The PhD program prepares individuals to conduct and evaluate research that will expand knowledge in educational leadership. Typically, the PhD student plans a career as a university professor, a policy analyst, or a research director in a state or local education agency.

Admission requirements

Applicants must submit documentation to the educational leadership program office by October 15 for the spring semester or March for the fall semester. Applicants must apply for admission to the PhD program in educational leadership. Students applying for the PhD program will be expected to declare as an objective a career as a university professor or a research position within a state or federal agency or school district.

Applicants must meet requirements for admission to the Toulouse Graduate School, general education requirements (as listed in the College of Education section of this catalog) and the departmental requirements for admission to doctoral study.

A candidate for admission to the doctoral program must have completed 24 hours in education at the undergraduate or master’s level. Students who do not have a master’s degree in school administration must complete a minimum of 15 hours of deficiency courses in educational leadership. These courses, generally taken prior to or concurrent with the doctoral requirements, are specified by the student’s major professor.

It is expected that applicants will have had experience as public or private school teachers and will hold a teacher’s certificate.

Applicants must submit official scores for the verbal, quantitative and analytical writing sections of the GRE for admission.

Each PhD applicant must submit an admissions portfolio, including:

1. Letters of recommendation from three persons who can give evidence of the applicant’s reading, writing and critical thinking skills. One of the letters should be from a college or university professor, and one letter should be from a supervisor familiar with the individual’s professional work.
2. A detailed resume.
3. Documentation of having experience as a public or private school teacher at the elementary or secondary school level.
4. Documentation of having experience in administrative, managerial or other leadership positions.
5. A three-page personal statement. (Contact program for details.)
6. A sample of his or her best written work in the form of a published article or book chapter, a research term paper, or a district or agency report.
7. A three-page discussion of the two or three most important books that he or she has read recently.

Applicants may be required to complete a written admissions exam. The admissions exam is given twice each year, in November and April.

The purpose of the admissions exam is to ascertain organizational abilities, capacity for rational thinking, and writing skill. Prior to the admissions exam, each student will be given a book chapter, research paper, or book to read. The questions on the admissions exam will relate to the prior reading assignment. It is up to the student to make sure that all requested items have been submitted.

Residency requirement

See Residency requirement in the “Doctoral degree requirements ” section of this catalog.