College of Education

Program in Higher Education Master's Degree Course Scheduling Guide

Degree Requirements: 36 Hours Higher Education Core

Research Requirement: 3 Hours

Internship/Field Problem Requirement: 6 Hours

Each student not employed full time in a higher education position or its equivalent must complete two three-hour sections oflnternship/Field Problem and one elective chosen in consultation with the faculty advisor.

Specialization: 12 Hours

Students choose one of the following tracks:

Community College Leadership

*Students must take this course before other specialization and elective courses.

Elective

Choose one three-hour course from the following list in consultation with advisor

General Administration

Choose four course from the following list in consultation with advisor

Student Affairs

Elective

Choose one three-hour course from the following list in consultation with advisor

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Criminal History Background Checks

The University of North Texas Counseling Program is committed to protecting the welfare of the publics it serves and providing for the security of vulnerable populations served through program affiliated clinics and centers. Criminal history background checks are required for applicants to the Counseling Program’s MEd, MS, and PhD programs and to any non-degree seeking students who are enrolled in coursework that involves a fieldwork component.

The following individuals must submit a satisfactory CHBC to the Counseling Program:

• Applicants: Qualified applicants to the UNT Counseling Program will be offered provisional admission pending the Counseling Program’s receipt of a satisfactory criminal history background check. Matriculation into the UNT Counseling Program may be denied or withdrawn until a criminal history background check is submitted with results deemed satisfactory by the Counseling Faculty.
• Admitted students: Enrolled Counseling Program students will not be permitted to participate in COUN 5690 before submitting a satisfactory criminal history background check. A student who fails to submit a satisfactory criminal history background check will be administratively dropped from the course and may be dismissed from the Counseling Program. Any cost associated with enrollment and/or cancellation of courses will be the responsibility of the student.
• Non-Degree students (LPC Deficiency, School Counselor Certification Deficiency, CACREP Deficiency, continuing education): Non degree students will not be permitted to enroll in any counseling course that requires a field experience component before submitting a satisfactory criminal history background check. A student, who fails to submit a satisfactory criminal history background check prior to enrollment in the specified course, will be administratively dropped from the course and his or her offer for non degree study will be withdrawn. Any cost associated with cancellation of courses will be the responsibility of the student.

Instructions for the Criminal History Background Check

You may initiate the criminal history background check process by creating an account at Castle Branch using package code UF43. Please note that the criminal history background check will require a fee paid directly to the vendor. When creating an account, provide consent to deliver the report directly to the Counseling Program. 

Next Steps

The Counseling Program Advisor will review results to determine whether results require faculty review. If a faculty review is required, we will contact you to advise you of your rights to review accuracy of information reported to the program and to provide additional information to assist the committee in evaluating your unique situation. Should the faculty committee make an adverse decision, we will inform you regarding your rights to an appeal of the decision.

For more information or to review the policy document in full, contact Natalya Lindo.

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Doctoral Degree Plan

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PROGRAM IN HIGHER EDUCATION DOCTORAL DEGREE COURSE SCHEDULING GUIDE

Ph.D & Ed.D REQUIREMENTS

HIGHER EDUCATION CORE REQUIREMENTS (18 hours)

EDHE 6000 Proseminar in Higher Education (this course must be completed in the first year of the doctoral study)

EDHE 6510 History and Philosophy of Higher Education

EDHE 6520 Students in Higher Education

EDHE 6550 Policy Studies in Higher Education

EDHE 6710 Organization and Administration of Higher Education

EDHE 6790 Legal Aspects of Higher Education

MINOR OR COGNATE AREA (Ph.D) (12 hours)

The student completes a minor of at least 12 semester hours from courses outside the Program of Higher Education, or a cognate field of 12 semester hours in an area of specialization in higher education. The student must work with his or her major professor to select the minor or cognate area.

COGNATE AREA (Ed.D) (15 hours)

The student completes a cognate of at least 15 semester hours from courses within the Program of Higher Education in consultation with his or her major professor. Courses from outside the Program of Higher Education may be taken as part of the cognate with the permission of the student’s major professor. Students are encouraged to focus on, but not limited to, the following areas:

• Community College Leadership
• Student Affairs Administration
• Organization and Administration
• Teaching and Learning in Higher Education

HIGHER EDUCATION ELECTIVE COURSE REQUIREMENTS (Ph.D) (6 hours)

Courses are to be selected from the program’s course inventory and should enable the student to gain either a broader exposure to the various specializations in higher education or an in-depth knowledge of one particular area of specialization.

