The Ph.D. in Educational Leadership, Policy, and Human Development: Higher Education Opportunity, Equity, and Justice concentration equips researchers, administrators, and policymakers to create just and equitable learning environments and opportunities that uplift, humanize, and empower all people to thrive in postsecondary educational settings.
Our scholarly community…
- Produces knowledge about the process of transforming systems to be more equitable and translates this knowledge for wider audiences, including key stakeholders and policymakers;
- Prepares future scholar-leaders to solve postsecondary problems from justice-oriented lenses, advocate for minoritized and marginalized populations, and influence the educational spheres of which they are a part; and
- In keeping with the land-grant mission of NC State, serves community and state needs with regard to furthering equitable higher education opportunities in North Carolina and beyond.
The focus of this concentration is aligned with the 2021-2030 NC State strategic plan, which recognizes the urgency to address racial inequities and civil unrest. Alongside the NC State University community, our concentration will “champion a culture of equity, diversity, inclusion, belonging, and well-being in all that we do” (NC State University 2021-2030 Strategic Plan, Goal #4).
Concentration Details
CONCENTRATION DESCRIPTION
Given the change-making contributions of education in society, students and faculty in our concentration explore critical questions related to organizational and individual dynamics in higher education. These questions address how colleges and universities function and interface with other educational sectors and external communities, as well as how policies and practices within and beyond higher education influence (for better or worse) access, equity, success and thriving among students, faculty and staff of different social identities. We value research and practice geared toward justice, decolonization, and systemic change. We seek to inspire our students, alumni and faculty to serve as scholars, practitioners, change agents, and innovative leaders in colleges, universities, research and policy institutes, non-profit organizations, as well as in national and international postsecondary organizations. We aim to develop critical thinkers who have a broad perspective about how higher education can serve a justice-oriented purpose in society.
As a scholarly community, we are mindful of the personal and professional demands placed on higher education leaders in an ever-changing world. The challenges educators and leaders in higher education face are numerous, and our concentration helps educators grapple with the imperatives to:
- Confront threats to justice, equality, and human rights; economic disparities; and national and global tragedies and crises that shape higher education institutions and the experiences of students, faculty, and staff on and beyond campus;
- Support access, equity, and success of marginalized and underserved populations while honoring the nuanced interplay of intersecting identity dimensions (e.g., race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexuality, social class, disability status, worldview, religion) that differentially bestow power and privilege and thereby shape learning and development;
- Proactively manage campus crises that arise from a host of challenges, including (but not limited to) the COVID-19 pandemic, racial injustice, economic instability, sexual violence, and hostile campus climates; and
- Responsibly engage increasingly diverse, complex, and interconnected local, regional, national, and international communities within and beyond education.
As a Concentration, we are committed to:
- Examining systemic inequities and advocating for justice, while honoring the unique theoretical, methodological, and practice-oriented approaches we each take in our scholarship, teaching, leadership, and service to create social change;
- Pursuing cross-cutting, interdisciplinary partnerships that disrupt traditional boundaries between educational sectors given the complexity of current problems and questions in education and society;
- Bridging gaps between theory, research, policy, and practice to ensure our collective work moves beyond knowledge generation to advancing educational and social change;
- Mentoring the next generation of higher education leaders to confront challenges related to access, equity, and justice in an authentic, informed, responsible, and ethical manner; and
- Cultivating a program culture that is generative, humanizing, communal, equitable, inspiring, and dynamic.
ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS
Please note: If you are currently enrolled in a master’s degree program in our College of Education and are interested in pursuing a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership, Policy, and Human Development, you must formally apply to the program through the Graduate School.
- Personal statement of interest and desired career goals. Statement should be written in essay format, be no more than 1,500 words, and address the following questions:
- How does a Ph.D. support your life goals and professional pursuits?
- What draws you to NC State and the Higher Education Opportunity, Equity, and Justice doctoral concentration?
- What research interests and questions do you hope to explore in a Ph.D. program? Why are these research interests and questions important to you?
- How do your interests connect with the work of faculty in the concentration?
- What do you envision for the future upon completing a Ph.D.?
- Professional resume or CV
- Transcripts from all institutions attended (except NC State)
- Three academic/professional recommendations
- TOEFL or IELTS scores for international students
COURSE OF STUDY
All doctoral degrees in the College of Education require a minimum of 72 graduate credit hours beyond the bachelor’s degree. Most doctoral programs in the College of Education require a minimum of 60 graduate credit hours beyond an approved master’s degree.
Time to degree is typically 4–6 years depending on enrollment status.
CURRICULUM
Course descriptions can be found in the university course catalog. Please note: The course of study below is for doctoral students entering the Ph.D. in Educational Leadership, Policy, and Human Development higher education opportunity, equity, and justice concentration in Fall 2023 or after.
