Ed.S. in Educational Leadership – Higher Education Administration & Leadership

Lead Transformative Change in Higher Education Leadership

Are you ready to take on greater responsibility in higher education and become an influential leader in your field? Regent’s Education Specialist (Ed.S.) in Educational Leadership – Higher Education Administration & Leadership intently focuses on leadership training for educational professionals. Through the intersection of theory and practice, you will explore fundamental elements of senior administration, such as policy development, higher education operations and enrollment management.

Location: Online

Total Credit Hours: 31

Next Session Start: January 13, 2025

Approved Degree Plan: Download PDF

INCREASE YOUR EARNING POTENTIAL

Capitalize on a higher salary with your Ed.S. degree.

HIGHER LEARNING BENEFITS

Enjoy a collaborative community for higher-level thinking and problem solving.

EXPAND YOUR CAREER PATH with an Education Specialist Degree

Take your career to the next level with exciting leadership opportunities.

ALIGN YOURSELF WITH EXCELLENCE

Regent has been ranked among the Top National Universities by the U.S. News & World Report (2024). Our programs have also been ranked among the Top 10 Best Online Graduate Education Programs in Virginia for 11 years in a row (2013-2023).

Presented from a Christian worldview, this specialty degree is supported by award-winning faculty in Virginia Beach.

Please complete the Request Information form on this page to learn more about this program.

Career Opportunities

On completing this Ed.S. concentration, the graduate can:

Gain tools for strategically navigating organizational change.
Understand higher education finance and operations.
Analyze contemporary issues of higher education and how to address them.

Career Opportunities

Higher Education Administrator
Higher Education Planner
Higher Education Developer
Educational Policy Developer
Teacher/Professor

$102Thousand

Approximate Median Annual Wage for Education Administrators, Postsecondary U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2023

Featured Courses

Featured Courses
Code	Name	Credits
EDCO 801	Strategic Planning & Program Evaluation	3	Examines strategic planning and the role of program evaluation in the planning-implementation-evaluation cycle to include the curriculum planning process. Topics include various theoretical and philosophical perspectives, alternative evaluation designs and related methodologies including collaborative action research and issues related to design, measurement and utilization. The goal is to help educators become active collaborators in the evaluation process and to give them the tools to judge the value of an evaluation. Whether the task is designing an internal evaluation of a local program, contracting for an external evaluation at the district level, or critically reviewing an evaluation report as a basis for making an administrative decision, this course offers important leadership preparation. Each student will prepare an evaluability assessment related to a self-selected educational program in his/her area of concentration. Prerequisite: a graduate level research course.
EFND 723	History & Contemporary Issues in American Higher Education	3	Overview of American higher education from the colonial period to the present. Form a foundational understanding of higher education and the origins of contemporary practices and problems within the academy. Investigate diverse institutions such as land grant colleges, historically black colleges and universities, research institutions, liberal arts colleges, religious colleges and universities and access to higher education. Examine and discuss early innovators of higher education and their policies.
EHEA 702	Role & Mission of the Christian College and University	3	Centers on the need for the continuance of Christian colleges and universities in a post-Christian culture. Particular emphasis placed on the strategies, objectives and goals that can best insure the future continuance of the spiritual mission and Orthodox beliefs of Christian colleges and universities. Cross-listed with EHEA 602.
EHEA 802	Higher Education Finance	3	Focuses on the knowledge and skills required to effectively deal with financial changes and trends for institutions of higher education. Students will further their skills in analysis and evaluation of issues from various perspectives – administrative, consumer and societal (government and organizations in the private sector that influence the source and use of funds). Financial management of higher education (administrative perspective) focuses on effectiveness and efficiency issues associated with the use of funds. The consumer perspective (access and choice issues in financing students) focuses on the source of institutional funds; both state and federal policies and programs and budgeting will inform the learner from that perspective. Cross-listed with EHEA 502.
EHEA 811	Administration & Organization Theory in Higher Education	3	In-depth study of administrative roles, functions, knowledge and skill requirements, and administrative behavior. Trends in administrative theory and application explored.

Other Concentrations

Admissions Requirements

2024-25 Semester Check-In Deadlines

All students are expected to check-in for the semester two weeks before the session start date. Students should apply, be accepted, enroll in their first courses, and confirm a plan to pay for their courses prior to this date.

Session	Semester Check-In	Session Start Date
Session A	Friday, August 9	Monday, August 19
Session M	Friday, September 6	Monday, September 16
Session B	Friday, October 11	Monday, October 21
Session C	Wednesday, January 8	Monday, January 13
Session T	Friday, January 31	Monday, February 10
Session D	Friday, March 7	Monday, March 17
Session E	Friday, May 2	Monday, May 12
Session F	Friday, June 13	Monday, June 23

Admissions Requirements

Step 1: Apply to Regent University

Submit your application using the Regent University Online Application.

Note: If you are unable to complete our application due to a disability, please contact our Admissions Office at 757.352.4990 or admissions@regent.edu and an admissions representative will provide reasonable accommodations to assist you in completing the application.

