Ph.D. Degree in Higher Education Leadership

Contact

For general inquiries about the program, please contact Dr. Danielle Molina at sahegrad@colled.msstate.edu.

Program Overview

The Doctor of Philosophy in Higher Education Leadership (PhD HEL) prepares experienced higher education professionals (e.g., administrators, instructors, policymakers) to establish a voice of scholarly expertise around critical issues for executive leadership in contemporary college and university settings across frameworks of history, organization, policy, student success, and environmental contexts.

Program candidates in Higher Education Leadership pursue advanced careers in executive higher education administration, university faculty leadership, higher education agency/association leadership, and faculty for programs of higher education/student affairs studies.

Program of Study

• Cohort-style curriculum starting in the fall term of each academic year.
• Curriculum designed to accommodate part-time or full-time enrollment.
• Most doctoral core courses delivered Monday – Thursday outside of regular work hours.

In-person, synchronous course delivery with occasional options for virtual or executive style courses.

Preferred Applicant Qualifications

• Previous graduate degree demonstrating a GPA of 3.0 or higher in Higher Education, Student Affairs, or a field with the potential to broaden Higher Education scholarship with interdisciplinary insight.
• Three or more years of professional leadership experience within college/university settings, such as administrative, faculty, or policy roles.
• Basic understanding of Higher Education Leadership as an interdisciplinary field of advanced graduate study focused college and university environments, dynamics, people, policies, and processes via scholarly and professional associations such as ASHE: Association for the Study of Higher Education, AERA: American Education Research Association, NASPA: Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education and/or ACPA: College Student Educators International.
• Initial topic ideas the applicant would like to explore while enrolled in the program consistent with the scholarship of higher education and demonstrating deep reflection on significant questions, puzzles, or challenges within contemporary colleges and universities.
• Interest in rigorously engaging research methodologies as essential tools for exploration, investigation, critical analysis, and decision-making related to higher education contexts.

Admission Criteria

Eligible applications must meet the basic requirements specified for graduate students at Mississippi State University. Additionally, applications will be evaluated holistically at the program level across the following benchmarks:

1. Official transcripts from all previous institutions attended demonstrating:
   1. 1. an earned graduate degree (e.g., master’s, professional);
      2. or progress toward an earned graduate degree with an anticipated completion date that precedes the intended enrollment term
      3. applicants without an advanced graduate/professional degree may be considered on a case-by-case basis with an earned bachelor’s degree in combination with an established, long-term career in higher education leadership and/or advanced research experience in the field of higher education inquiry
2. Minimum grade point average (GPA) of:
   1. 1. 3.00 on a 4.00 scale on previous graduate/professional degree(s) if applying with a master’s/professional degreed; or
      2. 3.00 on a 4.00 scale for the last half of the bachelor’s degree if applying without a master’s/professional degree
3. Statement of purpose summarizing:
   1. 1. past experience in higher education leadership, current knowledge of the field’s key issues, and/or future aspirations related to executive level leadership in a particular subfield of higher education
      2. how the candidate envisions an advanced research-based degree furthering their leadership aspirations in the field of higher education practice/scholarship
      3. 1-3 potential research topics that represent the candidate’s scholarly interests for future dissertation research
4. Current résumé or CV demonstrating at least three years professional work, instruction, or leadership experience in a higher education setting
5. Three letters of recommendation from professional colleagues, faculty from past academic experiences, or other stakeholders related to higher education leadership who can provide insight on one or more of the following:
   1. 1. the applicant’s evolving higher education leadership profile
      2. professional skills, competencies, or knowledge that position the applicant for executive level leadership or instruction in the field of higher education
      3. academic skills related to doctoral level inquiry (e.g., identifying key issues for the advancement of contemporary higher education, scholarly and empirical research, scholarly writing, critical thinking, applications of knowledge to the improvement of higher education practice)
      4. research topics the applicant has deliberated and the relevance of these topics to the applicant’s chosen higher education sub-specialty
6. The admissions committee may require an interview to further evaluate academic and/or career interests aligned with the program’s offerings

International Applicant Guidelines

International applicants are eligible to apply to the PhD in HEL program. Additional materials specific to international applicant (e.g., visas, language proficiency exams, transcript guidance, etc.) required by Mississippi State University’s Graduate School may be reviewed at https://www.grad.msstate.edu/students/admissions/international-studies

Please note that international applicants do not require permission from the faculty or a pre-screening from the program to apply for admissions consideration. All applicants who have submitted a complete application and application fee will be evaluated in accordance to the program requirements and with consideration for the  limited number of vacancies available in a given Fall cohort.

Graduate Application Fee Waivers designated for international applicants are not available from the program or department at this time.

Graduate Student Funding

Funding for graduate study in Higher Education Leadership is not guaranteed with admission to the graduate program, but may be available through human resources benefits or competitive campus selection processes.

Full-time Jobs at MSU

A majority of students currently enrolled in MSU’s PhD in HEL program are employed full-time at the university. Partially due to its employee tuition benefits program, Mississippi State University has been routinely celebrated as a “Great College to Work For” and a top employer in the state of Mississippi over the past decade.

