Wednesday, September 15, 2021 at 5:00 PM
Monday, October 11, 2021 at 5:00 PM
Tuesday, November 16, 2021 at 5:00 PM
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Meeting ID: 981 1581 9735
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Educational Administration, emphasis in Higher Education Administration
The 73-hour doctoral program prepares students for leadership roles in higher education administration, teaching, and research through an emphasis in integrating theory and practice. With a concentration in a variety of areas, students are able to achieve their personal goals. The degree has several required courses as well as electives. Electives are based on the student’s support field in a related discipline and must be approved by the committee chair.
Field of Study
Higher education is a broad-based area of knowledge and study that examines the management and coordination of programs, policies, and processes pertaining to colleges and universities. Programs, policies, and processes include issues associated with access, admission, assessment, curriculum, diversity, economics, enrollment, equity, faculty, finance, governance, law, learning, organizational behavior, philanthropy, policy, resource management, students, and teaching.
Arising from the desire to reform colleges and universities through the promotion of the study of higher education, the field encompasses a variety of professional options and career paths. In order to coordinate programs, policies, and processes in colleges and universities, higher education professionals representing a variety of knowledge, experiences and skills, are needed. Educators work to impact organizational systems and culture within colleges and universities through serving as administrators, faculty, researchers, and scholar practitioners.
Vision and Mission
Our program has a specific focus on infusing an equity minded agenda that is reflected in the courses we teach, the research we conduct, and the service we provide at the local, state, and national levels. Specifically, we offer areas of emphasis including higher education administration, student affairs administration and a certificate in college teaching for aspiring postsecondary instructors. We excel at graduating scholar practitioners.
Vision
We strive to prepare students to be equity-minded leaders in higher education in Texas and beyond.
Mission
We prepare future faculty members, administrators, and scholar-practitioners with interests in working at community colleges, four-year institutions, and state, and national organizations.
Core Values
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: Creating equitable access and participation for underrepresented and disenfranchised populations in our communities and postsecondary institutions
Mentoring and Teaching: Challenging and supporting students through quality mentoring and teaching
Knowledge Development: Developing critical consumers and producers of knowledge.
Service: As a land grant institution, we embrace service to our diverse communities
Why Choose Texas A&M?
We welcome prospective students who want to engage with a community of scholars devoted to advancing research, policies, and practice focused on pressing issues in higher education. We have faculty members, administrators, and graduate students committed to being leaders at the local, state, regional, and national levels.
Our program offers opportunities to
- Work alongside faculty as research collaborators
- Make a meaningful opportunity to contribute to national discourses in higher education and student affairs
- Engaged learning community
- Serve or lead at the national level
- Apply academic learning and teaching in professional practice
- Individualized and tailor the educational experience based on personal goals
Further the program offers
- Faculty committed to student success
- Faculty with a breadth and depth of knowledge and experiences beyond teaching
- Graduate Fellowship from the Office of Graduate and Professional Studies
- Graduate student support and involvement (e.g., GRAB/SAAHE professional organization, Black graduate student association, Hispanic graduate student association, Graduate student senate?)
- Extensive academic support available through Texas A&M University (e.g. Writing Center, World Class Research Library)
Career Paths in Higher Education
Career paths in higher education vary widely, and are dependent on academic qualifications and job responsibilities required within and across colleges and universities. For example, the career path to become a president (an institution’s chief executive officer or CEO) at a university such as Texas A&M University that is designated as a R1: Doctoral Research University, is different for a baccalaureate college or a master’s college and university. While it is possible to prepare for a position for a career in higher education administration with a bachelor’s degree, most colleges and universities require an advanced degree such as a masters or doctorate. Higher education administrators typically hold a masters or doctorate degree with areas of specialization including business, equity, faculty, finance, law, student affairs, organizational behavior, policy, research methodology, and teaching.
