Doctor of Education in Higher Education Leadership & Practice

Program Description and Goals

Accreditation

For specific information on program accreditation, refer to the Accreditations and Compliance section.

Program Requirements

Completion of Prospectus

Students must complete and defend the prospectus no later than the end of the summer semester of the third year. If it is not defended by that time, a grade of U will automatically be assigned for each subsequent EDD 9000 course in which the prospectus is not completed.

Completion of Dissertation

Students are not eligible to be awarded the Ed.D. degree until their dissertation has been completed and that requirement has been satisfied.

Method of Delivery

Online

Notice Regarding Online Offerings

In compliance with state authorization for the delivery of distance education, UNG online courses, degrees, and certificate programs are not available in some states. If you are not a Georgia resident, email onlineapproval@ung.edu to check program availability in your state. This email address is exclusively for questions regarding state authorization of online offerings. Other inquiries should be directed to the academic department offering the online program or to Graduate Admissions.

International applicants who must be issued an F-1 visa by UNG to enter the United States to attend school may not apply for completely online programs or part-time programs (less than nine hours fall and spring semesters).

Time to Completion

60 hours

Admission Procedures

Regular Admission

Requirements

Master’s degree from an accredited institution (as defined under Accredited Institutions in the Academic Information section of the Graduate Catalog). While there is no required minimum GPA, evaluators score GPAs on a numerical rubric. Applicants earn points for GPAs above 3.0. 

Application and Application Fee

Submit the online application for Graduate Admissions.

Please allow three business days after submitting your application for processing. You will receive an email from grads@ung.edu after your application has been reviewed for accuracy and updated with submitted documents. Please do not check your application status prior to receiving an email from this office as your online application checklist will not accurately reflect the required items for your program of interest.

• Non-refundable application fee of $40.
• Pay with a credit/debit card (Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express) or electronic check (U.S. banks only) when completing the online application.
• Required supplemental documents may be uploaded with your application or emailed to grads@ung.edu.

Official Transcripts

• Submit one set of official transcripts from each institution attended for all course work, undergraduate and graduate level.
• Transfer credit posted on records of other institutions is not accepted in lieu of transcripts from original institutions. Please request a transcript from each institution attended.
• Transcripts that have been opened, scanned or forwarded by email are not official and will not be accepted.
• Official paper transcripts are accepted if submitted from the issuing institution and mailed to University of North Georgia Admissions Imaging Center, P.O. Box 1358, Gainesville, GA 30503-1358. Student paper transcripts are accepted only when issued to the student in a sealed envelope and submitted to Graduate Admissions unopened.
• Official electronic transcripts are accepted if submitted from the issuing institution to grads@ung.edu. Depending on the transcript service you are using, grads@ung.edu may not be an available option. You may then select any admissions or undergraduate admissions @ung.edu address. Electronic transcripts forwarded via email from the student are not accepted.
• International transcripts must have a course-by-course credential evaluation by an independent evaluation service that is a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services, Inc. (NACES) or Association of International Credential Evaluators, Inc. (AICE). Evaluations must be sent directly from the agency to the Admissions office. Refer to the evaluator website for a full list of NACES or AICE members. Official evaluations must include certification that the applicant’s course work and degrees earned are equivalent to course work and degrees earned from an accredited institution (as defined under Accredited Institutions in the Academic Information section of the Graduate Catalog) and include a cumulative grade point average. Evaluations should be submitted from the evaluation service to Graduate Admissions. Evaluations must include certification that the applicant has received a baccalaureate from an accredited institution (as defined under Accredited Institutions in the Academic Information section of the Graduate Catalog) with a minimum grade point average of 2.75. 
• Graduate Admissions will retrieve transcripts of coursework completed in-residence at UNG. You do not need to order official transcripts from UNG.

Verification of Lawful Presence in the U.S.

Board of Regents’ policy requires all applicants accepted for admission or readmission to UNG seeking in-state for tuition classification provide validation of residency and lawful presence in both the state of Georgia and the United States.

Persons Aged 62 or Over

Submit a birth certificate or Georgia driver’s license to enable UNG to determine eligibility.

• Must be a resident of Georgia and 62 years of age or older at the time of registration.
• May enroll as a regular or auditing student in courses on a “space available” basis without payment of fees, except for supplies, laboratory or shop fees.

Supplemental Documents

• Contact information for three professional references from past or current employers, educators, or supervisors (in any capacity).
• Resume/vita highlighting the personal and professional achievements of the applicant, including experience working and/or teaching in higher education.
• A five to ten-page writing sample that demonstrates scholarly writing.
• Personal statement describing your doctoral education and research goals. This statement should identify your general area(s) of interest, outline potential research problems and specify your career objectives. Include in your research statement your purpose for pursuing a doctoral degree. Your statement should be well organized and concise, and be no longer than five pages in length. In your statement, please address the following proposed questions:
  • Why is pursuing a doctoral degree in Higher Education important to you? Share personal and professional goals you hope to achieve through participation in UNG’s Higher Education doctoral program.
  • Earning a degree online requires self-discipline and motivation. Give an example from your life that illustrates your commitment to continued intellectual and professional development.
  • Share an experience you possess conducting research and your potential to contribute to the field of Higher Education.
  • Discuss a tentative higher education topic you would like to research in this doctoral program. Keep in mind that you are not committed to studying this topic exactly, but demonstrate to the admissions committee that you have a clear direction in mind.
  • Participation in a doctoral program is a significant commitment in time and cognitive energy. Address how will you prepare for and address the challenges to obtain a School-Work-Life balance.

