EdD in Higher Education Administration | Student Affairs

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Credit Hours

100% online, 8-week courses

Transfer in up to 50% of the degree total

Next Start Dates: March 23, 2026 | May 18, 2026 | June 29, 2026

Promote Student Success with an EdD in Higher Education Administration – Student Affairs

Helping students succeed in college is an important job. As a student affairs administrator, you can help students gain skills and develop habits that will help them as they navigate the obstacles they face in their education. Furthermore, these skills can help them be successful throughout their lives. Liberty University’s 100% online Doctor of Education (EdD) in Higher Education Administration – Student Affairs can help you pursue top-level roles in college or university administration.

Throughout this program, you can learn skills such as effective leadership, policy development, program development, and best practices in supporting student achievement. This doctoral degree provides advanced training in current issues and trends as well as legal issues in student affairs. You will also take applied research courses that can prepare you to contribute to the general pool of knowledge in student affairs as you complete a capstone project that focuses on solving a problem of practice in the field of higher education.

Partner with us and prepare to help college students grow personally, academically, and professionally.

Your officially conferred degree name will be Doctor of Education (EdD) in Higher Education Administration – Student Affairs.

Backed by a brick-and-mortar campus ranked as Niche.com’s #2 Best College Campus in America for 2026

Private Nonprofit University
600+ Online Degrees
No Standardized Testing for Admission
Transfer in up to 75% of an Undergrad Degree
Transfer in up to 50% of a Grad/Doctoral Degree

Top 10 Reasons to Choose Liberty

Why Choose Liberty’s Online EdD in Higher Education Administration – Student Affairs Development Degree?

We’ve designed our EdD in Higher Education Administration to help meet your needs as both a student and student affairs administrator in higher education. With this program, you can pursue a terminal education credential while preparing to solve real-world problems in student development. And, unlike most PhD programs, our online EdD requires a capstone instead of a dissertation. This capstone project can help you address practical education issues and make a valuable contribution to this field’s vast body of knowledge.

Our doctorate in higher education administration is available 100% online, which means you can earn your degree from the comfort of home. Liberty is committed to your success and to helping you balance your professional and personal life. By studying under our experienced faculty, you can hone your leadership skills and learn how to help college students thrive.

What Will You Study in Our Online Higher Education Administration Student Development Doctorate?

This program provides core training in a variety of higher education topics. You’ll analyze the sociological, cultural, and psychological characteristics of college students so you can help maximize their academic growth and success. By learning about various factors that influence higher education finance and accreditation, you can help ensure the success of your institution.

Our student affairs doctoral program also covers a variety of subjects that focus on your success as a student affairs administrator. You will study current issues and trends in the field of student affairs administration. In addition, you can learn advanced leadership techniques and administrative skills. Legal issues and policies will also be part of your education in the area of student development.

As part of your student development doctorate, you will complete several research methods courses culminating in a capstone project. This final project can provide you with an opportunity to focus on a problem in the field of higher education and then solve it. You can add to the general body of knowledge and help to develop practical solutions that create a positive impact on higher education.

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Tuition & Aid

At Liberty University, a private Christian education is less expensive than you think. Over the last 10 years, Liberty University’s Online Program has only raised its standard tuition costs by less than 5% – and most of our online tuition rates rank in the top 35% for affordability for 2025 when compared to our leading online competitors.

EdS and EdD Full Time	$610/Credit
EdS and EdD Part Time	$675/Credit
Military EdS and EdD	$375/Credit

These rates are reflective of academic year 2025-2026. Tuition rates may change annually. For the current information, please visit our LU Tuition Cost page.

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Admission Information for Liberty’s Online EdD in Higher Education Administration Online

Admission Requirements

Apply online or over the phone with an admissions counselor by calling (800) 424-9596.
- A non-refundable, non-transferable $50 application fee will be posted on the current application upon enrollment (waived for qualifying service members, veterans, and military spouses – documentation verifying military status is required).
Send official college transcripts (mailed as sealed, unopened copies or sent via a direct electronic transcript system). A regionally or nationally accredited master’s degree with at least a 3.0 GPA is required for admission in good standing.
Applicants whose native language is other than English must submit official scores for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or an approved alternative assessment. For information on alternative assessments or TOEFL waivers, please call Admissions or view the official International Admissions policy.

The Office of Graduate Admissions may request additional documentation when conducting admission reviews to evaluate a candidate’s record before a final admission decision can be made.

Please note: Guidelines are subject to change in federal or state regulations for the licensure of school personnel.

Preliminary Acceptance

If you are sending in a preliminary transcript for acceptance, you must:

Be in your final term and planning to start your doctoral degree after the last day of class for your master’s degree.
Complete a Master’s Self-Certification Form confirming your completion date. You may download the form from the Forms and Downloads page or contact an admissions counselor to submit the form on your behalf.
Submit an official transcript to confirm that you are in your final term. The preliminary transcript must show that you are within 6 credit hours of completion for a 30-48 credit hour master’s degree or within 9 credit hours of completion for a 49+ credit hour master’s degree.
Send in an additional, final official transcript with a conferral date on it by the end of your first semester of enrollment in the new doctoral degree.

Please note: Due to the competitive nature of the EdD online program, preliminary acceptance is not guaranteed.

Transcript Policies

Official College Transcript Policy

An acceptable official college transcript is one that has been issued directly from the institution and is in a sealed envelope. If you have one in your possession, it must meet the same requirements. If your previous institution offers electronic official transcript processing, they can send the document directly to luoverify@liberty.edu.

Admissions Office Contact Information

Submit your application online or over the phone.

Start Online Application

Apply by phone: (800) 424-9595

Liberty University is dedicated to providing world-class educational experiences to military students across the globe.

Who May Qualify?

Active Duty
Reserve/National Guard
Veterans/Retirees
Spouses of Service Members and Veterans/Retirees
Current Department of Defense Employees

Available Benefits:

Tuition discounts – $375 per credit hour for EdS and EdD courses
8-week courses, 8 different start dates each year, and no set login times (may exclude certain courses such as practicums, internships, or field experiences)

These rates are reflective of academic year 2025-2026. Tuition rates may change annually. For the most current information, please visit our LU Tuition Cost page.

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Frequently Asked Questions for Our Online Student Affairs EdD in Higher Education

What is student affairs?

College can be difficult. For many students, it is their first time away from home or without the guidance of a parental figure. In fact, the philosophy guiding the original model was “in loco parentis”— “in place of parent.” The first student affairs positions were called the “Dean of Men” and “Dean of Women” in the United States. Today, student affairs or student services administrators serve an essential role in helping students succeed and develop both personally and academically while attending college.

What accreditation does Liberty University have?

What are the benefits of pursuing a program like this online?

What sets this program apart from other similar offerings?

Are you ready to change your future?

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App Fee Waived This Week*

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*Some restrictions may occur for this promotion to apply. This promotion also excludes active faculty and staff, military, non-degree-seeking, DGIA, Continuing Education, WSB, and certificate students.

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Promote Student Success with an EdD in Higher Education Administration – Student Affairs

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Why Choose Liberty’s Online EdD in Higher Education Administration – Student Affairs Development Degree?

What Will You Study in Our Online Higher Education Administration Student Development Doctorate?

Potential Career Opportunities

Featured Courses

Degree Information

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Admission Information for Liberty’s Online EdD in Higher Education Administration Online

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Transcript Policies

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Frequently Asked Questions for Our Online Student Affairs EdD in Higher Education

What is student affairs?

What accreditation does Liberty University have?

What are the benefits of pursuing a program like this online?

What sets this program apart from other similar offerings?

Are you ready to change your future?

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