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St. Cloud State University

St. Cloud State University

Higher Education Administration - St. Cloud State UniversityHigher Education Administration - St. Cloud State UniversityHigher Education Administration - St. Cloud State University

Doctoral Program (Ed.D.)

"St. Cloud State University's doctoral program in Higher Education Administration provides current and future college and university administrators an opportunity to learn about leadership in a rigorous and supportive environment that is designed for professionals. The Center for Doctoral Studies is a state-of-the-art facility, where experienced faculty work with and mentor doctoral students. The cohort model of delivery provides students with a supportive atmosphere for learning."

Dr. Wanda Overland
Vice President for Student Life and Development
St. Cloud State University

Program Mission
The mission of the Higher Education Administration doctoral program is to prepare higher education professionals for advanced leadership positions in a diverse array of post-secondary institutions. The program is driven by a commitment to excellence in teaching, learning, leadership development, and understanding of the role the academy plays in a global society for creating and distributing knowledge.

Listen to Dr. Kate Steffens, Dean of the College of Education, and Dr. Christine M. Imbra, Professor and Director, discuss the Higher Education Administration doctoral program when they were guests on a SmallBytes podcast. Doctoral Program Discussion podcast on SmallBytes (mp3 file)

Program Overview
Individuals currently holding, or interested in, senior-level leadership positions in higher education will find this program flexible and accommodating to their needs. A weekend model of course delivery makes this program a great choice for working professionals.

  • The program is offered in a cohort model with all students progressing together through the curriculum.
  • Students take six credits fall semester, spring semester, and during summer sessions. Students attend for nine semesters taking six credits per semester. The exception is one summer that will require nine credits.
  • Attendance in the summer is required.
  • Courses are primarily offered on weekends (Friday evening and all day Saturday) during the academic year. Summer courses may be offered in various formats.
  • Courses are offered consecutively during the semester so students are able to concentrate on one administrative topic at a time. This format allows students to take two courses per semester.

Consider the following:

  • The average salary of those with a doctoral degree is 33.5 percent higher than the average salary of those with a masters degree.*
  • Employment opportunities for persons with doctoral degrees continue to grow with our evolving job market.
  • There will be a 26 percent projected increase nationally, and 32 percent projected increase statewide, in the need for new post-secondary administrators. This translates into a numeric change of 32,353 and 748 respectively over a 10-year period.**
  • There will be 30,000 replacement openings nationally, and 579 replacement openings statewide, for post-secondary administrators, over a 10-year period.**
  • These figures translate into an annual need for 6,235 post-secondary administrators nationally, and 133 post-secondary administrators statewide.**

*Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, Current Population Reports 2001, series P70-51.
**On January 9, 2006, a labor market analysis was conducted by Bruce Steuernagel, Labor Market Analyst for MnSCU. These are the projected employment and job openings for post-secondary administrators from 2002-2012.