Prospective students may explore opportunities for full-time employment and related tuition benefits with Mississippi State University at https://www.msujobs.msstate.edu/ .

Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTA) and Graduate Research Assistantships (GRA)

As a graduate-only program, the PhD in HEL program does not typically offer traditional Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTA) directly related to the program. Graduate Research Assistantships (GRA) are also not available through the Higher Education Leadership graduate programs area, itself, at this time. In the event that future funding and/or research projects allow for GTA or GRA opportunities with the PHD in HEL program, the faculty will advertise directly to prospective students to recruit potential applicants.

Alternatively, prospective doctoral students with requisite graduate-level scholarly credentials in disciplines outside of Higher Education Leadership are also encouraged to reach out directly to other academic departments on campus to investigate possible GTA or GRA opportunities.

Graduate Services Assistantships (GSAs)

While GTA and GRA positions can be limited, the Higher Education Leadership programs area works closely with the Division of Student Affairs and related offices to broker a range of Graduate Services Assistantships (GSA) positions available primarily to its MS SAHE students. PhD HEL students interested in work related to college student learning, growth, development, and success are also eligible for these positions and have proven successful in securing GSAs at times.

GSAs with our campus partners often  facilitate student-facing services, programming, and outreach for offices housed under areas such as the Division of Student Affairs, Holmes Center for Student Success, The Career Center, and Academic Athletics, among others. Occasionally, unique opportunities may arise supporting faculty development, academic units, and/or operations across campus.

The selection processes for GSA positions begins in February for the following Fall and is competitive. At MSU, GSA stipulations are unique to the offices they serve.

• GSA contracts are supervised by and funded through the individual offices offering vacancies for the upcoming academic year.
• Most GSA contracts begin in the Fall (August) of a given academic year, although some may require on-campus training in the month prior to the beginning of classes.
• GSA contracts vary, and may span 9-month, 10-month, or 12-month appointments.
• GSA funding occurs during contract months; students who are not funded year round must seek out alternative funding opportunities when not funded by a GSA contract appointment.
• GSA appointments require GSA appointments typically require students to work 20 hours per week during contract months.
• At a minimum, most assistantships offer 100% tuition and a small stipend to help minimally defray the cost of books and living expenses during  contract months.

Please note that GA appointments are not guaranteed with admission to the SAHE graduate program. However, faculty work closely with the Division of Student Affairs each Spring term to facilitate their Fall GA recruitment event, Student Affairs GA Insight Days.

Student Affairs (GA) Insight Days

For additional information concerning application procedures, Graduate Assistantships, and our annual visit days for prospective graduate students (GA Insight Days), please visit SA Insight Days. 

SA Insight Days

Self-Funded

Graduate students with funding sources external to Mississippi State University are also welcomed to apply for full-time or part-time enrollment in the HEL PhD program.

Program Deadlines (Admissions & Graduate Assistantships)

• February 1    Priority Admission Deadline for the following Fall Term

https://www.grad.msstate.edu/students/admissions

HEL Graduate Program application materials are submitted to and processed by the MSU Graduate School  

Priority Deadline for Graduate Assistantship (GA) Consideration https://www.saffairs.msstate.edu/assistantships/

GA Application materials are submitted to and processed by the MSU Division of Student Affairs (separate from the Graduate Program Application referenced above) 

• Mid-February Student Affairs (GA) Insight Days

Kick-off meeting for PhD in HEL students involved in the joint MS SAHE/Division of Student Affairs Fall GA interview and selection processes (see Graduate Student Funding Opportunities)

• May 1            Final Fall INTERNATIONAL STUDENT Deadline for PhD in HEL

Graduate Program Consideration

While priority for consideration is given to applicants who meet the February 1 deadline, the program may continue to evaluate international graduate program applications between February 2 and May 1 until all vacancies for the Fall cohort have been filled.

Final Fall INTERNATIONAL STUDENT Deadline for Graduate

Assistantship (GA) Consideration

While priority for consideration is given to applicants who meet the February 1 deadline, collaborating student affairs offices may continue to evaluate international GA applications between February 2 and May 1 as long as vacancies exist and visa requirements can be met. Please note, however, that  GA opportunities may become more limited or potentially unavailable the further past the priority deadline an application is submitted.

• May 1            Final Fall DOMESTIC STUDENT Deadline for PhD in HEL

Graduate Program Consideration

While priority for consideration is given to applicants who meet the February 1 deadline, the program may continue to evaluate domestic graduate program applications between February 2 and August 1, until all vacancies for the Fall cohort have been filled.

• Mid-August    Final Fall DOMESTIC STUDENT Deadline for Graduate

Assistantship (GA) Consideration

While priority for consideration is given to applicants who meet the February 1 deadline, collaborating student affairs offices may continue to evaluate domestic GA applications between February 2 and the beginning of the Fall term as long as vacancies exist. Please note, however, that  GA opportunities may become more limited or potentially unavailable the further past the priority deadline an application is submitted.

                      Department of CHEF and PhD HEL Student Orientation