Student Affairs Administration and Leadership - Doctor of Education

Mission

To prepare student affairs professionals for advanced leadership positions in institutions of higher education

Goals

1. Knowledge: To develop competent and expert SA professionals;
2. Management and Leadership: To develop innovative SA managers and leaders;
3. Assessment, Evaluation and Research: To develop scholar practitioners who advance research-informed decision making;
4. Equity, Diversity and Inclusion: To develop ambassadors of diversity, social justice, and globalization;
5. Interpersonal Relationships: To develop ethical and people-focused leaders.

Learning outcomes

1. Through knowledge acquired in this program, graduates will be able to:
   1. Demonstrate mastery of student affairs and higher education content;
   2. Synthesize information from a range of sources to analyze issues and apply solutions to professional practice.
2. Through management and leadership skills acquired in this program, graduates will be able to:
   1. Develop a vision for a division, considering complexities of institutional culture and resources;
   2. Effectively justify decisions, judgments and recommendations, weighing competing evidence and making connections to the values and beliefs of the institution.
3. Through assessment, evaluation and research skills acquired in this program, graduates will be able to:
   1. Use assessment, evaluation and research methods to inform practice;
   2. Defend data informed decision making in professional practice.
4. Through an understanding of equity, diversity and inclusion skills acquired in this program, graduates will be able to:
   1. Apply a critical lens to analyze and critique student affairs and higher education practices;
   2. Challenge the manifestations of privilege and oppression at institutions of higher education, considering implications for practice.
5. Through the development of exceptional interpersonal relationship skills acquired in this program, graduates will be able to:
   1. Demonstrate respectful collaboration while seeking alternate points of view;
   2. Defend practices that promote the worth, dignity, potential, and uniqueness of each person.

Admission

Admission to the Doctor in Education in Student Affairs Administration and Leadership Program is competitive and requires:

1. A master's degree in student affairs, higher education, or related field;
2. A minimum of three years professional experience in a post-secondary educational institution;
3. Current employment in a student affairs related professional position in a post-secondary educational institution or related setting with the expectation of continuing that employment while in the SAA Ed.D. Program;
4. An application essay in response to a prompt provided by the SAA Department;
5. A professional resume or vitae;
6. The names and contact information of three professional references;
7. Official transcripts of all post-secondary work.

Candidates may be asked to submit additional application materials and/or participate in an interview process. A thorough description of the application process and selection timeline can be found online.

Curriculum

54 credits

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Core		39
SAA 800	21st Century Learners
SAA 805	Organization and Governance
SAA 808	Enrollment Management
SAA 810	Philosophical and Theoretical Foundations of Leadership in Education
SAA 820	Critical Analysis of Systemic Inequities
SAA 825	Higher Education Finance and Budgeting
SAA 830	Qualitative Research Methods
SAA 835	Assessment and Program Evaluation
SAA 840	Supervision and Human Resource Management
SAA 845	Quantitative Research Methods
SAA 865	Strategic Planning and Managing Change
SAA 870	Policy and Regulatory Compliance
SAA 875	Organizational Communication
Dissertation		11
SAA 930	Dissertation Planning Workshop
SAA 950	Dissertation Seminar
SAA 990	Dissertation I
SAA 995	Dissertation II
Electives		4
SAA 720	Special Topics in Student Affairs Administration
SAA 890	College Teaching
SAA 898	Special Topics in Student Affairs Administration and Leadership
SAA 899	Independent Study
SAA 931	Doctoral Writers' Retreat
Total Credits		54

Dissertation

Students must successfully complete and defend a dissertation to earn the doctorate. Steps include:

1. Match with a dissertation chair. The matching process is organized by the Ed.D. Graduate Program Director and typically occurs when the student first enrolls in SAA 930 Dissertation Planning Workshop (2 cr.). 
2. Begin discussing committee members with dissertation chair, typically while enrolled in SAA 950 Dissertation Seminar (3 cr.). Committee members must be approved by dissertation chair prior to any invites being made. 
3. Pass a dissertation proposal oral defense with the dissertation committee, typically in the months following successful completion of SAA 950. Successful defense of the proposal is a prerequisite for enrollment in SAA 990 Dissertation I (3 cr.).
4. Seek Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval to conduct original research, in consultation with dissertation chair.
5. Once all approvals have been received, conduct original research. Work with dissertation chair while gathering and analyzing data and drafting full dissertation. Successful progress conducting the study is a prerequisite for enrollment in SAA 995 Dissertation II (3 cr.).
6. Submit a full written dissertation to the selected dissertation committee after it has been approved by dissertation chair, and at least two weeks prior to a final defense.
7. Successfully defend dissertation in a public virtual forum, presenting findings and engaging in discussions with committee members. To graduate in the same semester as their dissertation defense, students must successfully defend their dissertations by:
   1. November 1 in the Fall for a December graduation,
   2. April 1 in the Spring for a May graduation, or
   3. July 1 in the Summer for an August graduation. 
8. Work with dissertation chair on post-final defense revisions.
9. Submit final dissertation to university dissertation editor within 30 days after the final defense. Work with university dissertation editor on final edits to ensure dissertation meets UWL Thesis and Dissertation Guidelines and APA requirements.

