Administration & Supervision: Ph.D. - Doctor of Philosophy in Education

Admission Requirements

This program requires the submission of Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores as part of the application process. GRE scores must be less than 5 years old. Visit our Graduate Admission page for the full graduate admission process.

Additional admission requirements that apply specifically to this program are listed below:

• Evidence of strong writing ability - submission of a writing sample describing an example of applicant's leadership experience in 2000 words;
• Current résumé;
• Statement of professional goals and research interests which match those of the faculty (typically 1 to 2 pages); and
• Interview in person or by phone.

Coursework

To learn more about specific courses taken as part of the completion of this degree, visit the Graduate Record website. These webpages represent the official repository for academic program requirements. A link to these publications can be found in the Curriculum Information section at the bottom of this page.

• Completion of 72 credits, including at least 60 credits for courses other than the capstone dissertation project. A maximum of 18 credits from the master’s program may be applied to the program with the approval of the doctoral committee. A minimum of 36 credits (not including dissertation credit) must be earned from the University of Virginia;
• Successful completion of twelve credits of the research sequence;
• Successful completion of written comprehensive examinations as determined by the doctoral committee. The comprehensives must be completed before taking the capstone seminar and drafting the capstone proposal;
• Completion of all capstone dissertation requirements, including defending a capstone proposal as determined by the student’s doctoral committee; gaining approval from the University’s Institutional Review Board (IRB) for the protection of human subjects; carrying out a research study (capstone dissertation) appropriate to the field of specialization; and passing an oral final examination on the capstone dissertation. All other requirements must be completed before this defense;
• All additional requirements as specified by the student’s doctoral committee and/or advisor;
• Department or area of specialization requirements; and
• Six core leadership courses will be organized in a sequence that covers leadership theory, problem framing, designing learning environments, and implementing transformative leadership practices. In addition a six-course sequence in disciplined inquiry will focus on the development of students as a practitioner-scholars who are skilled in research and problem solving. Electives will allow leaders to customize their program with an area of specialization, such as educational entrepreneurship or innovation in curriculum and instruction.