PhD in Global Higher Education Leadership
Lead with vision, research and purpose and help set the path in higher education—all with Adelphi’s fully online PhD in Global Higher Education Leadership.
Why Earn a PhD in Global Higher Education Leadership?
In today’s globalized society, students and organizations need leaders who can think big picture. A PhD in Global Higher Education Leadership will prepare you to address complex challenges across continents and cultures, leading the way as a change maker in academia, administration, research or policy. As you study the policies and programs employed by different institutions worldwide, you’ll make discoveries, create frameworks and contribute knowledge that transforms the future of higher education. You’ll also develop the practical skills to improve systems—and lives—through economic and technological development, intellectual and cultural advancement, and international cooperation.
Why Earn Your Higher Education Doctorate at Adelphi Online?
- Earn your PhD in Global Higher Education Leadership while enjoying the convenience of a remote online program—ideal for busy working professionals who want to advance without putting their career on hold. You can also take summer classes in person at our Garden City campus on Long Island inNew York.
- Benefit from Adelphi’s long-standing commitment to global leadership in both academics and civic engagement.
- Make connections with leading figures in education, business, healthcare, manufacturing and other global industries. Adelphi’s location in the New York City metropolitan area allows us to attract the world’s top talent for seminars, workshops and events.
- Build a well-rounded, market-ready skill set through our transdisciplinary curriculum, which integrates higher education leadership, international/comparative education, and social science research methods.
- Grow alongside your colleagues in our supportive, community-engaged learning environment.
What Can You Do With a Doctorate in Global Higher Education Leadership?
As a graduate of our online higher education doctoral program, you’ll be primed to take advantage of career opportunities in colleges, universities, nonprofits and governments worldwide. Lead the way in roles such as:
- Analyst at a think tank or governmental organization
- Leader at a nonprofit devoted to social justice, cultural advancement or international cooperation
- Postdoctoral fellow in research or teaching
- Senior administrator at a university office (student success, institutional research, diversity and inclusion)
- Senior administrator of an international exchange or study abroad program
- Teacher-educator in diverse, intercultural and global contexts
- Tenure-track academic faculty member
Exceptional Hands-On Learning
A world of impact starts here, in Adelphi’s online PhD in Global Higher Education Leadership program. As part of our required internship program, you’ll put your leadership skills to the test in real-world settings—and see your work pay off in real time. We scale our doctoral programs to meet the unique needs of each student, which means you’ll be able to intern wherever you can make the greatest impact, from the office next door to a university halfway around the world. Through these experiences, you’ll meet and work with a wide range of like-minded professionals, helping you build the network that will take your career to new heights.
Program Info
Application Requirements and Criteria
Students should have a related bachelor’s or master’s degree for admission. The degrees will often be in an education-related field, but other fields are permitted. We believe that multiple different types of educational experiences can provide relevant background to this doctoral degree in higher education, especially for candidates with extensive relevant work experience.
Exceptional students without a master’s degree may be admitted. If students do not enter with a master’s degree, they will be required to earn 18 credits in master’s degree-level education electives in addition to the 46 credits in the PhD.
Applicants should submit the following materials:
- Online graduate application and $60 application fee
- A current résumé or CV
- Final transcript stating bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year institution
- Final or in-progress transcript stating master’s degree from an accredited institution
- Personal statement
- Scholarly writing sample
- Two letters of recommendation
International students without a degree from a university in the United States must also meet Adelphi’s testing requirements of showing adequate English proficiency for graduate work. Learn more about how to submit your results.
No GRE or other standardized test scores are required.
Your current résumé or CV should include your scholarly background, including any relevant educational experiences, publications, projects, advanced coursework, honors and awards, and/or work or volunteer experience.
The admissions committee will accept unofficial transcripts for admission reviews. Any admission made with these documents would be conditioned on receipt of official documents, which should be provided as soon as possible following conditional admittance. Transcripts should list the name of the university, a list of courses you have taken or are taking at the university and the grades you received in these courses. You should send a transcript for any university from which you have earned college credit, including both undergraduate and graduate degrees.
Please submit a scholarly writing sample of work you have previously written. This could be a master’s degree thesis or final course paper. The sample should demonstrate your ability to read and write academic works at the predoctoral level. Your sample should be between 10 and 20 double-spaced pages. Extracts from longer works are accepted.
Please submit a personal statement of no more than 800 words describing your relevant past experiences and goals for pursuing doctoral study in Global Higher Education Leadership.
Your personal statement should describe the reasons you are seeking a doctorate and explain why you think the Global Higher Education Leadership PhD program is a good fit for you. Include your career objectives and the research you hope to pursue. Of course, any ideas you discuss here will likely change as you progress through the program; however, stating your ideas here helps us see what kinds of topics interest you and how they fit with the work we do here.
In your statement, you may choose to reflect on some of these questions:
- What are some meaningful experiences with global higher education leadership from your past, and how have they shaped your current thinking about global higher education leadership?
- What specific expertise do you bring to the program?
- How have your prior experiences prepared you to succeed in doctoral study?
- What are your overall research interests and why?
Submit two letters of reference.
At least one of your letters should be from a professor who has worked closely with you and can speak to your scholarly potential. These are often professors you have conducted research or independent study alongside, or professors in whose courses you have done work you are very proud of.
The other letter can come from a supervisor who can tell us about your professional experience.
Letters will be submitted confidentially; please submit writers’ contact information in the application. We suggest you provide your letter writers with all the information you are including in this application. It is usually good to give references about one month’s notice to submit and send reminders shortly before the letters are due.
All graduate applicants with undergraduate-level work completed outside of the United States will be required to send a course-by-course evaluation of their academic work prepared by a NACES member organization. Adelphi recommends you use The Evaluation Company (TEC) or IEE (discount provided for Adelphi applicants), ECE, or WES, but any NACES member evaluation would be acceptable.
Your application can also include any other materials—such as a second writing sample or professional work products—that you think will help us better understand your background as it relates to the doctoral degree. Additional materials are completely optional; it is not disadvantageous to leave these materials out.
Awards & Recognition
