The ELHE specialization requires three master’s degree prerequisites. If a student has not completed the prerequisites (or equivalent) in the master’s degree, the student will be admitted provisionally and will be required to complete the prerequisites with a grade of B or higher within the first year of study in order to continue in their program.

• EDAD 800: Foundations of Research and Methods of Inquiry in Educational Administration Research A written report is required. Investigation and analysis of current problems in education administration and supervision.
  • Credit Hours: 3
• EDAD 830: Administrative Theory in Education Organizations Introduction to classic and contemporary administrative theory as applied to educational organizations. The theoretical nature of the course content is relevant to those with an interest in a broad variety of educational institutions. General organizational theory, organizational models, historical schools of administrative theory, authority, power, motivation, and leadership. Frequently students are involved in studying problems of practice as a means of testing theory.
  • Credit Hours: 3
• EDPS 859: Statistical Methods Computation and interpretation of measures of central position, variability, and correlation; introduction to sampling, probability, and tests of significance.
  • Credit Hours: 3

All students are required to complete a common doctoral core of four classes in the ELHE Specialization. Core courses are sequenced in the fall and spring semesters and must be completed within the first two years of the program.

• EDAD 900: Pro-Seminar in Educational Leadership & Higher Education Provides an opportunity for doctoral students in Educational Leadership and Higher Education to gain a better understanding of the expectations and skills necessary for doctoral education. Students will gain knowledge of the skills and habits necessary to successfully navigate their doctoral program. In addition, the foundations of educational inquiry as well as personal development related to research will be addressed, including the development of critical reading and thinking skills, writing skills, and analytical skills.
  • Credit Hours: 3
• EDAD 915: Educational Systems and Governance This course is for doctoral students who are current or prospective administrators, researchers, and/or policy analysts in higher education and educational leadership. Students will examine how educational systems, in particular higher education but across the PK-12+ pipeline, are structured and elaborate critiques of those structures through new and emerging frameworks for understanding why and how they work. Students will examine the governance of educational institutions from the federal, state, and institutional perspectives. The impact of demographic, social, legal, political, and financial influences on governance in higher education will also be explored. Students will explore research, policy, and practice implications of issues in educational governance.
  • Credit Hours: 3
• EDAD 920: Diversity & Equity in Ed Organizations Understanding the individual and organizational issues of diversity and multiculturalism in P-20 schools. Increase the students' knowledge and appreciation of: cultural, social, political, and economic realities of our complex, pluralistic society in relation to our educational system. Through integration of relevant information from history, law, interpersonal development, organizational development, and philosophy, students will develop a complex, comprehensive understanding of diversity and equity.
  • Credit Hours: 3
• EDAD 986: Leadership in Educational Organizations The examination of leaders and leadership in educational organizations. Through assigned readings and written assignments, students will make applications of the readings to: a) the organization of educational institutions and programs, b) the leadership that occurs in educational organizations and programs, c) the leadership skills and actions that are necessary to achieve the mission, goals, and objectives of educational organizations, and d) the students' individual leadership growth and development.
  • Credit Hours: 3

In consultation with their advisor each student will develop a concentration of 12 credit hours in one of three areas: community college leadership, educational leadership, or higher education. The concentration will be drawn from the following listing of courses and approved by the supervisory committee during the program of study meeting.

