I am so pleased to know of your interest in the Center for the Study of Higher Education’s Ph.D. program at the University of Arizona.
The Center's work is distinguished by:
- A commitment not just to improving practice, but also to educational changes that enhance the realization of social justice in higher education and challenge normative ways of thinking with critical quantitative and qualitative methodologies, critical policy and organizational studies, and a focus on geography, identity, and social relations, including race and gender identity.
- A consideration of how developments in the political economy shape and are expressed in the restructuring of higher education settings, policies, professions, and practices, including the dynamics of HSI servingness and their implications for students, faculty, and institutions.
- An exploration of the international/global dimensions, issues, and agencies related to higher education, with particular attention devoted to the Americas and to Indigenous populations.
- An expansive view of college access and success that pays particular attention to community college students, issues of equity in the transition to college, and transfer student pathways.
- These distinctive characteristics go beyond individual faculty; they reflect a collective synergy and orientation of our faculty to scholarship and practice.
Diverse, supportive, challenging intellectual community
We are proud to enroll Ph.D. and M.A. students from all corners of the world. While many of our students call Arizona home, many others come from all over the country and globe to study with us—bringing with them their knowledge, experiences, and curiosities and strengthening our community.
We are a proudly diverse community. As faculty, all of us in our own way, hone critical, equity- and social justice-focused scholarship. Meanwhile, over half of our students are women, and approximately half are students of color (with over 30% Latinx, almost 10% African-American, and 8% Native American). A large proportion are first-generation college students. Several are international or have immigrant backgrounds. This diversity enriches our community and infuses every aspect of the work we do.
With a small core of required classes, we give students the flexibility to specialize in an area of expertise based on their own unique interests and professional goals to move into a range of higher education policy, research, service, and leadership positions. Ours is a diverse, supportive, and challenging intellectual community, and our students are invaluable in making that type of community possible. A high proportion of our students are accomplished professionals and we value the practical experience and organizational experience they bring, along with their commitment to service, equity, and transformation.
Faculty foster a culture of research
We are supportive of each other's work and that of our students. Most of our students work, yet are fully engaged intellectually in a program that emphasizes a culture of research and reflective practice. Our aim is to bring theories and findings from the academic literature to bear on professional practice in ways that enhance students' abilities to understand, analyze, and act within postsecondary organizations and systems. We seek students who are deeply committed to the advancement and improvement of higher education as students, practitioners, scholars, and activists.
Most of our students advance into positions in various support professions and administration, but some also pursue faculty positions. Although most obtain positions on college and university campuses, we have also placed students in systemwide administration, policy agencies such as WICHE, and in private enterprise.
Higher Education, MA
In the MA Higher Education program, students acquire a foundational understanding of higher education upon which you can build professional practice and, if you later choose, your doctoral work. Students in the program learn to analyze, inform, and enhance practice with current scholarship and thinking about higher education. The program is enhanced by a close relationship with UA Campus Life and Student Initiatives and Academic Affairs.
Higher Education, Ph.D.
The Higher Education Ph.D. is designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of concepts, theoretical frameworks, issues, and practices in a particular area within higher education. The program integrates core courses in higher education, an area of concentration, and individually tailored courses of study that encourage students to undertake coursework with faculty in a variety of departments. Areas of concentration include comparative higher education, organization and administration, college access, and student affairs.
Emancipatory Education, Minor
The Emancipatory Education graduate minor is focused on encouraging P-20 educational leaders across all sectors (e.g., teachers, faculty, administrators, and policymakers) to develop liberatory approaches to education. The overarching goal of the minor is to encourage students to be active participants in seeking transformative educational praxis, which involves moving beyond identifying problems and challenges and toward creative approaches to improving educational systems and practices.
FACULTY SPOTLIGHT
Dr. Karina Salazar, Assistant Professor in The Center for The Study of Higher Education
How do public universities decide where—and to whom—they market college admissions? Dr. Salazar’s groundbreaking research reveals systemic disparities in recruiting practices that may limit college access for Black, Latinx, and Indigenous students. From “recruitment redlining” to biased data filters, her work is reshaping how we think about equity in higher education.
