Doctorate in Higher Education Administration

The ever-evolving field of higher education requires exceptional leaders for administrative, academic, and research positions in two- and four-year higher education institutions, national and international associations, government agencies, and other post-secondary educational settings.

Located in Washington, DC, the Higher Education Administration Doctoral program leverages its location to foster a community of scholar-practitioners, professional and research opportunities, and a commitment to diverse educational experiences. Designed for working professionals, the research-focused executive Higher Education Administration program prepares senior leadership and executive management decision-makers for administrative, academic, and research positions in diverse educational settings, agencies, and associations alike. Unique to the Higher Education program at GW, you will have the opportunity to focus your dissertation on a problem of practice you've encountered within your higher education career. By integrating theory and research seamlessly with your practice, you will be equipped with the skills necessary for professional academic and administrative career development.

Graduates will gain valuable networking opportunities and connections for college student personnel administrators throughout Washington DC.

For more information on the program's unique features, career pathways, and curriculum, please view and download Ed.D. Higher Education.
 

Highlights

Why a GW Doctorate in Higher Education Administration?

    Location: GW’s location in Washington, DC- the epicenter of policy, practice, and research - provides students with the distinct advantage of being a neighbor to national organizations including: The Department of Education, American Council on Education, ACPA and NASPA, American Educational Research Association, and a variation of colleges/universities in size and affiliation.
    Convenient Schedule: The Program offers flexible weekend classes to accommodate busy professionals who work both locally and nationally.
Curriculum

A minimum of 53 credits, including 24 credits in core courses, 9 credits of research, and 2 credits of electives.

Core Courses

EDUC 8505Seminar: Higher Education Administration
EDUC 8510Administration and Organization of Higher Education
EDUC 8515 Comparative and International Higher Education
EDUC 8520Theories for Research on College Students
EDUC 8525College and University Curriculum
EDUC 8530Leadership in Higher Education
EDUC 8555Higher Education Policy
EDUC 8566 Higher Education Finance

Electives

2 credits selected in consultation with advisor

Research Courses

EDUC 8120Group Comparison Designs and Analyses
EDUC 8122Qualitative Research Methods

3 credits from the following:
EDUC 8100Experimental Courses
EDUC 8130Survey Research Methods
EDUC 8131Case Study Research Methods
EDUC 8140Ethnographic Research Methods
EDUC 8142Phenomenological Research Methods
EDUC 8144Discourse Analysis
EDUC 8170Educational Measurement
EDUC 8171Predictive Designs and Analyses
EDUC 8172 Multivariate Analysis
EDUC 8173 Structural Equation Modeling
EDUC 8174 Hierarchical Linear Modeling
EDUC 8175 Item Response Theory
EDUC 8177 Assessment Engineering

Dissertation

EDUC 8280Critical Review of Educational Leadership Literature
EDUC 8998Pre-Dissertation Seminar (taken for 3 credits)
EDUC 8999Dissertation Research (minimum 12 credits needed to complete requirement)

Approved dissertation proposal required
Successful completion of comprehensive exam required

Faculty
Dortch, Deniece
Visiting Assistant Professor
dortch@gwu.edu
(202) 994-6853
Feuer, Michael
Professor
mjfeuer@gwu.edu
(202) 994-6161
Jakeman, Rick
Associate Professor
rjakeman@gwu.edu
(202) 994-5123
Kim, Mikyong Minsun
Associate Professor
kimmi@gwu.edu
(202) 994-3205
Kirshstein, Rita
Visiting Professor
ritak@gwu.edu
(202) 994-7218
Klasik, Daniel
Assistant Professor
djklasik@gwu.edu
(202) 994-1453
Madden, Meggan
Assistant Professor
meggan_madden@gwu.edu
(202) 994-2770
Career Outlook

Opportunities

The careers our graduates pursue are diverse and fuse leading edge research and policy with practice.

  • Sally Sagen Lorentson brings over ten years of experience in student affairs to her position as the director of orientation and family programs and services at George Mason University
  • Lindsay Mathers Addington is the Assistant Director of International Initiatives at the National Association for College Admission Counseling
  • Shaunna Payne Gold serves as the associate director of assessment programs and student development in the Office of Multi-ethnic Student Education at the University of Maryland
  • Scott Filter is currently the Associate Vice President of Public Policy for Bridgepoint Education
  • Marianne Huger Thomson serves as the Associate Dean for Orientation, Transition and Retention at American University
  • Tracae McClure served as a research intern with United Negro College Fund, the nation's largest minority serving organization

    • Our graduates are transforming the conversation and quality of experience at colleges and universities nation wide. Join our conversation

    Admissions

    Admissions

    Program Entry: Fall
    Prerequisites:Master's Degree
    Campus:Foggy Bottom

    Application Requirements

    • Online Application
    • Resume
    • Statement of Purpose
    • 2 Letters of Recommendation (academic and/or professional)
    • Transcripts (unofficial)
    • Standardized Test Scores (GRE or MAT)
    • Application Fee

    *Additional application requirements may exist for international applicants

    For more information on any of these requirements, please visit our Admissions FAQ page.

