EdD in Higher Education Leadership
NOTE: This program is not admitting new students for the 2024-25 academic year.
For more information: (626) 815-5584
The Doctor of Education in Higher Education Leadership is a 51-unit degree program, inclusive of dissertation. It develops professional educators and leaders who are able to apply their knowledge in order to improve educational practice primarily at the institutional level. The dissertation for the EdD is a culminating research project utilizing a three-year cycle model of action research beginning in the first year.
Schedule
Students begin each academic year with a one-week intensive at APU in June, and also attend classes on campus one weekend (9 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday and Saturday) a month, with the exception of May and August. Students take two courses a term, and three terms per academic year, for a total of six courses (17 units) per academic year. In between campus visits, students work online to complete course assignments and communicate with faculty and fellow students. Students travel internationally during May of their second year. The coursework for that session will be the focus of the trip. All in-country costs of the trip are included in the program tuition, but students are responsible for their international airfare.
Dissertation Courses
The dissertation process is embedded in the EdD program, as students take Guided Inquiry Project I in their first year and Guided Inquiry Project II in their second year. Each course in the program supports the development of the dissertation proposal and the final dissertation study. The dissertation proposal course begins in the third year. If students do not successfully defend their dissertation proposal in HEDL 785, they must continue to enroll in HEDL 785 each term until the proposal is successfully defended. Once students successfully defend their dissertation proposal, they enroll in HEDL 787 for one semester (3 units) and then in HEDL 789 (3 units) for each semester thereafter until the dissertation has been successfully defended. Enrollment in these courses entitles a student access to faculty and university resources, including library databases and the services of the doctoral research librarian. Continuous enrollment in dissertation courses is required until the dissertation is successfully defended. Students are considered enrolled full time from the proposal (HEDL 785) through the completion of the dissertation (HEDL 789). Students are expected to continue to come to campus each term during the dissertation phase. Credit for dissertation courses is given for completion of the stated course objectives as outlined in the syllabus. Students who do not meet the designated course outcomes will not receive credit for the course and will be required to retake the course.
Requirements
The program requires 51 units beyond the master’s degree, inclusive of dissertation; most courses are 3-4 units, with some 1-unit courses. Read the complete course descriptions for more information.
| Year I | ||
|---|---|---|
| Summer | Units | |
| HEDL 709 | The Philosophy of Action Research | 4 |
| HEDL 748 | Guided Inquiry Project I | 1 |
| Units | 5 | |
| Fall | ||
| HEDL 740 | Critical Issues in Higher Education | 3 |
| HEDL 720 | Campus Ecology and Creating Spaces for Thriving | 3 |
| Units | 6 | |
| Spring | ||
| HEDL 741 | Strengths-Oriented Leadership | 3 |
| HEDL 729 | The Spirituality of Leadership | 3 |
| Units | 6 | |
| Year II | ||
| Summer | ||
| HEDL 733 | The Changing Worlds of Higher Education | 4 |
| HEDL 749 | Guided Inquiry Project II | 1 |
| Units | 5 | |
| Fall | ||
| HEDL 742 | Student Access, Equity, and Success in College | 3 |
| HEDL 716 | Survey Methods and Quantitative Analysis | 3 |
| Units | 6 | |
| Spring | ||
| HEDL 743 | Diversity and Social Justice in Higher Education | 3 |
| HEDL 715 | Qualitative Methods in Action Research | 3 |
| Units | 6 | |
| Year III | ||
| Summer | ||
| HEDL 744 | Administration in Higher Education | 4 |
| HEDL 785 | Dissertation Proposal | 1 |
| Units | 5 | |
| Fall | ||
| HEDL 723 | Higher Education Law and Policy | 3 |
| HEDL 745 | Leading Change in Higher Education | 3 |
| Units | 6 | |
| Spring | ||
| HEDL 787 | Dissertation Seminar | 2 |
| HEDL 789 | Dissertation Research 1 | 3-4 |
| Units | 6 | |
| Total Units | 51 | |
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Optional Course | ||
| HEDL 799 | Readings in Higher Education Leadership 2 | 1-4 |
- 1
Students enroll for 4 units of HEDL 789 during the last semester of their third year. If they still have not completed their dissertation by the time the semester ends, they reenroll for 3 units each term until the dissertation process is completed.
- 2
HEDL 799 may be taken by students needing additional units to complete the program (e.g., transfer students).
Admission
University graduate admission and program-specific requirements must be met before an application is complete (see Admission to the University). Program-specific application requirements are available online.
International students should contact Graduate and Professional Admissions for application procedures.