Prospective graduate students apply for admission through the University of Utah Apply Yourself (AY) online application system.

Application Fee

For domestic applicants the application fee is $55, for international applicants, the fee is $65. You can pay your fee online through the AY system.

Transcripts

All applicants should upload an unofficial copy of their academic transcripts in the online application. Current students or graduates of the University of Utah will not be required to submit their U of U transcripts. If you are admitted to our program, you will be required to provide an official copy of your transcripts, sent directly from your previous school to the address below:

The University of Utah
201 S 1460 E
Room 250 S SSB
Salt Lake City, UT 84112

 Under the Program Information section on the AY application, first choose your program of interest, Educational Leadership & Policy PhD. Then choose your area of emphasis – either Higher Education or K12.

A Master's Degree is required with a minimum 3.0 GPA (or enrollment in joint MPA/PhD program).

Please upload the following under the appropriate sections on the Apply Yourself application:

-RESUME that includes professional and leadership experience.

-STATEMENT OF INTENT AND RESEARCH INTEREST (1000 words or less)

Describe the following:

• Your educational journey to this point and your career aspirations upon completing a PhD
• How you see the ELP PhD program fitting into your academic and professional trajectory
• Concise statement of your research interests
• Which ELP faculty member(s) best match your research interests and why

ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY

Select and answer one of the following essay topics:

Topic A: Education has long been viewed as the "great equalizer" through which individuals and groups that have traditionally been marginalized in the broader society can attain greater economic and social equity. However, evidence suggests that education has fallen short of this goal, particularly in relation to historically marginalized students in educational settings (e.g., students of color, students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, immigrant students, LGBT students, and students living with disabilities).

In the face of enduring challenges to provide all students with high-quality learning opportunities in higher education, what role, in your opinion, does educational leadership and/or policy play in creating more socially just educational environments?

Topic B: It is often believed that education is beneficial to both individuals and society. Describe some of the major individual and societal benefits of education. Is it possible that educational attainment is differentially beneficial for particular groups in the population (e.g., racial, social, sexual identity, gender, ability, etc...)? Discuss the idea of education as a public versus private good. What role do educational leaders and policymakers play in ensuring that the benefits of education are equitable for all? Please limit your response to 1000 words or less.

Letters of Recommendation -- Three recommendations are required as part of the application process. These should be written by those who can speak to your leadership and academic ability and potential. We HIGHLY recommend that at least one letter be written by a faculty from whom you have previously taken a class. This can be done through the AY application website.

All application materials are provided on or prior to the application deadline of December 1. Applications that are incomplete at the deadline will not be considered.

If you have questions or concerns at any time please contact our Academic Coordinator, Marilynn Howard, at 801-581-6714 or marilynn.howard@utah.edu.

Degrees are awarded when students have completed the Graduate School Thesis Editor's requirements for release to the Registrar.

Dr. Maria Ledesma

Towards a Tenure-Attaining Culture:  Faculty Socialization for Minoritized Faculty of Color who Identify as First-Generation

Generational status within the professoriate remains largely under-addressed and under-theorized in higher education. This work suggests that many of the socialization practices created for and directed towards first-generation students continue to have relevancy for faculty who identify as first-generation. First-generation faculty encounter similar structural and systemic challenges in pursuit of post-secondary success. Focus group data affirms the need to cultivate more fair and equitable socialization processes for historically under-represented academicians who identify as first-generation. Building upon the concept of a college-going culture, and drawing on focus-group data, I offer a tenure attaining culture as a socialization model aimed at supporting and retention and success of historically under-represented first-generation faculty and graduate students of color aspiring towards the professoriate.