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A professor teaching a class: Be equipped to excel through Regent's Ph.D. Higher Education Leadership and Management.

Ph.D. in Education – Higher Education Leadership & Management

Lead & Manage Confidently

We are in a crucial time in our history where we need strong, Christian leadership in higher education. If you have a passion for improving the quality of higher education and enjoy the responsibilities of leadership and management, this concentration will help you make the type of impact that changes lives. Regent’s Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Education – Higher Learning Leadership & Management prepares you to teach or hold positions of significant administrative leadership. More specifically, this research-based Ph.D. can prepare you for a career in academia.

Online
67+
May 6, 2024
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INCREASE YOUR EARNING POTENTIAL

Capitalize on a higher salary with your Ph.D. degree.

EXPAND YOUR CAREER PATH

Take your career to the next level with exciting leadership opportunities.

MAKE AN IMPACT

Present ground-breaking research to improve the world of education.

ALIGN YOURSELF WITH EXCELLENCE

Regent has been ranked among Top National Universities by the U.S. News & World Report for four years (2019, 2020, 2022 and 2023). Our programs have also been ranked among the Top 10 Best Online Graduate Education Programs in Virginia for 11 years in a row (2013-2023). Experience the Regent difference through the Ph.D. in Education – Higher Education Leadership & Management program.

Presented from a Christian worldview, this specialty degree is supported by award-winning faculty in Virginia Beach.

Please complete the Request Information form on this page to learn more about this program.

On completing the Ph.D. in Education – Higher Education Leadership & Management degree, you can:

  • Develop vital skills in higher education administration including program evaluation and strategic planning.
  • Prepare for accreditation, train board members, and assess higher education policies.
  • Effectively explain historical and contemporary legal issues that have shaped universities, along with constitutional provisions and federal statutes.

Career Opportunities

  • University Faculty
  • Division Chair
  • Academic Dean
  • Assistant Dean
$98Thousand
Median annual wage for education administrators, postsecondary U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2020
Examines strategic planning and the role of program evaluation in the planning-implementation-evaluation cycle to include the curriculum planning process. Topics include various theoretical and philosophical perspectives, alternative evaluation designs and related methodologies including collaborative action research and issues related to design, measurement and utilization. The goal is to help educators become active collaborators in the evaluation process and to give them the tools to judge the value of an evaluation. Whether the task is designing an internal evaluation of a local program, contracting for an external evaluation at the district level, or critically reviewing an evaluation report as a basis for making an administrative decision, this course offers important leadership preparation. Each student will prepare an evaluability assessment related to a self-selected educational program in his/her area of concentration. Prerequisite: a graduate level research course.
Overview of American higher education from the colonial period to the present. Form a foundational understanding of higher education and the origins of contemporary practices and problems within the academy. Investigate diverse institutions such as land grant colleges, historically black colleges and universities, research institutions, liberal arts colleges, religious colleges and universities and access to higher education. Examine and discuss early innovators of higher education and their policies.
Centers on the need for the continuance of Christian colleges and universities in a post-Christian culture. Particular emphasis placed on the strategies, objectives and goals that can best insure the future continuance of the spiritual mission and Orthodox beliefs of Christian colleges and universities. Cross-listed with EHEA 602.
Focuses on the knowledge and skills required to effectively deal with financial changes and trends for institutions of higher education. Students will further their skills in analysis and evaluation of issues from various perspectives – administrative, consumer and societal (government and organizations in the private sector that influence the source and use of funds). Financial management of higher education (administrative perspective) focuses on effectiveness and efficiency issues associated with the use of funds. The consumer perspective (access and choice issues in financing students) focuses on the source of institutional funds; both state and federal policies and programs and budgeting will inform the learner from that perspective. Cross-listed with EHEA 502.
Provides historical and contemporary legal issues that have and will continue to shape colleges and universities today. Discusses legal issues regarding the college and trustees, administrators and staff. Investigates the legal basis of higher education in the United States to include constitutional provisions and federal statutes that influence higher education policy. Prepares emergent administrators for preventative law measures in an increasing litigious environment. Cross-listed with EHEA 503.
In-depth study of administrative roles, functions, knowledge and skill requirements, and administrative behavior. Trends in administrative theory and application explored.

2023-24 Semester Check-In Deadlines

All students are expected to check-in for the semester two weeks before the session start date. Students should apply, be accepted, enroll in their first courses, and confirm a plan to pay for their courses prior to this date.

SessionSemester Check-InSession Start Date
Session AFriday, August 11Monday, August 21
Session MFriday, September 8Monday, September 18
Session BFriday, October 13Monday, October 23
Session CThursday, January 4Monday, January 8
Session TFriday, January 26Monday, February 5
Session DFriday, March 1Monday, March 11
Session EFriday, April 26Monday, May 6
Session FFriday, June 7Monday, June 17

Admissions Requirements

Step 1: Apply to Regent University

Submit your application using the Regent University Online Application.

Note: If you are unable to complete our application due to a disability, please contact our Admissions Office at 757.352.4990 or admissions@regent.edu and an admissions representative will provide reasonable accommodations to assist you in completing the application.

Step 2: Submit Your Unofficial Transcripts

Submit your unofficial transcripts to regent.edu/items.

Upon submitting your application, you will receive an email requesting authorization for Regent University to obtain your official transcripts from your U.S. degree-granting institution. International transcripts must be evaluated by a NACES, AACRAO or NAFSA approved agency.