    Transformation Begins Here

    Learn more about the Doctorate in Higher Education Administration program located on campus (202-994-3023).

    In the News

    GSEHD alumnus Dr. David Surratt (Ed.D., Higher Education Administration) has been named vice president of student affairs and dean of students at Oklahoma University (OU). Dr. Surratt, who received his undergraduate degree at OU, has served in administrative roles at Pennsylvania State University, St. Peter’s University, Rosemont College and UC Berkeley.

    GSEHD alumni participated in the annual DCCPA Conference at GW:

    • GSEHD alumnus Dr. Tim Miller (Ed.D., Executive Leadership Program), Vice President for Student Affairs at James Madison University, was part of the "Vice President Panel Discussion" along with Cissy Petty, GW's Dean of the Student Experience, and others.
    • GSEHD alumnus Dr. Robert Snyder (Ed.D., Higher Education Administration) presented: "Helping Our Student Leaders to be Effective in Navigating Power and Influence to Achieve Their Goals and Objectives" based on his GSEHD dissertation.
    • GSEHD alumnae Christina Castiglione (Master's, Higher Education Administration) and Ellie Hansen (Master's, Higher Education Administration) presented: "Training and On-Boarding All Levels of Staff: Who, When, How, and Why."
    • GSEHD alumnus Dr. Andrew Sonn (Ed.D., Higher Education Administration) presented: "Research & Strategic Planning for Student Veteran Strength & Success."

    GSEHD alumni participated in the annual DCCPA Conference at GW:

    • GSEHD alumnus Dr. Tim Miller (Ed.D., Executive Leadership Program), Vice President for Student Affairs at James Madison University, was part of the "Vice President Panel Discussion" along with Cissy Petty, GW's Dean of the Student Experience, and others.
    • GSEHD alumnus Dr. Robert Snyder (Ed.D., Higher Education Administration) presented: "Helping Our Student Leaders to be Effective in Navigating Power and Influence to Achieve Their Goals and Objectives" based on his GSEHD dissertation.
    • GSEHD alumnae Christina Castiglione (Master's, Higher Education Administration) and Ellie Hansen (Master's, Higher Education Administration) presented: "Training and On-Boarding All Levels of Staff: Who, When, How, and Why."
    • GSEHD alumnus Dr. Andrew Sonn (Ed.D., Higher Education Administration) presented: "Research & Strategic Planning for Student Veteran Strength & Success."

    GSEHD doctoral student Chilanay Safarli (Human and Organizational Learning) from Azerbaijan collaborated with GW's International Services Office (ISO) to organize the Azerbaijani Cultural Celebration at the GW Museum and Textile Museum. GSEHD doctoral student and ISO Director Jennifer Donaghue (Higher Education Administration) offered the welcome remarks. Azerbaijani Ambassador to the United States, Elin Suleymanov and Chairman of the State Committee on Work with Diaspora, Fuad Muradov gave speeches as well. The event included a presentation about the Azerbaijani culture by Chilanay and GW student Yashar Aliyev, an opportunity to taste Azerbaijani food, a dance performance by children from Azerbaijani School at Georgetown, and a chance to see the Azerbaijani carpet exhibition at the Textile Museum.

    The event was covered by Azerbaijani media.

    Faculty and students represented GSEHD at the Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE) Conference in Tampa, FL:

    • Dr. Daniel Klasik and doctoral student Angel Jones (Ph.D. in Education) presented in a Paper Session: The Many Paths to College Enrollment: Re-Conceptualizing College Choice. Dr. Klasik also presented in a Paper Session: The Consequences of Geographic Immobility on Postsecondary Outcomes for Low-Income Students.
    • Dr. Maxine Freund and doctoral candidates Lauren Hunter Naples and Elisabeth Kutscher (both Special Education and Disability Studies) presented in a Paper Session: Beyond Accommodation: Advancing a Culture of Neurodiversity in Higher Education. Elisabeth Kutscher also presented in a Round Table Session: “We’re Not All Cut from the Same Cloth”: A Mixed Methods Investigation of College Persistence in Students with Disabilities and/or Learning Differences.
    • Dr. Ashley Stone presented in a Paper Session: Reframing Rurality: How Empowering Rural Students Enriches Rural Research. Dr. Stone also presented in a Paper Session with a colleague from the University of Maine on The Positionality of Place: Examining How Scholarship Engages with the “Where” in Higher Education Research.
    • Doctoral student Nancy Stalowski (Higher Education Administration) presented in a Round Table Session on: The White Male Benefactor: Venture Philanthropy in Higher Education.
    • Dr. Deniece Dortch presented in a Paper Session: Naming and Disrupting the Problem of White Western Models of Socialization: Toward a New Understanding of the African American Doctoral Student Experience.