Higher Education 

EdD-Higher Education  (EdD-HIED)

The Doctor of Education in Higher Education is designed to prepare people for careers as faculty and administrators in community colleges and universities.  The Higher Education program in the Department of Educational Leadership is the only one in Texas, and one of only 10 in the entire country that offers a graduate degree in college teaching.  The degree requirements include 60 credit hours beyond the master's degree. Components of the degree include an education foundation core and course work in both college administration and college teaching.  Recipients of this degree have made Texas A&M University-Commerce a leader in the state in producing college faculty, deans, and college presidents. 

The EdD in Higher Education is not available for admission by international students due to the course delivery structure.

Doctoral Admission Packet

Departmental Website

Required Documents for Admission

Admission Consideration Requirements for All Students

  • Apply Texas Application
  • Application fee:  $50 domestic student 
  • All official transcripts - Bachelor's degree, including all transcripts used towards bachelor's degree.  Any master's degree transcript or transcripts with graduate coursework (if applicable).
  • Two Letters of Recommendation from faculty or administrators holding a doctoral degree

  • Statement of Goals

  • A writing sample.  The writing sample should be a solo-authored (not collaborative) paper on any topic of your interest in the field or profession of Higher Education using APA Style Manual (current edition).    The minimum length of the sample is 4 double-spaced pages and should not exceed 30 pages.  The writing sample can be a scholarly essay addressing a problem of practice that you want to investigate and can include related work and academic experiences.  The sample must contain a reference/bibliography list at the end with the corresponding in-text citations.  The Admissions Committee will use it, along with the rest of your application file, to evaluate your writing ability and potential success in the doctoral program. 
  • Official General Test GRE Scores

Application Packet Submission Deadline:

  • Apply Texas application submission deadline is 60 days prior to the first class day of the desired admission semester.
  • All required admission documents must be submitted at least 45 days prior to the first class day of the desired admission semester.