Scholar-Leader Core Courses
ED 755 – Diversity and Equity in Schools and Communities (3 credits)
ED 756 – Systemic Change in Education (3 credits)
Research Methods
ED 710 – Applied Quantitative Methods in Education I (3 credits)
ED 730 – Introduction to Qualitative Research in Education (3 credits)
At Least One of the Following:
ED 711 – Applied Quantitative Methods in Education II
ED 731 – Advanced Qualitative Research and Data Analysis in Education
Advanced Research Methods Course 1 (3 credits)
Advanced Research Methods Course 2 (3 credits)
Concentration Core Courses
EAC 711 – Reflective Practice and Research Inquiry (Foundations of Higher Education Opportunity, Equity, and Justice Research) (3 credits)
EAC 803 – Research Seminar in Adult and Higher Education (Implementation of Higher Education Opportunity, Equity, and Justice Research) (3 credits)
EAC 802 – Seminar in Adult and Higher Education (Critical Theories) (3 credits)
Opportunity, Equity, and Justice Elective (3 credits)
Higher Education Elective 1 (3 credits)
Higher Education Elective 2 (3 credits)
Interdisciplinary Elective 1 (3 credits)
Interdisciplinary Elective 2 (3 credits)
Advanced Research Methods Course 3 (3 credits)
Advanced Research Methods Course 4 (3 credits)
EAC 895 – Doctoral Dissertation Research (9 credits)
Transfer Credit From Master’s Program (12 credits)
TOTAL CREDIT HOURS (72 Credits)
*NOTE*: FOR DOCTORAL STUDENTS EITHER PART TIME OR FULL TIME WHO ARE WORKING ON THEIR DISSERTATION.
Writing the dissertation requires a major commitment of time and effort on both the part of the doctoral student and the faculty advisor. There should be consultation between the student and the dissertation chair about what is expected to be accomplished, and how much time is to be invested before the student registers. The College of Education strongly recommends that students who are registering for dissertation research (895) or preparation (899) register for at least 3 semester hours per semester, when appropriate.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
More information about our programs and student life in general may be found in our Student Handbook.
GRADUATE ASSISTANTSHIP INFORMATION
Research, teaching, and practice-based experiences within the Higher Education Opportunity, Equity, and Justice concentration take several forms: (1) assistantships, (2) research projects, (3) independent studies, (4) supervised teaching, and other independent projects. Graduate assistantships are paid opportunities for part-time employment (15-20 hours per week) and are generally contracted for a minimum of an academic year. Many of these opportunities are made possible through our strong partnership with the Division of Academic and Student Affairs at NC State.
Students in the Ph.D. in Educational Leadership, Policy, and Human Development: Higher Education Opportunity, Equity, and Justice concentration are not required to hold a graduate assistantship; however, most of our full-time students are interested and able to secure assistantships to help fund their graduate education while gaining valuable experience. There is not a separate application for obtaining a graduate assistantship; the program assists in the matching process for graduate students. Each year in February, we host an annual Preview the Pack event where students are able to interview for various assistantships that will be available during the following academic year.
Assistantship/Employment contracts, tuition remission, and stipend amounts vary based upon the position and institution. In addition to assistantships at NC State, our program has longstanding partnerships with both Duke University and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and in the past, we have had assistantships at North Carolina Central University and Meredith College. Below is a sampling of assistantships at NC State held by our students:
- Division of Academic and Student Affairs, Office of the Vice Chancellor
- Office of Institutional Research
- University Housing
- Goodnight Scholars Program
- Graduate School
- Office of Institutional Equity and Diversity
- Department of Educational Leadership, Policy, and Human Development
FACULTY
Faculty in the Ph.D. in Educational Leadership, Policy, and Human Development: Higher Education Opportunity, Equity, and Justice concentration:
- Jenn Ayscue
Assistant Professor of Education Evaluation and Policy Analysis
jayscue@ncsu.edu - Krispin Barr
Assistant Teaching Professor of Higher Education
kwbarr@ncsu.edu - Joy Gaston Gayles
Professor & Head of the Department of Educational Leadership, Policy, and Human Development
joy_gayles@ncsu.edu - Keon McGuire
Associate Professor of Higher Education Opportunity, Equity, and Justice
kmmcgui3@ncsu.edu - Alyssa Rockenbach
Alumni Distinguished Graduate Professor & Program Coordinator
alyssa_rockenbach@ncsu.edu - Doneka Scott
Professor of Practice
Vice Chancellor and Dean for the Division of Academic and Student Affairs
doneka@ncsu.edu
Affiliate Faculty
- Christy Byrd
Associate Professor of Educational Psychology
christy_byrd@ncsu.edu
Emeriti Faculty
- Mary Ann Danowitz
Professor and Dean Emerita
mdanowi@ncsu.edu
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