Step 2: Submit Your Unofficial Transcripts

Submit your unofficial transcripts to regent.edu/items.

Upon submitting your application, you will receive an email requesting authorization for Regent University to obtain your official transcripts from your U.S. degree-granting institution. International transcripts must be evaluated by a NACES, AACRAO or NAFSA approved agency.

Step 3: Submit Your Government-Issued ID

To ensure academic integrity, Regent University requires a copy of a government-issued ID. Please submit a scanned copy or photograph of it to regent.edu/items.

Please feel free to contact the Office of Admissions at 757.352.4990 or admissions@regent.edu should you have any further questions about the application process.

Note: All items submitted as part of the application process become the property of Regent University and cannot be returned.

Tuition & Fees

2024-25 Tuition Rates

PART-TIME STUDENTS

Degree	Tuition Cost Per Credit Hour	Average Credit Hours Per Semester	Average Tuition Per Semester
Master of Education (M.Ed.)	$565	6	$3,390
Educational Specialist (Ed.S.)	$800	6	$4,800
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)	$800	3	$2,400
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)	$800	3	$2,400

Full-Time Students

Degree	Tuition Cost Per Credit Hour	Average Credit Hours Per Semester	Average Tuition Per Semester
Master of Education (M.Ed.)	$565	9	$5,085
Educational Specialist (Ed.S.)	$800	9	$7,200
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)	$800	6	$4,800
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)	$800	6	$4,800

Student Fees Per Semester

University Services Fee (On-Campus Students)	$850 (Fall & Spring) $700 (Summer)
University Services Fee (Online Students)	$700

Military Admissions & Aid » | Cost of Attendance »

2023-24 Tuition Rates

Part-Time Students

Degree	Tuition Cost Per Credit Hour	Average Credit Hours Per Semester	Average Tuition Per Semester
Master of Education (M.Ed.)	$565	6	$3,390
Educational Specialist (Ed.S.)	$800	6	$4,800
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)	$800	3	$2,400
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)	$800	3	$2,400

Full-Time Students

Degree	Tuition Cost Per Credit Hour	Average Credit Hours Per Semester	Average Tuition Per Semester
Master of Education (M.Ed.)	$565	9	$5,085
Educational Specialist (Ed.S.)	$800	9	$7,200
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)	$800	6	$4,800
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)	$800	6	$4,800

Student Fees Per Semester

University Services Fee (On-Campus Students)	$850 (Fall & Spring) $700 (Summer)
University Services Fee (Online Students)	$700

Military Admissions & Aid » | Cost of Attendance »

*Rates are subject to change at any time.

Faculty

Dr. Pittman is the concentration chair for Higher Education Administration & Leadership and is committed to your success.

Dr. Jeff Pittman brings a wide range of experience to his faculty role in the School of Education. He served for over nine years as Vice President for Student Services at Regent University. He has also held Regent positions as Associate Dean for Administration and Academics in the School of Divinity; Assistant Vice President for Administrative and Auxiliary Services; and Assistant Director of Admissions and Financial Aid.

Active in several organizations, Pittman is past president (2005) of the National Association of College Auxiliary Services (NACAS). He currently serves on the board of the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS). He also serves on the board of the NACAS Education Foundation. In addition to his affiliation with NACAS, Pittman is a member of the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) and the Southern Association of College Student Affairs (SACSA).

A prolific writer, Pittman is a contributor to Business Officer, College Planning and Management, College Services, the International Journal of Emergency Mental Health, and Leadership Exchange. Pittman completed his Ph.D. at Old Dominion University, where he was selected as a member of the honor society of Phi Kappa Phi. He earned his MBA from Regent University and his B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Pittman holds professional certificates from the Administrative Management Institute at Cornell University and the College Business Management Institute (SACUBO) at the University of Kentucky.

Related Programs

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“The Virginia Beach City Public Schools cohort of ESL teachers in training was the perfect platform in which to study and learn. Upon completion of my last TESOL class, I was blessed with the opportunity to join the ESL staff of VBCPS. The amazing faculty of Regent's TESOL department helped make it possible.”

Altina Suber, M.Ed., 2015 Teacher

“I was eager to fulfill a lifelong dream and make a career change to education. Regent's Career Switcher program allowed me to complete most of the training while still on active duty. I was hired immediately upon my retirement from the Air Force.”

Joe Sexton, M.Ed., 2012 Career Switcher

“Just four years after receiving my degree from Regent, I had the honor of being named one of the nation's top educators. My Regent professors honed my focus on leadership, quality and innovation in education, which I use in my classroom every day.”

Lakeshia Ames, M. Ed., 2008 Educational Leadership

“One of the biggest skills I learned through my studies at Regent was confidence. I learned that I am worthy, and I can go forward in my career and affect more students than just those in my own classroom.”

Kathy Galford, Ed.D., 2018 School Principal, Chesapeake Public Schools

“The program offered a great financing opportunity for teachers, and it also had that caliber of education I was looking for but at a reasonable price. Plus, it’s local, yet also accessible from a distance.”

Kristin Garmin, M.Ed. , 2016 Reading Specialist (with endorsement)