A graduate degree in higher education can prepare you for a career in a postsecondary or professional setting. Here are a few examples:
- Academic Administration
- Administrative Leadership
- College Teaching
- Educational Development
- Faculty in higher education (tenure and non-tenure track appointment)
- Industry
- Student Affairs
- Training and Development
ADMISSIONS
Admissions Deadline: December 1
To be admitted to a graduate program, you must apply to the EAHR department and Texas A&M University.
How to ApplyProgram Details
Degree: Doctorate (Ph.D.) in Educational Administration
Emphasis: Higher Education Administration
Degrees Offered: Doctor of Philosophy
Credit Hours: 73 hours (minimum of 96 hours without a Masters degree)
This doctoral program is designed for aspiring faculty, experienced staff members and organizational/institutional leaders at various stages in their careers. Our Higher Education Administration program offers compelling and diverse coursework and offers exceptional academic preparation for scholar-practitioners and aspiring faculty members that reflects the guiding principles of Texas A&M and our department.
Our graduates are senior higher education administrators, faculty members, vice presidents, and Deans. Our faculty are leading scholars in the areas of research, which include student retention and financial aid, the preparation and retention of underrepresented groups such as males interested in attending a postsecondary institution, faculty work-life issues, diversity issues in higher education, college teaching, and qualitative research. The combination of our coursework and exceptional faculty result in a higher education program that meets the varying needs of our students through an emphasis on integrating theory and practice.
Degree Plan
As a student in our doctoral program, you will be enrolling in a variety of courses. There are a number of required higher education course (shown below) that will provide you with a foundation of the field that help prepare you to be leaders in the higher education. Courses such as Administration of Higher Education and Organizational Theory, for example, work in tandem to help you understand how colleges and universities operate. Other courses, including Policy in the Administration of Higher Education and Higher Education Law, provide an understanding of how legal and policy issues interact in ways to affect institutional policy and legal issues in colleges and universities.
You will have a number of opportunities to enroll in elective courses of your choosing. These courses can be taken within the department or outside of the department. In addition, you will be required to take courses outside our department and to develop a secondary field of concentration. Your concentration courses do not have to be from the same field. In other words, you can take courses from different fields, such as Business, Sociology, Communication, and/or Psychology. The purpose of requiring this outside concentration is to allow you to take courses that will provide you with disciplinary breadth and depth in understanding your research interest(s). You will work with your faculty advisor to tailor a program of study, including your area of concentration, that will assist you in choosing courses that help develop and shape your research interest(s) and position you to succeed in higher education now and in the future.
As the doctorate is a research degree, you will be required to take a combination of quantitative and qualitative research courses. These courses will prepare you to be an independent researcher and to conduct the research of your dissertation.
Request Information
Higher Education Program FAQ
CAN I FOCUS ON AN AREA OF SPECIALIZATION?
We encourage students through their electives to pick areas of study to be their strengths when they graduate. More than half of our students go on to be full time administrators at higher education institutions. As administrators, students can focus on students or academic affairs, public policy, finance, teaching and curriculum, social justice and diversity etc. If you are thinking you might have reached a plateau in your career, it might be the right time to pursue a doctoral degree. Other doctoral students are community college or university faculty in their discipline who anticipate moving into administration and want to learn more about academic leadership. A portion of our graduates also go on to be full time faculty members in other higher education programs. For the faculty pathway, we encourage full time study and a concentration on research in coursework and preparation.
DO I NEED A MASTERS IN HIGHER EDUCATION TO APPLY TO THE PhD PROGRAM?
