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

Application deadlines are October 15 for entering the spring semester and March 1 for summer or fall semesters. Applicants must submit an application to the Toulouse Graduate School and send official scores for one of the following tests: GRE (verbal, quantitative, and analytical writing), MAT, or GMAT. The applicant must submit an application portfolio to the educational leadership program.

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 addressing the applicant’s two most important professional achievements; the applicant’s career goals; and an explanation of how completing the degree in educational leadership will relate to those goals.
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 agency report.

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 or educational leadership 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.

As many as 18  hours of advanced study beyond the master’s degree or its equivalent at another institution may be accepted and credited toward the doctorate in educational leadership, provided the candidate’s advisor and program coordinator recommend acceptance of the transfer credit to the graduate school.

1. The time limit for doctoral credit applies to the transfer credits.
2. The time limit for the degree plan begins with the date of the first course on the degree plan including transfer credit. The time limit for the doctoral courses is eight years.
3. Transfer credit must be a B or higher.
4. Courses completed at other institutions must be equivalent to the doctoral courses at UNT.
5. In accordance with the rules of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, at least one-third of the semester hours required for any graduate degree must be completed in course work at UNT.

Residency requirement

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