Continuous enrollment

Students must maintain continuous term-to-term enrollment (excluding winter intercession and summer terms) if all degree requirements have been completed except for the dissertation.

• Students who have not yet enrolled in SAA 990/SAA 995 dissertation credits meet this requirement by registering for SAA 895 for one credit, and working with their dissertation chair to prepare for a successful dissertation proposal defense.
• Students who have already enrolled in SAA 990/SAA 995 dissertation credits meet this requirement by registering for GRC 799 for zero credits and paying a special course fee equal to the cost of one resident graduate credit. After two enrollments in GRC 799, students still actively engaged in research or writing and who need to maintain access to university resources must register for GRC 795 and pay a special course fee equal to 50% of the cost of one resident graduate credit. Further details of the Graduate Research, Comprehensive Exams, and Terminal Project Completion Policy can be viewed in the graduate catalog.

University graduate degree requirements

After being admitted to the program of one's choice, candidates for a graduate degree must:

1. Complete any preliminary course work and deficiencies.
2. Complete all courses and other program requirements, including residence requirements prescribed for the degree desired in the respective school or college within a seven-year period from the date of initial enrollment, with the exception of students enrolled in the Student Affairs Administration and Leadership Ed.D. (SAA Ed.D.) graduate program. SAA Ed.D. students must complete all degree requirements within ten years from the time of initial enrollment in the graduate program.
3. Earn a minimum of 30 credits for a master's degree; 54 credits for a doctorate or post-master's degree. Earn at least one-half of the minimum number of credits required in the program in graduate-only level courses (700, 800, 900, and non-slash 600 level courses). Some UWL graduate programs require more than 30 graduate credits. Please review the individual program requirements listed in the catalog for the exact number of credits required.
4. Earn a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.00.
5. Satisfy dissertation, thesis, seminar paper, terminal/graduate projects and internships, or comprehensive examination, where applicable. A dissertation or thesis approved by the committee must be submitted to Graduate & Extended Learning for editorial review and approval by the Dean of Graduate & Extended Learning. The recommended initial submission date for review is two weeks before commencement. Ordinarily, a seminar paper or project report does not have to be approved by the Dean of Graduate & Extended Learning. However, if the seminar paper or project report is to be archived in Murphy Library, the student must follow the same rules as they apply to the dissertation/thesis requiring approval from the Dean of Graduate & Extended Learning. For further research/dissertation/thesis guidelines, see Graduate & Extended Learning.
6. File a completed "Intent to Graduate" form online via the WINGS Student Center immediately following registration for the final semester or summer term in residence. December graduates and winter intersession should file by May 1. May and summer graduates should file by December 1.
7. Pay the graduation fee and remove all other indebtedness to the university. Payment of graduation fees does not imply readiness for graduation and does not take the place of applying for graduation.
8. Complete all requirements within 30 days after the official ending date of a term in order for a degree to be awarded for that term. (See #5 above for separate deadline for written capstone experience.)

This degree plan is based on full-time enrollment and successful completion of a dissertation. Courses are offered on a set schedule. Students who enroll part-time, stop out, or need additional time to complete their dissertation will experience extended timelines for degree completion.

Year 1
Summer	Credits	Fall	Credits	Spring	Credits
SAA 800	3	SAA 808	3	SAA 820	3
SAA 805	3	SAA 810	3	SAA 830	3
	6		6		6
Year 2
Summer	Credits	Fall	Credits	Spring	Credits
SAA 845	3	SAA 840	3	SAA 825	3
SAA 930	2	SAA 950	3	SAA 835	3
SAA 9311	1
	6		6		6
Year 3
Summer	Credits	Fall	Credits	Spring	Credits
SAA 875	3	SAA 865	3	SAA 870	3
SAA 890	3	SAA 990	3	SAA 995	3
	6		6		6
Total Credits: 54

¹

Students may substitute an elective, such as SAA 720 which is typically offered in the fall.