No. Students come from a variety of undergraduate and graduate disciplines. Students may tailor their graduate program to their particular career goals. Students from inside and outside of higher education make for rich classroom discussions. If students are admitted to the doctorate without any master’s degree, they will need additional coursework beyond the 73 credit hours. For example, the program has admitted students with master’s degrees in student affairs, math education, public affairs, library information studies, and business.
I AM INTERESTED IN APPLYING TO THIS PROGRAM. HOW CAN I STRENGTHEN MY APPLICATION?
All prospective Ph.D. students are highly encouraged to meet with a program faculty member prior to applying to the program. This will allow the prospective student to ask questions about the program to ensure the program will meet their needs. Also, since faculty members make admission decisions, this is an opportunity for prospective students to find out what the programs are looking for in applicants.
Prospective students are encouraged to apply early, especially if they are wanting to be considered for awards, such as fellowships and assistantships.
ARE GRE SCORES REQUIRED FOR ADMISSION TO THE PHD PROGRAM? WHAT ARE THE MINIMUM GRE SCORES REQUIRED FOR ADMISSION?
Update: GRE Scores will not be required for Fall 2022 PhD applicants.
All PhD applicants must provide official GRE scores. These scores must have been taken within the past five years to be considered up to date. To be considered official, scores must be sent directly from ETS to the TAMU Graduate Admissions Office.
There is not a minimum score required for admission to the program. Faculty reviewers base admission on the overall application. This includes GPR, work experience, interview questions, writing samples, as well as GRE scores.
To be competitive for one of the fellowships, it is recommended applicants score above 300 overall.
HOW SOON CAN I APPLY?
Applications for the PhD program are accepted August 1-December 1, for the following Fall semester. It is recommended applicants submit all application materials in advance of the deadline to ensure a complete application when reviews begin.
HOW DO I APPLY TO THIS PROGRAM?
Completed Application: A completed Texas A&M University GraduateCAS application. The name on your application must match your name as it appears in your passport. Application Fee: A non-refundable $89 application fee for domestic applicants and $114 application fee for international applicants. The application fee may be paid by check, money order or approved credit card. Applicants who wish to pay by credit card may do so as part of the online application. If you are unable to pay the fee online, you may call the Graduate Admissions Office at 979-845-1060. Official Transcripts and Records: Submit official transcripts from all colleges or universities attended. NOTE: You do not need to submit an official transcript from Texas A&M University. For information on submitting official transcripts to Texas A&M University, please visit their website.
How to Apply: Doctoral Application Information
WHAT TYPES OF FUNDING ARE AVAILABLE TO PHD STUDENTS?
Full-time PhD students are eligible to apply for Graduate Assistantships. These assistantships pay for nine hours of tuition, as well as a monthly stipend. These assistantships range from assisting with courses, teaching undergraduate courses, and assisting with research.
Full-time students are also eligible to be nominated (by faculty) for a fellowship. These fellowships are competitive, so prospective students are encouraged to have their admission applications submitted early. They are also encouraged to meet with faculty members in the program to discuss their interest in the program, as well as being considered for an award.
Students who are not full-time can contact the Student Financial Aid office for other funding opportunities available to graduate students.
WHAT DO I NEED TO INCLUDE IN MY STATEMENT OF PURPOSE?
Admissions committee members look mainly for fit between what the applicant wants from a graduate program and what we offer. In the personal statement, applicants are encouraged to clearly state and connect their background or current work and particularly their future career plans, to the degree they are seeking. Further because the doctorate is a research degree, applicants are invited to talk about any potential research interests. These do not need to be well developed, but if an applicant’s research interests relate to the work of a particular faculty member, mentioning it can be helpful.
Contact Advisors

Devyn Cima
Academic Advisor II

Kerri Smith
Director of Academic Advising
Faculty

Krista Bailey
SAAHE Program Director, Clinical Associate Professor

Christine Stanley
Regents Professor, Vice President and Associate Provost for Diversity Emerita

Glenda Musoba
Associate Professor, Program Chair

Luis Ponjuan
Associate Professor

Vicente Lechuga
Associate Professor

Yvonna Lincoln
Distinguished Professor, Emeriti

Chayla Haynes Davison
Assistant Professor

Darby Roberts
Director of Student Life Studies

Jerry M. Brown
Managing Counsel-Student Affairs & Special Projects in the Office of General Counsel

C.J. Woods
Associate Vice President for Student Affairs & Chief of Staff for the President

Cinthya Salazar
Assistant Professor
