Degree Program
Offered:
Doctor of Philosophy
Director:
Dr. Florence Hamrick
(848-932-0844; email:
florence.hamrick@gse.rutgers.edu)
Please
visit the website.
For a complete list of program faculty, please visit this page in this catalog.
The Ph.D. in higher education at Rutgers University offers focused
study of the complexities of colleges and universities, their missions,
contexts, challenges, and successes. This interdisciplinary degree program
brings together distinguished higher education scholars representing the
Graduate School of Education (GSE), the Bloustein School of Planning and Public
Policy (BSPPP), the School of Arts and Sciences (SAS), the School of
Communication and Information (SC&I), the School of Environmental and
Biological Sciences (SEBS), and the School of Management and Labor Relations
(SMLR). Affiliated faculty members are higher education experts in the fields of,
for example: education, law, communication, organizational studies, public
policy, and economics.
Introduction
The
Ph.D. in higher education program prepares higher education researchers who
will take their scholarship, knowledge, and research skills into a range of higher
education settings such as universities and colleges, state governing and
coordinating boards, federal government, independent higher education
organizations, consulting groups, not-for-profit organizations, and
foundations.
Learning Outcomes and
Curriculum
The
Ph.D. in higher education curriculum is informed by the following learning
outcomes. Graduates of the higher education Ph.D. program will:
-
conduct original,
rigorous research and interpret and evaluate findings from other research studies;
-
be knowledgeable about
higher education organizations, systems, governance, leadership, analysis and
planning, research, assessment, and evaluation, and communication;
-
understand current and
developing trends and issues facing colleges and universities;
-
understand and
effectively negotiate the complexities of higher education in terms of
institutional type, control, contexts, stakeholders, and constituencies; and
-
provide leadership,
insight, and expertise at the institutional or related higher education settings
in which they work.
Ph.D.
in higher education students will complete an approved program of study that
includes, at minimum: the higher education core (18 credits), additional graduate coursework (15 credits), research core (15 credits), and independent research (24 credits). Students must pass qualifying
examinations to advance to candidacy, and the dissertation must be approved by
the candidate's faculty committee. No more than 24 credits of coursework
outside of the Graduate School-New Brunswick may be applied toward the 72 minimum credits required for the
Ph.D. in higher education.
Students
who are admitted to the Ph.D. program in higher education will be eligible to
earn a master of arts (M.A.) degree while working toward the Ph.D. Only
students admitted to the Ph.D. program will be eligible for the M.A. degree.
Applications by prospective students seeking only an M.A. degree will be
rejected without review.
Students will be eligible to receive an M.A. upon
completion of 30 credits taken at Rutgers that are eligible to be counted
toward the Ph.D. in higher education curriculum requirements. These credits
will be accumulated while pursuing the requirements of the Ph.D. program in
higher education and will adhere to the guidelines related to transfer of credits
and other policies for M.A. degrees as described in this catalog. The student
must also successfully pass the M.A. comprehensive examination. The M.A.
comprehensive examination may be administered as one component of the Ph.D.
qualifying examination; a student who fails other parts of the qualifying
examination but passes this part will have passed the comprehensive examination
for the M.A.
The higher education program also offers graduate certificates in Academic
Leadership and Governance and Organizational Contexts of Higher Education.
Each graduate certificate program entails successful completion of 12 credits of required coursework. Admitted Ph.D. students may complete one or more
graduate certificates during the course of their Ph.D. study. Other individuals
interested in earning a graduate certificate must apply for admission.
Successful completion of a graduate certificate does not result in subsequent admission
to the Ph.D. in higher education program.
Admission
The
required qualifications for admission into the Ph.D. in higher education
program are an earned baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or
university, strong undergraduate GPA, and strong GRE scores. Applicants with a
baccalaureate degree and little to no higher education experience may be
admitted in cases of extraordinary academic promise and demonstrated commitment
to research and scholarship in higher education.
The
preferred qualifications for admission to the Ph.D. program are, in addition to
the above, an earned master's degree in higher education or a closely related
area; a strong graduate GPA; 3-5 years full-time, post-master's degree
experience in higher education setting(s); and higher education research and/or
assessment experience.
Prospective
Ph.D. in higher education students may apply online at gradstudy.rutgers.edu. A
completed application includes: Rutgers Application for Graduate Admission,
Official transcripts for all postsecondary coursework, GRE scores (within the
last five years), personal statement, writing sample, and three letters of
reference (at least two from full-time faculty members). Prior to admission,
applicants must complete an individual interview with at least one higher
education program faculty member.