INTERNSHIP (Ph.D) (6 hours)

An administrative, research, and/or teaching internship of 6 semester hours is required of all doctoral students. Internship may be waived for students who have been employed in a full-time administrative position, or a teaching or research position in an institution, agency, or association of higher education for at least one academic year, or the equivalent as determined by the higher education faculty. Administrative internships consist of at least 120 clock hours of closely supervised administrative work per 3 semester hours of credit and culminate with a written report of the internship experience. Research internships require the close supervision of the student’s research project by a graduate faculty member of the university and culminate in a publishable or presentable research paper. Teaching internships consist of at least 40 hours of supervised teaching per 3 semester hours of credit and culminate with a portfolio documenting the experience.

INTERNSHIP (Ed.D) (6 hours)

An administrative internship of 6 semester hours is required of all doctoral students. Internship may be waived for students who have been employed in a full-time administrative position, or a teaching or research position in an institution, agency, or association of higher education for at least one academic year, or the equivalent as determined by the higher education faculty. Administrative internships consist of at least 120 clock hours of closely supervised administrative work per 3 semester hours of credit and culminate with a written report of the internship experience.

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION RESEARCH CORE

EPSY 6010 Statistics for Educational Research*

EPSY 6020 Research Methods in Education

*Students who have not taken a master’s level research course may need to take EPSY 5210: Educational Statistics to meet the prerequisite for EPSY 6010. EPSY 5210 is not counted toward the degree.

HIGHER EDUCATION RESEARCH REQUIREMENT (Ph.D) (15 hours)

Higher Education Program Research Core (6 hours)

EDHE 6120 Seminar in Higher Education Research I

EDHE 6540 Seminar in Higher Education Research II

Advanced Research Methodology (9 hours)

HIGHER EDUCATION RESEARCH REQUIREMENT (Ed.D) (9 hours)

Higher Education Field Research (6 hours)

EDHE 6120 Seminar in Higher Education Research I

EDHE 6540 Seminar in Higher Education Research II

Advanced Research Methodology (3 hours)

DISSERTATION RESEARCH REQUIREMENT (Ph.D) (minimum of 9 hours)

The principal goal of the Ph.D program dissertation is the demonstration of the student’s ability to conduct independent research. The research design must be congruent with the modes of inquiry used in conducting research on higher education and must be a report of independent research with a strong theoretical foundation. Moreover, the dissertation must be of publishable quality. No dissertation enrollment is permitted until the student passes the doctoral qualifying exam. Only 9 semester hours of dissertation credit are applied to the degree program, even though more dissertation hours may be accumulated. Please check university policy on the requirement of continuous enrollment.

DISSERTATION RESEARCH REQUIREMENT (Ed.D) (minimum of 9 hours)

The principal goal of the Ed.D dissertation is the demonstration of the student’s ability to solve practical issues in higher education by conducting independent research. The research design must be congruent with the modes of inquiry used in conducting research on higher education. Ed.D students are encouraged to conduct action research that applies theories in creating solutions for real-life issues in higher education. No dissertation enrollment is permitted until the student passes the doctoral qualifying exam. Only 9 semester hours of dissertation credit are applied to the degree program, even though more dissertation hours may be accumulated. Please check university policy on the requirement of continuous enrollment.

Doctoral Dissertation Committee (same for both Ph.D and Ed.D)

Each Ph.D student must select a dissertation committee prior to taking the doctoral qualifying exam. The dissertation committee consists of a minimum of four graduate faculty members including a major professor, a full-time Higher Education faculty, a member external to the Higher Education Program(and maybe external to the college/university), and a fourth member (either full-time or affiliate program faculty or external to the program). The major professor must be a full-time Higher Education faculty with full UNT Graduate Faculty membership. Students who have a minor are encouraged to select the external member from the minor field. Students should consult with their major professor to form the dissertation committee. Please check the university and college dissertation committee policies for other requirements.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

• Minimum Grade Required: B
• Residency Required
  • All doctoral students at UNT are required to complete the residency requirement prior to taking the Doctoral Qualifying Exam. The residency requirement consists of two consecutive semesters at UNT with a minimum of 9 graduate hours in each term or three consecutive semesters with a minimum of 6 graduate hours in each term. The summer semester may be excluded for the purpose of determining consecutive semesters.
• Doctoral Qualifying Exam
  • Students who have met the residency requirement and completed all coursework on the degree plan (exclusive of dissertation) with a grade of B or better will be allowed to take the doctoral qualifying exam. Students who have met the residency requirement and are in the last 9 hours or less of coursework (exclusive of dissertation) and will complete these hours in the current semester may take the doctoral qualifying exam with written permission from the major professor. The Higher Education Program doctoral qualifying exam includes written and oral components. Students who fail any part of the exam twice will be automatically dismissed from the program. Students who pass the doctoral qualifying exam are admitted to candidacy.

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MINIMUM TOTAL FOR Ph.D: 66-72 hours

MINIMUM TOTAL FOR Ed.D: 57-63 hours

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