HIGHED:PHD - Doctor of Philosophy in Higher Education

Dissertation Committee

Prior to defending a proposal, the students must select a dissertation committee, made up of at least 4 faculty members, one of which will be the director (or chair) of the dissertation. The chair/director of the dissertation must have Dissertation Advisor Status. Further information about the dissertation is available from the student’s advisor, and the University Graduate School.

Candidacy Examination and Advancement to Candidacy

To advance to candidacy, the student must select a dissertation committee and submit a draft of his or her proposal to the dissertation committees. The dissertation committee will review the proposal and determine, by majority votes, whether or not to advance the student to candidacy and to the proposal defense. This process constitutes the candidacy exam. To continue in the program and barring official approval by the University Graduation School of a leave of absence during this process, the student will have 1 year after completion of all non-dissertation coursework to be admitted to candidacy.

If the dissertation committee advances the student to candidacy. The student will continue to work on their proposal, complete the IRB approval process, if applicable, and successfully defend his or her dissertation proposal. If the dissertation committee does not advance the student to candidacy, the student will be able to submit their proposal a second time. If the dissertation committee does not advance the student to candidacy following the second submission, the student will not be able to continue in the program.

The student will be required to submit all documents and forms related to the advancement to candidacy.

The University Graduate School admits students to candidacy. After advancement to candidacy, students must be continuously enrolled in a minimum of 3 dissertation credits (course) each term until graduation.

Dissertation Proposal

A student admitted to candidacy must successfully complete and defend a proposal for their dissertation, which constitutes the research plan for the dissertation. More information about the dissertation proposal is available from the student’s advisor.

Master of Science in Higher Education Administration

Doctoral candidates in Higher Education who have not previously earned a master’s degree in the field, who have completed 36 credits deemed appropriate by the program faculty (up to 6 credits can be applied from a previously master’s degree), and whose D-2 has been approved by the University Graduate School, can receive a Master of Science in Higher Education Administration en route to the PhD.

The Dissertation

The dissertation must be an original contribution to knowledge. The doctoral dissertation is the final component of the series of academic experiences that culminate in the awarding of the Ph.D. degree. A successful dissertation is a demonstration of the candidate’s ability to use the tools and methods of basic and/or applied research in the field, to organize the findings, and to report them in a literate, logical, and compelling fashion. In addition to course, students must enroll in course in the term in which they will defend their dissertation.

Time to Completion

The time to completion, from admission to graduation, is nine (9) years. Students must have completed all coursework and program requirements within that time, including a successful defense of the dissertation. Coursework applied toward completion of program requirements cannot be more than nine years old at the time of graduation, unless the coursework was transferred from a previously-earned graduate degree.

Graduation Requirements

The following is required for successful graduation from the program:

(1) Successful completion of all course work and candidacy exams;

(2) GPA of 3.00 or better; and

(3) Successful completion, defense, and University approval of the dissertation.

Applicants to the program must submit the following records and documents to the Office of Admissions:

(1) A completed online application for Graduate Admission with appropriate fees;

(2) Official transcripts of all higher education institutions attended;

(3) Three letters of reference attesting to the applicant’s ability to succeed in doctoral study;

(4) A current résumé/vitae;

(5) A statement that sets forth the applicant’s research interests and career goals and relates these goals to the completion of the Ph.D. Program in Higher Education; and

(6) A writing sample illustrating research skills (such as a thesis, journal article, paper submitted for academic credit; etc.).

Letters and any other supporting documents are to be provided to the FIU Admissions Office following instructions in the online portal.

No action will be taken on incomplete files. A file is considered incomplete if any of the above is missing.

The application and all supporting documentation are reviewed by program faculty using the criteria noted below. Exceptions to one or more of the stated criteria may be granted on the basis of other compelling evidence that the applicant is likely to be successful in this doctoral program.

(1) A grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) in upper level undergraduate credits;

(2) A cumulative 3.25 GPA for all graduate work attempted.

(3) International graduate student applicants whose native language is not English are required to submit a score for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or for the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). A total score of 80 on the iBT TOEFL or 6.5 overall on the IELTS is required.

(4) The evidence from the writing sample that the applicant can perform doctoral-level work.

(5) A possible interview with the Doctoral Admissions Committee.

Members of the program’s graduate faculty will constitute the Doctoral Admissions Committee. Upon completion of the review of the applicant’s file and the interview, the Doctoral Admissions Committee will make recommendations to the University Graduate School.

As admission to programs is competitive, meeting minimum admission requirements does not assure admission into the program. A candidate for admission to the program will be judged not only on the basis of quantitative criteria but also in relation to prior experience, especially as it relates to future career goals and faculty expertise.

Admission into the doctoral program takes place once a year for entry in the Fall semester. Applicants should prepare all application materials in time for the program faculty and the Office of Admissions to receive them no later than December 1 for the following year's fall admissions.

There are no majors associated with this program.

There are no tracks, specializations, concentrations, areas of emphasis, or other curricular offerings associated with this program.