Higher Education

The program is designed to take four years (Fall, Spring, and Summer semesters).

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Educational Studies with a concentration of Higher Education. This information will be listed on the transcript, and the diploma states the degree objective.

No, the GRE is not required. Reporting GRE scores up to 5 years old is optional.

Yes.  All applicants must have a master’s degree from an accredited college or university. 

Please note that funding may or may not be available for this program. Please note that the fellowship application deadline is much earlier than the regular application deadline. Fellowship students work either as teaching assistants or graduate assistants at Purdue. 

Yes.  However, students must be available to take classes (either in person or live via Zoom) from 6 – 9 p.m. EST two weeknights each week (days may vary). 

Tuition is $700/credit hour for in-state students and $750/credit hour for out-of-state students.  Please note that the required study abroad program expenses are in addition to tuition and will range from $4,000 – $6,000 plus airfare.

Standard load is two 3-credit courses each semester.  In addition to these two classes, depending on the semester, students may also register for 1 hour of internship, or dissertation research.  Students will not take more than 7 credit hours in a semester unless special arrangements are made in advance.

The required study abroad program will take place during the summer after students’ second year of coursework. We will travel abroad for approximately 10 days and work with professors and administrators at a partnering Higher Education Institution (currently at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland).  Please note that study abroad costs are in addition to tuition and will range between $4,000 – $6,000 plus airfare.

The dissertation requires that students author (with program faculty) at least three peer-reviewed scholarly articles of appropriate length and subject matter during their doctoral studies.  The dissertation consists of an introductory chapter, reprints of these three (or more) articles, and an analysis/conclusion chapter.

Internships are individualized and are designed to give students experience in areas of a college or university that they are interested in exploring.  The internship is not a “job shadowing” experience and students are not required to be physically present in West Lafayette to complete an internship at Purdue.  Instead, the internship is project based, allowing students to gain important experience with “real world” higher education issues and challenges.

Students are required to come to West Lafayette for an intensive class once per semester.  Students are encouraged to attend class in-person each week as they are able.  However, for students who live some distance from Purdue, they can access the weekly courses in real time via Zoom each week.  The only requirement is that students must be available to be “at” classes from 6 – 9 p.m. EST two nights each week.

Those applicants interested in being considered for any available PhD funding should submit completed applications by December 1 for the following Fall semester. Please note that funding may or may not be available for this program. All other applicants should apply and submit all application materials before February 15.