Education Policy, Organization & Leadership, PhD

for the Doctor of Philosophy in Education Policy, Organization & Leadership (on campus)

Graduate Degree Programs

Degree programs in the Department of Education Policy, Organization and Leadership are designed to meet the academic and professional interests of individuals preparing for careers as academic professionals, adult educators, college professors, corporate trainers, educational policy analysts, governmental administrators, instructional designers/technologists, non-profit representatives, organizational development specialists, and university administration leaders.

Admission

The Department of Education Policy, Organization and Leadership carefully considers all applicants for graduate study. Interested applicants should start at the College of Education Graduate Programs website. In addition to the application, the applicant is required to submit the following information: a statement of purpose, updated resume, official transcripts from all colleges attended, and three letters of recommendation. A scholarly writing sample in English (e.g., a master's thesis, article, or academic paper) is required for application to a doctoral program. 

International applicants must demonstrate English Language Proficiency for admission. Please see the English Proficiency Requirement for Admission for additional information on this requirement.

Facilities and Resources

To learn more about our faculty’s research areas, current grants, and recent publications, please visit our department homepage and/or visit the Faculty Finder. Our faculty pursue a wide range of research interests, offering graduate students many opportunities to collaborate and participate in meaningful research projects. ​

Financial Aid

Financial aid in the form of assistantships, scholarships, fellowships, and tuition waivers can be found throughout the college and campus. Please note: Graduate students employed as staff by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign are not eligible for a College of Education Fellowship. Campus opportunities can be found at the Graduate College and the Office of Student Financial Aid.

for the Doctor of Philosophy in Education Policy, Organization & Leadership (on campus)

The Department of Education Policy, Organization & Leadership offers many programs leading to the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.). A list of programs and additional requirements can be found on the program's website, the College of Education Graduate Programs Handbook, and the Graduate College Handbook.

Students may select a concentration in:

Completion of at least 64 hours beyond the master’s degree including:
Major Subject Coursework (minimum)32
Dissertation Research (min/max applied toward degree)4-20
Independent Study (min/max applied toward degree)0-12
Research Coursework16-20
All students will take a minimum of 16-20 credit hours, depending on area of methodology focus, in approved research methods courses.
(Optional) Concentration Courses. May overlap with other coursework requirements12-24
Total Hours64

Other requirements

A concentration is not required
Minimum GPA: 3.0
Master's degree required for admission to Ph. D.
Residency requirement: 2 consecutive full-time (12 hours) semesters of study on campus
Early research requirement
Qualifying exams
Human subjects approval
Preliminary exam
Final exam/dissertation defense
Dissertation deposit

for the Doctor of Philosophy in Education Policy, Organization & Leadership (on campus)

Upon the conclusion of the Ph.D. program in EPOL, students will be able to:

  1. Demonstrate advanced levels of knowledge and skills in developing, implementing, and evaluating evidence-based scholarly research.
  2. Demonstrate scholarly leadership on how to improve equity, diversity, and social justice across a wide range of educational, organizational, and policy contexts.
  3. Disseminate information about the result of scholarly research and reflective practices to inform scholarly and practitioner communities.

for the Doctor of Philosophy in Education Policy, Organization & Leadership (on campus)

Department of Education Policy, Organization & Leadership

Head of the Department: Lorenzo Baber
Director of Graduate Studies: Linda Herrera
Graduate Admissions Information: Linda Stimson (on campus) and Jena Pfoff (online/off-campus)
Education Policy, Organization & Leadership faculty
142 Education Building, 1310 South Sixth Street, Champaign, IL 61820
(217) 244-3542
gradservices@education.illinois.edu

College of Education

College of Education programs

Admissions

College of Education Admissions & Requirements
Graduate College Admissions & Requirements