PhD Degree in Educational Leadership

The PhD is designed to prepare students for university-level positions. The program prepares graduates in areas such as scholarly academic writing, college teaching, conducting educational research, and diversity in higher education. Students take general coursework across the college and specific cognate courses in educational leadership. Additional courses are customized depending on the students' particular career goals.

Program Details

The PhD program is 81 credit hours. Of those, 30 credits may be applied from a relevant master's degree program. The remaining 51 credit hours include 9 credits of core PhD courses, 18 credits of core educational leadership courses,12 credits of educational research courses,  and 12 credits of dissertation research. Following the completion of all coursework, students take the preliminary examination. After passing the preliminary examination, they become candidates for the doctoral degree; they begin writing their dissertation and complete their dissertation while taking the final 12 credits. Students who complete a specific menu of educational leadership courses will also be eligible for a superintendent's endorsement through PTSB and a UW School District Certificate. The program also has a residency requirement of one semester on campus involving teaching and research activities.

    >>Click here to review the course requirements

    >>Click here to view the course schedule

    >>Click here to view the residency description

Tuition and Fees

The University of Wyoming was ranked 10th in the nation for best value!

Note:  Most courses for the PhD are offered through Outreach.
Additional outreach course fees: $20/credit for video or audio classes; $40/credit for online classes.

Please BE ADVISED that tuition for Outreach courses will be increasing. See link for details.

    >>Click here to learn about funding opportunities

Relevant Scholarships:

• William G. Berube Scholarship

• Elnora Brooks Memorial Scholarship

• John K. Corbett Memorial Scholarship

• Russell I. Hammond Scholarship

• Leona S. and Jeanette Heptner Scholarship

• Maurice Wear Scholarship

• Ivan Willey Scholarship

How to Apply

There are two application deadlines for this program: January 15 and September 15.

Step 1: Apply to UW and Professional Studies through the online applicant portal

1. Click here to access the UW graduate applicant portal
2. After completing the initial information page, you will receive an email from the system including a link and your temporary username and password
3. Please complete the contact, academic, residency information, etc.
4. Submit the $50 application fee
5. Submit ALL required documents to the online document portal (applications with missing documents will not be considered)
   1. Required documents for this program application:
      1. Three recent letters of recommendation
      2. Application letter
      3. College of Education application
      4. Current CV or resume
      5. Unofficial copies of transcripts (official copies should be sent to UW Admissions)
      6. Unofficial copies of GRE scores (official copies should be requested from GRE reporting and sent to UW Admissions)
6. Use the applicant portal to request three letters of recommendation (use the attached form)
7. Agree to admissions terms and submit your application

Step 2: Submit official copies of transcripts and test scores to UW Admissions

1. Official transcripts from all postsecondary institutions should be requested and sent to UW Admissions
2. Official copies of GRE scores should be sent directly from GRE Reporting to UW Admissions 
   1. Address: University of Wyoming Admissions – 1000 E. University Ave. – Laramie, WY 82071