• EDAD 833: Education Finance Critical analysis of the political and economic elements impacting K-12 school finance. Content and activities address both building and district level concerns with an emphasis on principles, programs, and trends in school finance.
  • Credit Hours: 3
• EDAD 837: Education Law Evolution, principles, and practice of education law in relation to local, state, and national units of organization. Education law of Nebraska.
  • Credit Hours: 3
• EDAD 912B: Issues in Community College Leadership Issues facing community college leaders and the knowledge, skills, and competencies necessary to provide effective leadership in the community college setting. Case studies of community colleges, combined with the literature on community college leadership, and active learning opportunities to examine current practices and develop a personal philosophy of leadership.
  • Credit Hours: 3
• EDAD 922: Finance in Higher Education Federal and state government funding, institutional planning, technological and community influences, human resources finance, budgeting, and sources of financial support as they relate to higher education institutions and agencies.
  • Credit Hours: 3
• EDAD 923: Community/Junior College Designed particularly for those interested in upper secondary and college levels. Junior college movement; relationship of movement to provisions for an adequate educational program; functions of the junior college; legal status and basis for extension of junior college; problems of organization, administration, and curriculum.
  • Credit Hours: 3
• EDAD 924: Teaching, Learning, & Curriculum in Higher Education Diverse perspectives, current issues and challenges pertaining to teaching, learning, and curriculum in higher education. For individuals who hold or in the future will serve in administrative, teaching, research or policy positions that require understanding of philosophical and theoretical underpinnings of teaching and learning in higher education.
  • Credit Hours: 3
• EDAD 925: Law and Higher Education Examination of legal principles applicable to higher education institutions. Overview of the legal system, higher education institutions as legal entities, authority for governance and administration, faculty rights and responsibilities, student rights and responsibilities, institutional and personal liability, and other selected issues.
  • Credit Hours: 3
• EDAD 929: Organization Development and Change
  • Credit Hours: 3
• EDAD 932: Global Issues in Higher Education Selected issues affecting global educational policies and practices.
  • Credit Hours: 3
• EDAD 933: Higher Education Planning System theory, practice and problem solving. The strategic planning process in higher education. Models of strategic planning. EDAD 933 requires the student to analyze their respective institution's planning process and plan, and to participate in a simulation activity that reinforces the principles and practices of strategic planning.
  • Credit Hours: 3
• EDAD 934: Teaching & Learning in the Community College Develop comprehensive understanding of five aspects of the community college: Curriculur missions in general education, transfer education, career education, remedial/developmental education and community education; faculty and student populations; exemplary teaching and assessment of student learning outcomes; program and curriculum development; and human resources aspects related to instructional programs in hiring faculty and providing faculty development programs.
  • Credit Hours: 3
• EDAD 935: Workforce, Economic, & Community Development Workforce, economic and community development role of higher education within the broader context of recent economic, social, and technological changes in communities, society, and the economy. Applicable to higher education in general with an emphasis on the example of two-year community colleges.
  • Credit Hours: 3
• EDAD 985: Economics of Education P-20 This course focuses on (1) the costs of public and private education to society and to individuals, (2) the expected benefits to students, to communities and to society in general and (3) the research associated with those costs and benefits as a result of continued engagement in education in P-20 settings and life experiences in community/family settings.
  • Credit Hours: 3

The ELHE Specialization allows for 6 hours of research/statistics electives and 12 to 15 hours of electives to support the scholarly and career goals of each student. In consultation with their advisor, each student will develop a list of potential electives. Electives can include additional concentration courses or be drawn from seminars, research seminars, and other courses as listed in the most recent proposed schedule of courses. The list of electives will be discussed and approved by the supervisory committee during the program of study meeting.

For the Ph.D., 18 hours 18 hours of doctoral-level research and statistics courses are required. These four courses are required for all students:

• EDAD 981: Intermediate Quantitative Methods Introduction to the concepts, principles, and methods in intermediate statistical analyses for educational administration research, with a focus throughout on applied data analysis. The frame of reference for this course is experimental and ex post facto research designs. We will review of descriptive statistics (including measures of central tendency, variability, proportions, and basics of probability theory), however, this course particularly focuses on inferential statistics (for example, bivariate correlation, t-tests, one-way ANOVA, chi-square, discriminate analysis, and linear regression). All concepts will be taught from an applied perspective. This course also provides hands-on application of planning, conducting, and reporting of analyses using APA style.
  • Credit Hours: 3
• EDAD 982: Advanced Quantitative Methods
  • Credit Hours: 3
• EDAD 983: Qualitative Methods An overview of concepts and approaches to qualitative methodology in educational administration research including major methodological approaches (e.g. case study, ethnography, phenomenology, grounded theory, and narrative inquiry). Overview of approaches to qualitative research design, fieldwork, data collection, and data analysis.
  • Credit Hours: 3
• EDAD 984: Qualitative elective
  • Credit Hours: 3

Six additional hours of research and statistics electives will be selected in consultation with the advisor.

Ph.D. students are required to complete a minimum of 6 credit hours of on campus Research Residency Seminars. In consultation with the advisor and the supervisory committee, Research Residency Seminars (EDAD 995) may be taken as Electives or as Research/Statistics Electives.

Doctoral dissertations are written documents that report a student’s research. The Department of Educational Administration requires a dissertation for both the Ed.D and Ph.D. degrees. The Ph.D. dissertation is expected to add to the knowledge base of its topical domain. Ph.D. students must complete 15 hours of dissertation (EDAD 999).

The subject of the dissertation is chosen by mutual agreement between the student and supervisory committee chair and must be approved by the student’s Supervisory Committee. There is no fixed length for the dissertation, although the doctoral Supervisory Committee should provide guidance on format and content.