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Global Ph.D. in Higher Education

• About the Program
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*All stated financial information is subject to change. The At a Glance provides Base Cost (cost per unit x program units) to aid in program comparison only. For a detailed cost estimate or more information, contact APU's Graduate Student Financial Services.

Coursework

• Course Requirements
• Comprehensive Examinations
• Sequence of Courses
• Additional Requirements

Course Requirements

The Global Ph.D. program requires 60 units beyond the master’s degree, inclusive of dissertation units.* Most courses are four units, with some two-unit courses.

* Offered with a concentration in Higher Education Leadership

Comprehensive Examinations

All students enrolled in the Global Ph.D. in Higher Education program must pass all of their comprehensive examinations before defending their dissertation proposal and advancing to candidacy. Normally, these exams are completed before enrolling in HED 790, the course where the dissertation proposal is written.

Sequence of Courses

The Global Ph.D. in Higher Education offers a concentration in Higher Education Leadership and is a 60-unit (inclusive of dissertation) sequenced program taught on a cohort model. Designed for working professionals, intensive sessions are offered twice a year for four years—one week in August and one week in February, with two classes taught during each intensive. Given this schedule for face-to-face interaction, more than 50% of the classwork will be completed online. Courses are delivered in lockstep sequence with a guaranteed tuition plan.

Year 1
August: HED 701 and HED 702
February: HED 729 and HED 744

Year 2
August: HED 721 and HED 742
February: HED 704, HED 725, and HED 743

Year 3
August: HED 712 and HED 745 or HED 746
February: HED 713 and HED 747 or HED 750

Year 4:
August: HED 706 and HED 790
February: Defend proposal; and HED 794

Year 5:
Enroll in HED 795 (Dissertation Research) and complete your oral defense, then return for dissertation presentations and graduation ceremony in February.

Additional Requirements

Grading and Grade-point Average

Throughout higher education, and particularly at the doctoral level, commitment to learning should outweigh the pursuit of grades. Nonetheless, grading and the grade-point average continue to play a crucial role in students’ careers. For doctoral students, the grade of B is considered average; a grade below B- is not applied toward doctoral degree requirements.

A doctoral student whose cumulative grade-point average falls below 3.0 or who has any grade below B- is placed on academic probation. Students whose cumulative grade-point average has not reached 3.0 by the end of two terms on probation may be dismissed from the program.

A doctoral student whose grade-point average falls between 3.0 and 3.2 or who earns eight credits or more of B- grades is required to meet with his/her advisor to identify academic skills that may need to be strengthened and to plan appropriate action.

Policies regarding incompletes and withdrawals are set forth in the Academic Policies and Procedures section of the academic catalog.

First-year Review

To evaluate success in meeting program goals and uphold the mission and objectives of the university and the School of Behavioral and Applied Sciences, the program design includes an extensive array of procedures for quality control and assessment. These include a first-year review, which calls for a self-assessment, a portfolio of coursework, and a written qualifying exam. The student’s academic performance is also reviewed. Continuation in the program is contingent upon a successful first-year review.

Advancement to Candidacy

Following successful completion of all coursework and approval of the dissertation proposal, students are advanced to doctoral candidacy status.

Dissertation

The final step in the doctoral program is to design, implement, and write a research-based dissertation. Standards and procedures for the dissertation are defined by the doctoral faculty and are provided to students in a Dissertation Handbook.

Continuous enrollment in HED 790, HED 794, and HED 795 is expected until the dissertation has been successfully defended.

The student defends the dissertation in a meeting with the faculty committee that is open to all faculty in the department. Subsequently, the student participates in a public presentation of the research in February of the fifth year.