International and Foreign National Students

International applicants who must be issued an F-1 visa by UNG to enter the United States to attend school may not apply for completely part-time (less than nine hours) or online programs. This program is only offered as an online program and therefore does not permit F-1 visa student admission.

If you are interested in enrolling in this program fully online from your home country and are not seeking a visa, you can apply as an Online Foreign National graduate student.

UNG defines online foreign national graduate students as those who are not currently citizens, permanent residents, or refugees in the U.S. and are enrolled in a fully online UNG graduate program. Online foreign national graduate students are not offered visas and they are not required to have U.S. residency to enroll in a fully online graduate program.

For specific additional requirements for international or foreign national students, review the additional admission requirements listed under Admission Requirements and Procedures.

Provisional Admission

Students who do not meet the regular admission criteria may be granted provisional admission if they achieve the minimum GPA scores required for provisional status provided there is space available in a particular cohort and pending a successful admission appeal. See Appeal of Graduate Admission for details.

Provisional degree-seeking students:

• may register for a maximum of six semester hours of graduate credit.
• will be reviewed to determine eligibility for regular admission following the completion of six hours.
• are not eligible for federal financial aid while enrolled in courses as a provisional student.
• will not be allowed to continue in the program if a grade of C or lower is earned in any graduate course.
• may apply for readmission after three semesters from the date removed from the program because of a deficient grade by submitting a new application to Graduate Admissions with a letter addressed to the program coordinator requesting readmission.

Non-Degree Admission

The Ed.D. program does not permit non-degree students.

Transient Student Admission

The Ed.D. program does not permit transient students.

Appeal of Graduate Admission

An applicant whose admission is denied may appeal the decision, regardless of the basis for denial. To submit an appeal, email a signed letter of appeal as a PDF attachment to the Office of Graduate Admissions at grads@ung.edu.

Your letter must present substantial evidence supporting the basis of your appeal. The information provided should go beyond what was previously submitted in your application and clearly demonstrate your potential for success in graduate-level study.

Graduate programs at the University of North Georgia grant appeals for provisional admission status only. If admitted under provisional status, your academic record will be reviewed post enrollment to determine eligibility for regular status. Timelines and requirements vary by program. While enrolled provisionally, you may register only for the maximum number of credit hours permitted for provisional students in your program and must maintain the GPA required by your program each term to continue enrollment. Students admitted under provisional status are not eligible for federal financial aid. Additional program-specific restrictions can be applied.

If your appeal is approved, the Graduate Admissions Office will notify you of your admission status. 

Academic and Professional Integrity

Code of Conduct

UNG students in the Ed.D. must maintain a GPA of 3.0 to remain in the program. Failure to meet that requirement results in probation status. A probation student has one term to meet the minimum requirement. 

Ed.D. students whose academic performance is unsatisfactory will be subject to the following:

• Probation – The student will be placed on probation for any of the following reasons:
  • The student’s cumulative grade point average falls below 3.0.
  • The student earns a grade of C or lower.
  • The student earns one U in dissertation hours

No student may be a candidate for the degree while on probation, for a period of three semesters, due to a grade point average below 3.0. Probation will be removed when the student’s grade point average reaches 3.0 or higher.

• Suspension – The student will be placed on suspension for any of the following reasons:
  • The student earns two grades of a C or lower.
  • The student earns two grades of U in dissertation hours.
  • The student has already served three consecutive semesters on academic probation.

No student may enroll in graduate courses at UNG while on suspension. Courses taken at another institution during the period of suspension will not be recognized for transfer credit. After serving a suspension period of three semesters, a student seeking to reapply must submit a new application to Graduate Admissions and a letter written to the HELP Admissions Committee presenting a rationale for readmission. The student will be readmitted only upon approval of the Dean and the HELP Admissions Committee. If readmitted, the student will have the same grade requirements for progress. A second suspension will result in dismissal/non-reentry to the HELP program.

Academic Information and Policies

Transfer Credit

Requests for transfer course credit for courses completed at an accredited institution (as defined under Accredited Institutions in the Academic Information section of the Graduate Catalog) within six years will be reviewed by the Higher Education Leadership & Practice admissions committee upon the request of the student. Requests will only be considered if courses were NOT applied towards the completion of a degree earned. Requests must include the syllabus for the semester in which the proposed transfer course credit was completed. Requests may only include courses from programs at the Ed.S., Ed.D., or Ph.D. levels. Transfer credit awarded will be up to 15 credit hours.

Repeated Courses

Grades of D, F, or U must be repeated to receive degree credit.