Step 3: Submit Your Government-Issued ID

To ensure academic integrity, Regent University requires a copy of a government-issued ID. Please submit a scanned copy or photograph of it to regent.edu/items.


Please feel free to contact the Office of Admissions at 757.352.4990 or admissions@regent.edu should you have any further questions about the application process.

Note: All items submitted as part of the application process become the property of Regent University and cannot be returned.

Part-Time Students

DegreeTuition Cost Per Credit HourAverage Credit Hours Per SemesterAverage Tuition Per Semester
Master of Education (M.Ed.)$5656$3,390
Educational Specialist (Ed.S.)$8006$4,800
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)$8003$2,400
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)$8003$2,400

Full-Time Students

DegreeTuition Cost Per Credit HourAverage Credit Hours Per SemesterAverage Tuition Per Semester
Master of Education (M.Ed.)$5659$5,085
Educational Specialist (Ed.S.)$8009$7,200
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)$8006$4,800
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)$8006$4,800

Student Fees Per Semester

University Services Fee (On-Campus Students)$850 (Fall & Spring)
$700 (Summer)
University Services Fee (Online Students)$700

Military Admissions & Aid » | Cost of Attendance »

PART-TIME STUDENTS

DegreeTuition Cost Per Credit HourAverage Credit Hours Per SemesterAverage Tuition Per Semester
Master of Education (M.Ed.)$5656$3,390
Educational Specialist (Ed.S.)$8006$4,800
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)$8003$2,400
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)$8003$2,400

Full-Time Students

DegreeTuition Cost Per Credit HourAverage Credit Hours Per SemesterAverage Tuition Per Semester
Master of Education (M.Ed.)$5659$5,085
Educational Specialist (Ed.S.)$8009$7,200
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)$8006$4,800
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)$8006$4,800

Student Fees Per Semester

University Services Fee (On-Campus Students)$800 (Fall & Spring)
$650 (Summer)
University Services Fee (Online Students)$650

Military Admissions & Aid » | Cost of Attendance »

*Rates are subject to change at any time.

Ph.D. Requirements

A Ph.D. student will (a) complete 21 hours associated with the Ed.D. core curriculum, (b) complete 24-26 hours associated with an Ed.D. concentration, (c) complete an additional 6 hours of research related credit, and (d) complete 16 hours of dissertation research credit—the total program is 67 hours. A candidate for the Ph.D. degree must present an acceptable research-based dissertation. The dissertation demonstrates that the candidate has technical competence in the field and has done research of an independent character. It must add to or modify what was previously known in the candidate’s field of interest or present a significant interpretation of the subject based upon original investigation and research.

Ph.D. students are required to take the following courses:
EDCO 806 Multivariate Statistics (3)
EHEA 805 Advanced Research Design and Analysis (3)

Faculty

Dr. Pittman is the concentration chair for Higher Education Leadership & Management and is committed to your success.

Dr. Jeff Pittman brings a wide range of experience to his faculty role in the School of Education. He served for over nine years as Vice President for Student Services at Regent University. He has also held Regent positions as Associate Dean for Administration and Academics in the School of Divinity; Assistant Vice President for Administrative and Auxiliary Services; and Assistant Director of Admissions and Financial Aid.

Active in several organizations, Pittman is past president (2005) of the National Association of College Auxiliary Services (NACAS). He currently serves on the board of the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS). He also serves on the board of the NACAS Education Foundation. In addition to his affiliation with NACAS, Pittman is a member of the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) and the Southern Association of College Student Affairs (SACSA).

A prolific writer, Pittman is a contributor to Business Officer, College Planning and Management, College Services, the International Journal of Emergency Mental Health, and Leadership Exchange. Pittman completed his Ph.D. at Old Dominion University, where he was selected as a member of the honor society of Phi Kappa Phi. He earned his MBA from Regent University and his B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Pittman holds professional certificates from the Administrative Management Institute at Cornell University and the College Business Management Institute (SACUBO) at the University of Kentucky.

“I was equipped with the critical thinking skills I needed to strategically implement and assess fresh and creative ways to approach instruction and learning. I received consistent encouragement from my professors and cohort to push beyond my personal best in research and daily practice.”

Alicia Langley, M.Ed., 2012 TESOL

“A great teacher learns how to love and care for the students. At Regent this isn't only taught as our responsibility to others but it is modeled. The caring instructors seek to grow leaders with a Christian worldview and a heart to serve others.”

Wilbur Chapman, M.Ed., 2011 TESOL

“As I pondered what do to with the rest of my life when I retired from the Navy, I knew I wanted a job that made me feel valuable and one in which I felt I was making a difference. Thanks to Regent's Career Switcher Program, I know in my heart that as a teacher I do that every day.”

Beth Lambert, M.Ed., 2010 Senior Curriculum Developer

“After a month of online learning at Regent, I thought, 'Man, this is the best thing!' Not only did I get to learn my discipline, I got to learn how my values and my beliefs can be intertwined into my discipline.”

Shaketta D. Thomas, Ed.S. - Educational Psychology, 2017; M.Ed. - Curriculum & Instruction, 2013 Testing Director & Program Specialist, Virginia Department of Corrections

“The Virginia Beach City Public Schools cohort of ESL teachers in training was the perfect platform in which to study and learn. Upon completion of my last TESOL class, I was blessed with the opportunity to join the ESL staff of VBCPS. The amazing faculty of Regent's TESOL department helped make it possible.”

Altina Suber, M.Ed., 2015 Teacher