College of Education

Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies

Program Director : Dr. Janice Sandiford

Department’s Phone Number : (305) 348-3996
Department’s FAX Number : (305) 348-2081

For More Information, go to

• Program's web site
• Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies web site

<< Go Back

Brief Description of the Program:

       As a field, higher education is broad and interdisciplinary; it constantly engages and examines theory and practice. Higher Education is grounded in the belief that it is important to engage in scholarly discourse about understanding, critiquing, and improving practice in educational settings. The Higher Education doctoral program provides a professional development service to the community of educators and potential educators in South Florida by linking the professional knowledge base with the world of practice. The program is designed to stimulate participant research and development related to higher education in urban settings, particularly in the development of innovative instructional and administrative approaches of individual's current and future work. The two concentrations, Higher Education Instruction and Higher Education Administration, draw on a common core of courses as well as courses that are unique to the concentration. These curricula continue to be developed, emphasizing coherence and depth. As many of the students are employed in some capacity full time, the higher education program is practitioner oriented, providing for part-time students who wish to attend classes in the evening. In addition, the program interfaces with the International, Intercultural Development Education program (IIDE) serving higher education developmental needs internationally.

       The program provides advanced preparation for education practitioners who hold leadership and policy responsibilities in instruction and administration. In cooperation with local community colleges and universities, Florida International University, through the Doctoral Program, provides the opportunity for the development of curricular, instructional, and administrative leadership for the area's institutions of higher education. The following goals flow from the theoretical and philosophical framework and present five critical dimensions of program study: organization, policy, change, curriculum and profession.

       The Higher Education doctoral program is designed to develop leaders for urban settings who:

• Work effectively with existing organizational structures while seeking to improve them;
• Create and implement cutting edge higher education policy based on enhanced skills as professional educators, researchers, and theory builders;
• Design, organize and implement changes in higher education that are theoretically grounded;
• Explore the theory and practice of college teaching, professional development, and the nature of students in the post-secondary environment;
• Engage in program and curriculum development and evaluation of higher education;
• Develop technological capabilities essential to higher education leadership in administration and instruction ranging from on-line communication, research, instructional applications and administrative applications;
• Apply concepts, techniques, and skills to identify and solve complex problems and improve practice in higher education and
• Pursue research and scholarly activity in urban higher education.

       Specifically, the instruction concentration supports leaders for urban settings who:

• Combine academic knowledge with individual action in order to relate theory to practice in teaching and learning;
• Seek to enhance the academic understanding of higher education instruction through research and publication;
• Effectively use technology in the instructional delivery of educational programs;
• Seek and implement strategies to reach under-served populations in higher education; and
• Improve teaching and learning in higher education through technology, research and practice.

       Specifically, the administration concentration supports leaders for urban settings who:

• Work in contexts that are diverse culturally, ethnically, racially, internationally, gender, and economically diverse;
• Develop managerial abilities including organizational, personnel, legal, facility, communications and financial
• Engage in strategic planning development with applications at relevant levels of institutional and unit responsibilities;
• Understand and apply technological resources in administration, research and personnel development; and
• Understand apply and continue study of major research and published critical experience in leadership and management.

Application Requirements:

• A Master's Degree with a minimum graduate grade point average (GPA) of 3.25 on all post-baccalaureate work completed.
• A combined quantitative and verbal score of at least 1000 on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE).
• Approval for admission by the faculty of the Department of Educational Policy and Leadership Studies (ELPS).
• Approval for admission (where appropriate) by the faculty of the department of the student's instructional field, and
• Three years of experience at the higher education level or its equivalent (preferred).

Additional Requirements for International Students: