About the Doctoral Degrees
The Department of Educational Administration offers the Doctoral Degree in Educational Leadership and Higher Education (ELHE) via distance / distributed Education. The program offers an affordable, high quality education to students who have a desire to pursue a doctorate freed from time and space limitations. The program is of benefit to many practitioners currently working in community colleges, public and private four-year institutions, and universities.
Within the major of Educational Studies, the specialization of Educational Leadership and Higher Education (ELHE) is a generalist program providing leadership development education for those whose career path is directed to higher education. While the primary focus is on the development and application of leadership skills and related higher education foundational studies, students in the program have opportunities to included course work in areas which may be of interest to them. In addition, people whose interests are in educational functions in other organizations and/or leadership in other educational institutions and organizations, will find that the program is able to accommodate them and provide a sound program of leadership development and foundational studies.
WHO SHOULD CONSIDER THIS DEGREE?
The program is of benefit to many practitioners working in community colleges, technical institutes and colleges, four year colleges, and universities throughout the world. Those interested include:
The Department has been unique among programs because it makes doctoral and masters degrees and non-degree studies available through distance / distributed education. While many institutions and programs offer courses in various areas, this program makes degrees possible for distance / distributed students. Distributed education utilizes systems and methodologies which enables courses to be taught through the use of electronic means with students located around the world, freed of time and place restrictions. Students do not need to attend campus to attend classes and within large time frames, students can do the work at times convenient to them. All this depends on the use of electronic means of communication with Lotus Notes being the most often used delivery system.
Many of the courses use Lotus Notes as a delivery system. Other courses use Blackboard or other platforms. The Lotus Notes system is a unique system developed by the UNL Department of Educational Administration using Lotus Notes groupware. The computer groupware provides for open interaction between group members. The course programming generally consists of questions designed to promote discussion as each student response is shared with other group members resulting in dialogues and creating collaborative active learning situations. The instructor's role becomes that of a facilitator.
Utilization of the Lotus Notes system and other systems and methods of distributed education makes it possible to offer a significant number of the courses, provide advising, and do thesis and dissertation preparation via distributed education utilizing computers, Internet, and telephone communications. These innovative teaching methodologies enable most participants to complete their programs with minimal disruption in their lifestyle, and without the restrictions of time and place.
The programs provide in-depth learning, practicum, and scholarly experiences designed to prepare participants to assume leadership positions in higher education and post secondary institutions and other agencies.
The program is offered by the Department of Educational Administration, Teachers College, University of Nebraska-Lincoln and carries all accreditations carried by the University, the College, and the Department. The program is the regular doctoral program of the Department and as such the program does not need or carry separate program accreditation. Included among the accreditations carried by the University is that of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.
THE DEGREE OPTIONS / DEGREE REQUIREMENTS
The department offers the Ph. D. or the Ed. D. in Education Studies with a Specialization in Educational Leadership and Higher Education.
The program offers students the choice of the Ph.D. or the Ed.D. and the option of focusing on Educational Leadership or Higher Education. The programs are designed to serve those who are working in higher education, those who wish to be involved in higher education in teaching or administrative roles, and those outside of education for whom the topics of study would be appropriate.
The program provides study opportunities (coursework) in areas relating to higher education including, leadership, history and philosophy, policy and politics, higher education environments, finance, law, teaching and learning, planning, student affairs, community colleges, management, as well as major issues in the field.
The program provides opportunities for those who wish to become leaders in higher education and seek the background and skills which will enable them to be effective.
The program provides the opportunity for the student together with the advisor and the supervisory committee to build and design a program that will best assist the student to meet her/his own professional and personal goals. This is done through the Program of Studies . After the doctoral student has been accepted into the Department of Educational Administration, the student and the appointed advisor together with the supervisory committee create the Program of Studies which will identify the coursework to be taken to complete the degree and identify previously taken coursework which can be utilized toward the degree requirements.
Inasmuch as it generally takes a student 3-5 years to complete the program, that is the time frame generally considered for the completion of the degree. This enables students to progress at reasonable rates without an unsustainable study load being placed on them. It is designed to give students a high degree of time and location freedom while maintaining continuous interaction between them and the Faculty at the level demanded by doctoral studies.
The Ph.D. and the Ed.D. degrees are available. The program is flexible and allows the student and the advisor to develop a Program of Studies which best meets the professional and personal needs of the student. Because of the flexibility of the program there is not a set list of courses that every student takes.
A typical degree program is a minimum of 90-96 hours beyond the bachelors degree. Of these hours a minimum of 45 must be taken at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln following the submission of the Program of Studies to Graduate Studies. Hours taken previously can be used for the hours other than the minimum of 45 to be taken at UNL-- typically these will include the hours in the masters degree and/or other graduate work. Frequently, it is typical for a student to take approximately 54-60 hours in addition to appropriate hours in the masters degree
Below is a program or degree outline that is typical for most students and which most Programs of Study follow. The outline supports the Ph.D. degree which has a minimum of 90 hours beyond the bachelors degree including 20 hours of dissertation; the necessary research tools courses are not included and must be taken in addition to the 90 hours. The outline also supports the Ed.D. degree which has a minimum of 96 hours beyond the bachelors degree which includes 12 hours of field investigation or dissertation and the necessary research tools courses.
A typical Ph.D. program structure follows but individual programs will vary. Some adjustments are made for an Ed. D. program. This outline includes: