Applications to the doctoral program in Adult Learning and Leadership are accepted throughout the year. However, admission is competitive and failure to meet the deadlines below may delay full admission into the program. Admission decisions are made twice a year in March and October.

All students are required to meet the general university admission requirements.

• Graduate
• International
• Nondegree

Additional Requirements

• Master’s degree

Program-Specific Application Deadlines

• U.S. Applicants
  • Fall semester (begins in late August): March 1
  • Spring semester (begins in late January): Oct. 1

• International Applicants
  • Fall semester (begins in late August): Jan. 1
  • Spring semester (begins in late January): Aug. 1

Additional Documentation

Your application must include the following:

• Professional history and goal statement that is typewritten, double-spaced and no more than 10 pages. It will be used to provide background information about you, determine the appropriateness of your experience and interests in relationship to the academic focus of the program, and assist in making major professor assignments. Describe your contributions to and experience in the practice of adult learning and leadership or another field of educational practice, as well as any contributions you have made to the scholarship of adult learning and leadership or another field of educational practice. In addition, discuss how you foresee this program will contribute to the attainment of your future professional goals and anticipated contributions to the field. If research topic is known, include this information along with any preference for major professor.
• Resume/curriculum vitae
• Writing sample. Select one of the articles below and prepare a typewritten, double-spaced, five-page essay which (1) summarizes the key points of the article, (2) analyzes the strengths and weaknesses of the research, (3) discusses if the author's conclusions are supported by the research, and (4) identifies the implications of the work for the field of adult education. In addition to reviewing the content of each applicant's response, the criteria used to evaluate the essay will cover (1) the thesis focus (originality and clarity); (2) the organization of the essay and thought process; (3) supporting reasons (ideas and details); (4) appropriate APA style (https://www.apa.org); (5) documentation of other sources included, (6) audience awareness; (7) sentence (sentence diction/syntax/tone/voice) and writing (grammar/spelling/usage/ punctuation) conventions; and (8) overall presentation.
  • Erickson, D.M. (2007). A developmental re-forming of the phases of meaning in transformational learning. Adult Education Quarterly, 58(1), 61-80.
  • Kasworm, C. (2010). Adult learners in a research university: Negotiating undergraduate student identity. Adult Education Quarterly, 60(2), 143 -160.
  • Niewolny, K.L., & Wilson, A.L. (2009). What happened to the promise? A critical (re)orientation of two sociocultural learning traditions. Adult Education Quarterly, 60(1), 26- 45.
  • Ponton, M.K., Derrick, M.G., & Carr, P.B. (2005). The relationship between resourcefulness and persistence in adult autonomous learning. Adult Education Quarterly, 55(2), 116-128.
  • Zacharakis, J., & Flora, J. (2005). Riverside: A case study of social capital and cultural reproduction and their relationship to leadership development. Adult Education Quarterly, 55(4), 288-307.
• Three professional references with name, institution or company, position and email address
• Unofficial transcripts from each institution attended
  • Failure to list any colleges or universities from which you received a degree or enrolled in graduate coursework may result in dismissal from the university.
  • If your transcripts are not in English, you must furnish a translation by an appropriate authority.
  • You will be asked for official transcripts after notification of admission.

Doctoral courses are 8 to 14 weeks in length and may be completed from a distance via online coursework. However, doctoral students must complete two courses in residence on campus. These two courses will be offered in the summer months in an online and 1-week on-campus intensive format.

The Ph.D. in Adult Learning and Leadership is a minimum 90-credit hour, post baccalaureate program designed to prepare scholars who are committed to a career with responsibilities and requirements associated with college/university faculty membership and/or interest in the development of knowledge, theory, and research. With the approval of the supervisory committee, up to 30 graduate hours earned as part of the Master’s degree may be used to satisfy the degree requirements. All courses are three credit hours unless otherwise noted.

Required Academic Core Courses (15 credit hours)
Students without a master’s degree in adult education must take these courses in addition to the 90 credit hours in the doctoral degree, as determined by the supervisory committee.

• EDACE 780 – Introduction to Adult Learning and Leadership
• EDACE 790 – Characteristics of the Adult Learner
• EDACE 818 – Critical and Social Issues in Adult Learning
• EDACE 830 – Program Planning in Adult Learning and Leadership
• EDCEP 816 – Research Methods in Education (or equivalent research methods course)

Required Doctoral Courses (12 credit hours minimum from the following list or equivalent)

• EDACE 880 – Significant Literature of Adult Learning
• EDACE 916 – Foundations of Adult Learning and Leadership
• EDACE 937 – Organization and Administration of Adult Learning and Leadership
• EDACE 986 – Advanced Seminars in Adult Learning and Leadership (1-18 credits or other courses approved by the supervisory committee)

Required Research Courses (15 credit hours minimum)

• EDCEP 817 – Statistical Methods in Education
• EDCEP 917 – Experimental Design in Educational Research
• EDACE 980 – Dissertation Process
• EDLEA 838 – Qualitative Research in Education
• EDLEA 938 – Advanced Data Analysis in Qualitative Methods
• EDLEA 948 – Data Representation and Writing in Qualitative Research (or quantitative/qualitative research courses taken from other disciplines at K-State and approved by the supervisory committee)

Elective Courses (Select electives appropriate to the area of emphasis that satisfy the minimum 90 credit hours for the program)
EDACE prefix, additional quantitative/qualitative research courses or other disciplines at K-State and approved by the suprevisory committee.

Experiential and Individualized Courses (0-6 credit hours)

• EDACE 733 – Practicum in Adult Learning and Leadership (1-6 credits)
• EDACE 775 – Readings in Adult Learning and Leadership (1-3 credits)
• EDACE 795 – Problems in Adult Learning and Leadership (1-18 credits)
• EDACE 991 – Internship in Adult Learning and Leadership (1-6 credits)

Doctoral Research (12 credit hours minimum)

• EDACE 999 – Doctoral Research (1-18 credits)

Preliminary Exam
The requirement for the preliminary examination is satisfactory completion of all segments of a monitored written examination of at least 12 hours over all areas of the program of study.

The Ed.D. in Adult Learning and Leadership is comprised of 90 post-baccalaureate, graduate credit hours. With approval of the supervisory committee, up to 30 graduate credit hours from the master’s degree may be used to satisfy degree requirements. Students must pass dissertation proposal defense prior to becoming a candidate for the doctoral degree. All courses are three credit hours unless otherwise noted.

Required Academic Core Courses (15 credit hours)
Students without a master's degree in adult learning and leadership must take these courses in addition to the 90 credit hours in the doctoral degree, as determined by the supervisory committee.

• EDACE 780 – Introduction to Adult Learning and Leadership
• EDACE 790 – Characteristics of the Adult Learner
• EDACE 818 – Critical and Social Issues in Adult Learning
• EDACE 830 – Program Planning in Adult Learning and Leadership
• EDCEP 816 – Research Methods in Education (or an equivalent research methods course)

Required Doctoral Courses (12 credit hours minimum from the following list or equivalent)

• EDACE 916 – Foundations of Adult Learning and Leadership
• EDCI 910 – Multicultural Curriculum Programming
• EDCEP 912 – Psychological Bases of Educational Thought and Practice
• EDACE 937 – Organization and Administration of Adult Learning and Leadership
• EDACE 986 – Advanced Seminars in Adult Learning and Leadership (1-18 credits)

Required Research Courses (15 credit hours minimum)

• EDCEP 817 – Statistical Methods in Education
• EDCEP 917 – Experimental Design in Educational Research
• EDACE 980 – Dissertation Process
• EDLEA 838 – Qualitative Research in Education
• EDLEA 938 – Advanced Data Analysis in Qualitative Methods
• EDLEA 948 – Data Representation and Writing in Qualitative Research (or quantitative/qualitative research courses taken from other disciplines at K-State and approved by the supervisory committee)

Elective Courses (Select electives appropriate to the area of emphasis that satisfy the minimum 90 credit hours for the program)
EDACE prefix, additional quantitative/qualitative research courses or other disciplines at K-State and approved by the supervisory committee.

Experiential and Individualized Courses (0-6 credit hours)

• EDACE 733 – Practicum in Adult Learning and Leadership (1-6 credits)
• EDACE 775 – Readings in Adult Learning and Leadership (1-3 credits)
• EDACE 795 – Problems in Adult Learning and Leadership (1-18 credits)

Clinical Experience (6 credit hours)

• EDACE 991 – Internship in Adult Learning and Leadership (1-6 credits)

Doctoral Research (minimum of 12 credit hours)

• EDACE 999 – Doctoral Research (1-18 credits)

Preliminary Examination
The requirement for the preliminary examination is satisfactory completion of all segments of a monitored written examination of at least 12 hours over all areas of the program of study.

The Ph.D. program in Adult Learning and Leadership is designed to provide students with advanced preparation in and understanding of the field with special emphasis upon the development of knowledge, skills and attitudes which are related to excellence in research.

• SLO1: Students will depth of knowledge concerning specific field of study in adult learning and leadership.
• SLO2: Students will demonstrate effective academic writing skills.
• SLO3: Students will demonstrate the ability to critically evaluate and synthesize information.
• SLO4: Students will demonstrate knowledge of various research methodologies, select and justify an appropriate method of inquiry to a specific research problem.
• SLO5: Students will demonstrate the ability to present and defend research.
• SLO6: Students will demonstrate knowledge of ethical standards and apply them as a researcher and through their research.

All students enrolled in the Ph.D. Program in Adult Learning and Leadership will be assessed in the following ways concerning foundational elements of the field:

• All SLOs are directly measured at the proposal defense (which also serves as the prelim exams) and the final defense using a rubric defining each area listed below. All committee members provide their individual scores which are averaged for individual students. SLOs are aligned with the rubric as outlined below.
  • Abstract: SLO1
    Research Questions/Hypotheses: SLO4
    Literature Review: SLO1
    Theoretical/Conceptual Framework: SLO3
    Methods and Approaches: SLO4
    Ethical Considerations: SLO6
    Analysis and Interpretation (defense only): SLO3
    Conclusions (defense only): SLO3
    Writing and Scholarly Voice: SLO2
    Oral Defense: SLO5
• SLOs are indirectly measured by student self-assessment. This is a survey that the students will complete at the end of the semester in which they graduate.

Ph.D. in Adult Learning and Leadership Alignment Matrix (PDF)

The Ed.D. program in Adult Learning and Leadership is designed to provide students with advanced preparation in and understanding of the field with special emphasis upon the development of knowledge, skills and attitudes which are related to excellence in research.

• SLO1: Students will acquire depth of knowledge concerning specific field of study in adult learning and leadership.
• SLO2: Students will demonstrate effective acedemic writing skills.
• SLO3: Students will demonstrate the ability to critically evaluate and synthesize information.
• SLO4: Students will demonstrate knowledge of various research methodologies, select and justify an appropriate method of inquiry to a specific research problem.
• SLO5: Students will demonstrate the ability to present and defend research.
• SLO6: Students will demonstrate knowledge of ethical standards and apply them as a researcher and through their research.

All students enrolled in the Ed.D. Program in Adult Learning and Leadership will be assessed in the following ways concerning foundational elements of the field:

• All SLOs are directly measured at the proposal defense (which also serves as the prelim exams) and the final defense using a rubric defining each area listed below. All committee members provide their individual scores which are averaged for individual students. SLOs are aligned with the rubric as outlined below.
  • Abstract: SLO1
    Research Questions/Hypotheses: SLO4
    Literature Review: SLO1
    Theoretical/Conceptual Framework: SLO3
    Methods and Approaches: SLO4
    Ethical Considerations: SLO6
    Analysis and Interpretation (defense only): SLO3
    Conclusions (defense only): SLO3
    Writing and Scholarly Voice: SLO2
    Oral Defense: SLO5
• SLOs are indirectly measured by student self-assessment. This is a survey that the students will complete at the end of the semester in which they graduate.

Ed.D. in Adult Learning and Leadership Alignment Matrix (PDF)