Ed.D. in Higher Education

Preparing the next generation of leaders in higher education.

Our executive weekend doctorate in higher education is a practitioner-focused program designed for the working professional. With the practice-based curriculum, our program blends your professional wisdom and career experience with analytical, theoretical and foundational knowledge needed to address contemporary issues facing higher education educators, administrators and institutions. Classes use a hybrid format, balancing convenient online instruction with in-person sessions, hosted on Saturdays, that bring peer engagement and shared learning to the classroom. Equity and inclusion are foundational to the program and infused across the curriculum.

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How Can Earning an Ed.D. in Higher Education Advance My Career?

Our graduates hold leadership roles in a variety of higher education contexts including student affairs, academic affairs and other areas of higher education administration.

At a Glance

54 credit hours

Hybrid

Part time

Start in the fall semester

"As a working adult in an executive level position within higher education, it was important for me to find a program that was flexible, rigorous, and encouraged a sense of belonging. The NIU HESA program 'checked all of the boxes.'"
Kimberly Hollingsworth, Ed.D., higher education, 2022, president, Olive Harvey College

"I chose to attend NIU because I was looking for an executive Ed.D. program for working higher education professionals. I wanted a program that was hybrid in model and wasn't too far from my home. The Naperville campus is centrally located and offered amazing flexibility for me during my program."
Mark Carbonara, Ed.D., higher education, 2021, assistant vice president for advancement, Dominican University

How to Apply

You can apply if you have:

Three years of full-time higher education experience
Master’s-level degree (30 credits or more)

You’ll apply through the Graduate School. The fall application deadline is March 1.

Select “Ed.D. in higher education” and the specialization “higher education administration” in your application.

After you apply, we may ask you to attend an in-person or virtual interview.

Apply to the Graduate School

Application Materials

To apply for the program, you'll need to submit the following:

Completed application
Written statement of goals
Two letters of recommendation
Official transcripts
Current résumé/CV

The GRE is not required.

Use the following questions to guide the writing of your goals statement, which should be one to two pages in length, single-spaced:

What experience in work or life prompted your interest in pursuing an Ed.D. in higher education?
What knowledge and skills do you hope to gain to foster your career advancement?
How do you think NIU’s Ed.D. in higher education program with a specialization in higher education administration, in particular, will help support your own personal, professional and academic aspirations?
Looking at our learning outcomes for the program, what areas are you most excited to learn more about?

Acceptance of Admission

If admitted to the program, you’ll need to accept your admission in MyNIU. You’ll also need to respond to the department by the deadline indicated in your acceptance letter.

Waitlist

Due to limited space, you may be placed on a waiting list. If admitted students decline and spots open up, students on the waiting list will be offered a spot in the program on a rolling basis. If you’ve been waitlisted and have questions about the timeline or your prospects of acceptance, please contact HESA academic counselor Danae Miesbauer at dmiesbauer@niu.edu.

International Students

Our program is designed for part-time students. International students on an F-1 visa are required to be enrolled as full-time students. To ensure compliance with visa regulations, international students in our program are required to take one additional course each semester (fall and spring), while enrolled in coursework (a total of five courses). We recommend pursuing a graduate certificate in a related area to further your education.

In the written statement of goals, international students should indicate what graduate certificate they are interested in pursuing or detailed plans for how they intend to maintain full-time student status while in coursework.

Costs and Funding

Our competitive tuition and fees helps ensure an excellent return on the investment of your time and resources. Learn about additional funding opportunities for graduate students.

Assistantships

Many NIU graduate students have an assistantship, which provides financial support (typically a tuition waiver and stipend), as well as career preparation.

Curriculum and Requirements

In this hybrid program, you’ll take two eight-week courses during fall and spring terms with two Saturdays required per course (four Saturday classes per term). Summer classes are six weeks in length and delivered in a weekend or online format.

View Program Requirements

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Program Schedule

2026-2027 Academic Year

Fall Semester 2026

Saturday, Aug. 29
Saturday, Oct. 3
Saturday, Oct. 24
Saturday, Nov. 21

Spring Semester 2027

Saturday, Jan. 23
Saturday, Feb. 20
Saturday, April 3
Saturday, April 24

Summer Term 2027

Saturday, May 22
Saturday, June 12
Wednesday, July 7 (6-8 p.m., online synchronous meeting)
Wednesday, July 21 (6-8 p.m., online synchronous meeting)

2027-2028 Academic Year

Fall Semester 2027

Saturday, Aug. 28
Saturday, Oct. 2
Saturday, Oct. 23
Saturday, Nov. 13

Spring Semester 2028

Saturday, Jan. 29
Saturday, Feb. 26
Saturday, April 1
Saturday, April 29

Summer Term 2028

Saturday, May 20
Saturday, June 10
Wednesday, June 28 (6-8 p.m., online synchronous meeting)
Wednesday, July 19 (6-8 p.m., online synchronous meeting)

Program Learning Outcomes

Students will develop a professional knowledge base guided by literature, theories and research.
Students will apply theory-to-practice models to problems of practice.
Students will develop collaboration and communication skills to engage with internal and external stakeholders.
Students will analyze topics related to social justice, equity and ethics in postsecondary contexts.
Students will utilize inquiry-based practices to explore programs, practices and/or problems in postsecondary contexts.

Work While Getting Your Ed.D.

Designed for working professionals, our Ed.D. program is developed around the Carnegie Project on the Educational Doctorate (CPED) framework. This framework is used to design a practitioner preparation program customized for working professionals. Each class sequence is centered around inquiry of practice - where significant, strategic questions are used to analyze and address complex problems of practice. The innovation solutions brought about are rooted in research, the insights you've gained in the classroom and your own professional experience. In this model, you'll work in spaces where theory and practice inform and enrich each other, and where persistent problems within higher education are analyzed and addressed.

The use of a cohort model allows students to not only learn with and from practitioners, but also to build a strong professional network. As you complete your degree, you will become part of an alumni network made up of dedicated leaders across higher education.

We encourage you to attend one of our information sessions or to set up a meeting with our academic counselor to learn more about our program.

Course Rotation Year 1

Fall Term
- HESA 702: Philosophy of Postsecondary Education
- HESA 703: Postsecondary Access in Higher Education
Spring Term
- HESA 720: Review of Research in Higher Education (intro to ed research)
- HESA 700: Seminar on Leadership in Higher Education
Summer Term
- HESA 770: Administration of Higher Education
- HESA 771: Legal Aspects in Higher Education

Course Rotation Year 2

Fall Term
- HESA 757: Seminar in Higher Education Outcomes (Intro to Quant)
- HESA 772: Financing of Higher Education
Spring Term
- HESA 700: Seminar in Higher Ed and Student Affairs (Intro to Qual)
- Elective: choose among courses focused on college teaching; student learning, development, and success; or public policy
Summer Term
- HESA 504: Educating for Equity and Social Justice in Higher Education
- HESA 710: Evaluating Higher Education Programs

Course Rotation Year 3

Fall Term
- HESA 721: Applied Research Design in Higher Education
- HESA 798: Research Seminar in Higher Education
Spring Term
- HESA 799: Dissertation
Summer Term
- HESA 799: Dissertation

Note: HESA 799 is a variable credit course offered in fall, spring, and summer terms. Minimum of 12 credits required to graduate. Dissertation of practice may take two to five terms depending on topic and data collection timeline.

Faculty

Our supportive faculty bring diverse experiences, backgrounds, scholarship and expertise from a variety of areas across higher education and student affairs.

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Contact Us

Danae Miesbauer
Academic Counselor
Department of Counseling and Higher Education
815-753-1306
dmiesbauer@niu.edu