Ed.S. in Educational Leadership – Higher Education
Improve the Quality of Higher Education
If you’re an educational professional seeking a career position as a college professor, researcher or administrator, then this concentration is your best path to achieving that goal. Regent’s Education Specialist in Educational Leadership – Higher Education prepares you for measurable career growth as you dive deeper into key theories that inform you about teaching, planning, administration, policy and professional practice.
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
Take your career to the next level with exciting leadership opportunities.
ALIGN YOURSELF WITH EXCELLENCE
Regent has been ranked among top national universities by the U.S. News & World Report for two consecutive years (2019 and 2020). Our programs have also been ranked by it among the Top 5 Online Graduate Education Programs in Virginia for seven years in a row. Experience the Regent difference through the Ed.S. in Educational Leadership – Higher Education program.
Presented from a Christian worldview, this specialty degree is supported by award-winning faculty in Virginia Beach.
Upon completion of this Ed.S. concentration, the graduate will be able to:
- Explain the dynamics of college students and their personal and cognitive development.
- Understand higher education finance, administration and organization theory.
- Apply relevant research to inform professional practice in higher education.
Career Opportunities
- Higher Education Instructor
- Educational Researcher
- Teacher/Professor
- Higher Education Administrator
- Adult Education
- Advanced Educational Leadership
- Character Education
- Christian Education Leadership
- Curriculum & Instruction
- Educational Psychology
- Educational Technology & Online Learning
- Exceptional Education Executive Leadership
- Higher Education
- Higher Education Leadership & Management
- K-12 School Leadership
- Special Education
2020-2021 Semester Check-In Deadlines:
All new students are expected to check-in for the semester 2 weeks prior to 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 14 | Monday, August 24 |
| Session M | Friday, September 11 | Monday, September 21 |
| Session B | Friday, October 16 | Monday, October 26 |
| Session C | Tuesday, January 5 | Monday, January 11 |
| Session T | Friday, January 29 | Monday, February 8 |
| Session D | Friday, March 5 | Monday, March 15 |
| Session E | Friday, April 30 | Monday, May 10 |
| Session F | Friday, June 11 | Monday, June 21 |
Application Process – Educational Specialist (Ed.S.)
Note: All items submitted as part of the application process become the property of Regent University and cannot be returned.
Step 1: Application & Application Fee
Submit your application using our Regent University Online Application.
Pay the $50 nonrefundable application fee by check or money order mailed to Regent University, Enrollment Support Services, 1000 Regent University Drive, Virginia Beach, VA 23464.
Fee Waiver: Attend a graduate School of Education on-campus or online information session to learn how to streamline your application process, discover financial aid resources and waive your $50 application fee.
Note: If you are unable to complete our application due to a disability, please contact our Admissions Office and an admissions representative will provide reasonable accommodations to assist you in completing the application.
Step 2: Submit your Unofficial College Transcripts
We are able to examine and view your unofficial transcripts from U.S.-based schools, which indicate successful completion of bachelor’s and master’s degree programs, in order to review your application for an admissions decision. Please submit your unofficial transcript to our Admissions Office by email to apply@regent.edu using the subject line: SOE Specialist Application Pieces.
Non-U.S. transcripts must be evaluated by an NACES-approved company. For further details, please review the International Admissions Checklist on the International Students Admissions page.
International Applicants: Please visit the International Students Admissions page for a more detailed explanation of the Regent University application information and to determine whether or not you qualify as an international student.
*Upon conditional acceptance to the program by review of unofficial transcripts, Regent University’s Admissions Office will attempt to obtain your official transcripts from your U.S. degree-granting institutions, which indicate successful completion of bachelor’s and master’s degree programs. We will notify you if your previous institutions will not release transcripts directly to us.
Step 3: Complete Your Admissions Questionnaire
Please complete a brief admissions questionnaire based on your professional goals and interests. This should only take a few minutes to complete, but please answer the questions completely and thoughtfully. This gives us a better opportunity to get to know you and align your objectives with our programs. The admissions questionnaire can be found here. Once completed, it will be sent directly to an admissions counselor who will be in touch with you right away to help complete the rest of your application.
Step 4: Government-Issued ID
To ensure academic integrity, Regent University requires a copy of a government-issued ID. Please email a scanned copy or photograph of it to apply@regent.edu with the subject line: Government ID.
Step 5: Admissions Interview
If an interview is necessary, the admissions office will contact you to schedule an appointment. The interview can be conducted on campus or over the phone and typically takes about an hour.
Important Information
Background Check: Students in endorsement programs are required to complete a background check because the program includes direct contact with students in field experiences. Regent University School of Education has entered into an agreement with Certified Background/Castle Branch (CB), a private vendor that conducts background checks for many universities and educational institutions. After you are admitted into the program, you will be provided instructions to set up an online profile with Certified Background and request your background check. Learn more.
2019-20 Tuition Rates
| Degree Level / Program | Cost Per Credit Hour |
|---|---|
Ed.S., Ed.D., & Ph.D. | $775 per credit (In-state & Out-of-state) |
Student Fees Per Semester
| University Services Fee (Online Students) | $550 |
| Library Orientation | $50 (one-time fee) |
| Blackboard Orientation | $50 (one-time fee) |
2020-21 Tuition Rates
| Degree Level / Program | Cost Per Credit Hour |
|---|---|
Ed.S., Ed.D., & Ph.D. | $775 per credit (In-state & Out-of-state) |
Student Fees Per Semester
| University Services Fee (Online Students) | $600 |
| Library Orientation | $50 (one-time fee) |
| Blackboard Orientation | $50 (one-time fee) |
*Rates are subject to change at any time.
Estimated Cost of Attendance: View the estimated cost of attendance to see an example of the total cost of tuition and fees.
Faculty
Dr. Ponton is the concentration chair for Higher Education and is committed to your success.
Professor Michael Ponton is currently appointed as professor of education and is the faculty advisor for the higher education concentration in the postmaster’s programs. He holds the Ed.D. in Higher Education Administration from The George Washington University (dissertation defended with distinction) and has many years of university-level administrative experience supporting academic affairs, curriculum development, and accreditation.
Ponton has published extensively in the field of self-directed learning where his interests include human agency, personal initiative, autonomous learning and self-efficacy. In 2015, he received the Malcolm Knowles Memorial Self-Directed Learning Award for significant lifelong contributions to the field of self-directed learning. He currently serves as the editor of the International Journal of Self-Directed Learning.
Before coming to Regent, Ponton was an associate professor of higher education and senior research and development engineer at the University of Mississippi. Prior to full-time life in academe, he was a National Aeronautics and Space Administration aerospace engineer and received numerous research awards for his experimental work in supersonic aeroacoustics. In 2018, he received the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award for excellence in education and engineering.