UCA Ph.D. Change Leadership Update + Facts

[mohelena02]

Hi,

Wanted to give an update on my program as well as list some details that I have been asked about via DM.

Details on the program:
University of Central Arkansas, public university very established
program name: Ph.D. in Change Leadership for Equity and Inclusion

Total classes 21, credits 62-63 (not sure exactly) $325 per credit. One of the cheapest Ph.D. programs nationally.

Program has 3 concentrations and they are adding 2 more.
-community leadership (concentration I am in)
-Digital curriculum
-k-12 education leadership

You can only take 3 classes max per semester, there are 3 semesters per year. They are very strict with this because the program is designed to be part time.

The program does require a Master's to apply and yes they did accept my WGU MSML.

The program is full of teachers and higher ed educators. As well as people who work in nonprofits and state organizations. The admissions process has been mentioned as selective several times by the advisors.

I am taking two classes this semester, the pace seems to be one assignment per week with two papers due per class one midway and one final. During the semester, we have had 4-5 live Zoom classes per class, this has been super nice since you get time with the professor. The professors here are absolutely excellent. Having gone through TAMUC and WGU where I had minimal interactions with the professors, which is totally fine because I appreciated those programs for other reasons, it feels like a breath of fresh air to get live classes. If you cannot attend the live classes you can watch the recordings.

[bjcheung77]

Great update, looks like it's going as planned so far! Just wondering, if you're allowed 3 max, why are you taking two instead? Most Doctorate Level or PhD programs can't be CBE as it really does take time to go through the entire thesis/doctoral dissertation, research classes, etc. The pace is pretty much the same online as it is with butt-in-seat options, the main difference would be the medium they use for teaching...

[mohelena02]

Great update, looks like it's going as planned so far!  Just wondering, if you're allowed 3 max, why are you taking two instead?  Most Doctorate Level or PhD programs can't be CBE as it really does take time to go through the entire thesis/doctoral dissertation, research classes, etc.  The pace is pretty much the same online as it is with butt-in-seat options, the main difference would be the medium they use for teaching...

Great question!

I started with two because they only allow you to do 2 in your first semester unless you present a good case to them as to why you want to do 3, which I did not have. They really want you to understand the pace before committing. The advisors in this program are very involved and responsive; they also require calls before allowing you to sign up for classes, so you really need to make your case for everything. 

For next Spring semester, I asked to test a 3-course semester, so I will do that then. 

So far this program does require a ton of reading, so I want to prepare for next semester by seeing what materials I can read ahead of time.

[mohelena02]

Update here!

I am just about to finish my 3rd semester in this program, giving me a total of 8 classes completed so far, 13 classes still left to take. I have been taking 3 classes per semester for the past two semesters and I have adjusted to the pace. The pace has been pretty much the same for all classes, one assignment due per week with about two large assignments per class in total. Meetings on zoom every few weeks where you get to interact with the instructors.

A lof of the students in this program are based in Arkansas, and there is quite a few UCA faculty in this program too. The administration is very high quality, the program director Dr. Cotabish is very responsive and helpful, she also teaches a few classes, her classes are my favorite.

As I had mentioned, the quality of interaction I am having at UCA far surpasses what I experienced at TAMUC or WGU. I truly feel like I am a part of a cohort. Again, I am not saying that in a disparaging way to my other schools, just comparing the difference, those schools allowed me to get into this program.

It seems like the program has been successful for UCA and as I mentioned they are expanding it. No price hikes have been announced this year. I am doing the program as fast as possible at this stage (3 classes per semester) as they do not allow you to take more, there are only 3 semesters per year.

Personally, for me, I am very happy I chose this program instead of the South College DBA I was also looking at, this program is a better fit for me.

Let me know if there are any questions!

[ss20ts]

Is the dissertation part of the 21 classes? Or is it in addition to the 21 classes?

[mohelena02]

Is the dissertation part of the 21 classes? Or is it in addition to the 21 classes?

Great question, so UCA has it laid out that the dissertation are classes, so they are part of the 21. There are 5 dissertation classes that you have to take in the program.

This program also allows you to do a traditional dissertation or have 2 publish ready papers, which would also qualify as your dissertation. I am choosing the traditional route because I feel like that will be easier for my topic.

[kairaghu]

Thanks for the thread on UCA PhD program.
This would mean the program can be completed in 2.5 years? (3 semesters, 3 classes per semester)
please advise..

[mohelena02]

Thanks for the thread on UCA PhD program.
This would mean the program can be completed in 2.5 years?  (3 semesters, 3 classes per semester)
please advise..

For the first semester, you can only take 2 courses. So the shortest is 2.5 years to 3 years.

[TINASAM]

Thank you for this update. This is the program I've applied to for next year and I'm always interested in learning about the ins and outs of it through your updates. Appreciate you!

[mohelena02]

Thank you for this update. This is the program I've applied to for next year and I'm always interested in learning about the ins and outs of it through your updates. Appreciate you!

Very excited for you! This program is top notch.