Higher Education and Student Affairs Leadership Ph.D.
The HESAL program integrates a focus on social justice and empirical research throughout the curriculum. The inquiry-based program offers students the opportunity to focus studies on leadership, college student development, higher education culture and diversity, and organizations and policy in both student affairs and broader higher education contexts. Students may focus on studies related to community colleges, four-year colleges, universities, and higher education agencies. Opportunities are provided for practical experiences under the mentorship of experienced higher education leaders. The Ph.D. program is based upon a community of scholars model, in which students are viewed as colleagues with progressively higher levels of responsibility and expertise. Students are admitted as a cohort group, with expectations that students will engage in collaborative research and other scholarly endeavors early in the doctoral program.
Admission. Students must hold a masters degree in higher education, college student affairs, or a related field from an accredited institution and have two years of successful work experience in an institution of higher education. SRM 600 or an equivalent introduction to graduate research course, is required for admission. The program may waive that requirement for admission, in which case the student must make up the deficiency. Coursework to make up the deficiency will not count toward the Ph.D. requirements. Additional details regarding admissions criteria and the application process may be seen on the program’s web site, at www.unco.edu/cebs/hesal. Financial assistance and additional professional experiences are available through an extensive network of graduate assistant opportunities, both within the program and in a number of UNC offices.
Commitment to Diversity . The Higher Education and Student Affairs Leadership program recognizes the importance of addressing the needs of an increasingly diverse society. To that end, the program strives to increase the educational opportunities of diverse student populations, as well as create an atmosphere where the values and concerns of diverse populations receive attention and respect. The program strives to enroll a diverse population of doctoral students. Issues of diversity are integrated into core courses and are explored more fully through special topics courses.
Residency. While the Ph.D. program has a residency requirement (see Graduate School information), courses are scheduled such that students may complete the UNC residency requirement without leaving their employment. The program enrolls a combination of individuals who are employed full-time and others who are employed in part-time graduate assistantships.
For degree and program requirements, see:
Higher Education and Student Affairs Leadership Ph.D.