Doctor of Philosophy in Higher Education

University at Buffalo - SUNY

You must have a bachelor's and master's degree.

• Contact information for three individuals (2 academic, 1 professional) who will each be asked to provide an electronic recommendation letter. If you have been out of school for a significant period of time, you should find recommenders who can best speak to your abilities to succeed in a PhD program.
• Unofficial transcripts from all colleges attended. (UB transcripts are automatically submitted for current UB students and alumni.)
• Sample of academic writing: A sample of your academic writing at least 10 pages long.
• Statement of research interests and professional goals: This statement should address your academic and research background, your reasons for applying to this program, and your professional goals. Please be specific in explaining how the curriculum and faculty expertise of this program fit your educational and career objectives. Be sure to include the specific faculty you would like to work with and why. We consider three to four double-spaced pages as an appropriate length.
  
  Finding the right doctoral program requires that doctoral candidates specify and describe their research interests so they can evaluate whether there is a good fit between what they want to study and faculty research expertise. Start by reviewing our faculty directory and faculty web pages and once you are familiar with faculty research areas, read some of the faculty publications that you find most interesting. That will help you determine if there is a good fit between your scholarly interests and what our faculty members are currently researching. Everyone knows that grade point average, letters of reference and relevant higher education experience are important in the decision-making process; however, alignment with faculty research interests and the academic program can often be a determining factor in admission decisions.
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