Program Planning
Program Curriculum and Degree Completion Requirements
The doctoral program is a combination of experiences designed by the student in conjunction with a faculty guidance committee. It includes a set of core, elective, research and methods, and cognate courses, as well as several intellectual hallmarks that include comprehensive exams and dissertation pursuing a research question of interest to the student.
"My program in HALE has challenged my beliefs about roles in higher education, and changed the way I view leadership. The faculty have provided one of the most satisfying learning environments I have ever experienced!" --Andrew Flagel,
Senior Vice President for Students and Enrollment, Brandeis University, HALE Ph.D. Alumnus, Class of 2008
Ph.D. Curriculum
With the assistance of an adviser and guidance committee, doctoral students plan a program of study tailored to meet their educational needs and professional goals.
Students in the HALE doctoral program will enroll in a minimum of 45 credit hours, not including at least 24 dissertation research credit hours. In addition to the following program requirements, candidates must satisfy all college and university graduation requirements.
Curricular Structure
Core Courses (Required of all HALE doctoral students (15 credits))
EAD 960 - Proseminar in Postsecondary Education (3)
EAD 970 - Organization and Administration in Postsecondary Education (3)
EAD 968 - Teaching, Learning, and Curriculum in Postsecondary Education (3)
EAD 967 - Policy Development and Analysis in Postsecondary Education (3)
EAD 966 - Students in Postsecondary Education (3)
Required Inquiry Courses (12-13 credits):
CEP 930 - Educational Inquiry (3)
CEP 932 - Quantitative Methods in Educational Research (3)
A 900-level course in advanced qualitative methods approved by the student's guidance committee
(3-4)
EAD 995 - Research Practicum in Educational Administration (3) This course is to be taken after the student has completed the three inquiry courses referenced above.
EAD Electives (9 credits):
Nine additional graduate credits in advanced HALE seminars that deal with issues of postsecondary education and are appropriate for the student's interests.
Cognate (9 credits):
Courses taken in an outside department reflecting a deepening study within a particular disciplinary focus that complements the student's HALE coursework. The cognate adds another theoretical lens through which to examine one's research agenda. Cognate selections are typically 900-level courses.
Dissertation Research
A minimum of 24 credits is required..
Degree Completion Requirements
The comprehensive examination, the dissertation proposal, the dissertation research project, and the final dissertation defense are all hallmark experiences of the HALE doctoral program.
Note: The program must be completed within eight calendar years. There is also a residency requirement: at least six credits in two consecutive semesters must be earned on the MSU campus. With approval of the College and the student's guidance committee, a maximum of 9 semester credit hours may be transferred into the HALE program. These credits may be from a graduate program at another university or from graduate courses taken as a Lifelong Education student at Michigan State University prior to official admission into the doctoral program.
