PhD in Educational Leadership at University of South Florida

University of South Florida

United States of America, Tampa

University Rank:#654

Study Educational Leadership at University of South Florida, a PhD degree offered at its main campus in Tampa, United States of America. This Full Time program is delivered on campus in English and takes approximately 4 years to complete. Students benefit from a structured learning experience designed to build both theoretical knowledge and practical experience. The next intake is scheduled for August 21, 2027.

About PhD in Educational Leadership

The Ph.D. in Educational Leadership degree program is designed for those individuals who intend to build an academic career focused on conducting research and analysis in the multidisciplinary field of educational leadership and policy studies, or who wish to build an administrative career focused on innovative and inquiry-based leadership. Accordingly, this program will prepare individuals for careers in K-12 education systems, research universities and teaching colleges, as well as private, non-profit, state, federal, or international educational agencies.

Individual students will work alongside distinguished faculty with expertise in multiple fields including: ethical leadership, curriculum and pedagogy, politics of education, education law, organizational theory, equitable education reform, school accountability and choice policies, and anti-oppressive education. The program is designed to provide students exposure to research and academic discourses in organizational leadership, curriculum leadership, and policy leadership in education. In addition, students will gain knowledge around research methodologies and a specialized cognate area of study.

Students in this degree program will design an individualized program of study that reflects their specific research interests. This will prepare students to conduct and apply high quality research to practice, write and present scholarly papers at professional conferences, and submit research articles for publication in education journals.

Initial advising, from inquiry about the program through the first year of coursework, is provided by the Doctoral Program Coordinator. By the completion of the second year of study, students will select a major professor who will assist them with planning their remaing course of study. By the end of the third year, students will assemble an advisory committee consisting of the major professor and at least three other members. This committee guides the student through the dissertation process, including the qualifying examination, dissertation proposal, and dissertation defense.

NOTE: The Ph.D. degree program is not an initial certification or licensure program. Students seeking Florida Level 1 Educational Leadership Certification need to refer to the M.Ed. degree program or consult with the Ph.D. Program Coordinator to complete a modified program with additional coursework from the Education Leadership Praxis and Field Experiences Requirements (15 credits) in the M.Ed. Program in Educational Leadership, in addition to the Ph.D. requirements.

For further information, please see http://www.usf.edu/education/areas-of-study/educational-leadership-policy/

Accreditation:
Accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). More info: https://www.usf.edu/education/about-us/accreditation.aspx

Disciplines

College of Education

Requirements and Admission Criteria for PhD in Educational Leadership at University of South Florida

Entry Requirements

Each applicant to a graduate degree program at the University of South Florida is required to meet the following minimum requirements. Applicants should check with their program of interest to see if there are any additional application requirements (e.g. test scores, letters of recommendation, statement of purpose and resume).

The equivalent bachelor’s and/or graduate degrees from a foreign institution. Bachelor’s degrees from institutions in the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) are considered equivalent based on the Bologna Accord. For applicants with a 3-year bachelor’s degree with less than 120 hours, from non-Bologna Accord institutions, a transcript evaluation from a NACES member is required to confirm equivalency.

Minimum grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.00 (on a 4.00 scale) in one of the following ways:
- All completed undergraduate coursework
- All completed graduate coursework

English Requirements

PTEMin 53
IELTSMin 6.5
TOEFLMin 79

Tuition and Fee Information for PhD in Educational Leadership at University of South Florida

Application Fee 30

How to Apply for PhD in Educational Leadership at University of South Florida

1. Submit Your Application

Complete the USF online application or the Common App application.

2. Pay Your Application Fee

Pay the nonrefundable, $30 application fee.

3. Submit Official Transcripts

Send original or certified copies of academic transcripts, mark sheets, grade reports, diplomas or certificates, national standardized examination results, or other academic course work to USF.

Include a certified English translation for all documents not written in English. If you need assistance translating your documents into English, we recommend using the American Translators Association to find a certified translator.

We can accept digital copies of these secondary and post-secondary school records emailed directly from an appropriate official at your school to [email protected]. Alternatively, mail your transcripts via post to:

University of South Florida
Office of Admissions
4202 E. Fowler Avenue, SVC 1036
Tampa, FL 33620
United States

If you have completed all 4 years of high school in the U.S., you will need to submit your coursework and grades via the Student Self-Reported Academic Record (SSAR) website. If you have attended any overseas high school, you will need to submit your official transcripts.

4. Submit Official SAT or ACT Scores

If you are submitting ACT scores, you are required to submit scores for the Writing section, per Florida Board of Governors requirements.

SAT Code for USF: 5828
ACT Code for USF: 0761

Students are only required to submit either SAT or ACT scores, but they are encouraged to submit both. USF superscores, meaning we consider your highest submitted section scores across all SAT and ACT test dates. Final admission decisions are made using only your highest cumulative scores. USF will not accept scores from the Common App portal, your guidance counselor or PDF screenshot. Scores must come directly from SAT or ACT testing services.

5. Send Official TOEFL or Duolingo Scores

This step is only required for students from non-English speaking countries. Scores are valid for two years from the original date of examination.

Request official TOEFL scores directly from ETS. Our school code is 5828.
Request official Duolingo scores directly from the testing agency.

If these English-proficiency tests are required, applicants must attain the following minimum scores:

TOEFL – 79
Duolingo – 110
SAT – 24 (Reading), 25 (Writing and Language)
ACT – 17 (English), 19 (Reading)

The English-proficiency test requirement may be waived if the applicant has successfully met another proof of English proficiency requirement as outlined in the USF academic catalog.

PhD in Educational Leadership at University of South Florida

University of South Florida

United States of America, Tampa