UMUC

Graduate School of Management & Technology – Programs

Doctor of Management in Community College Policy and Administration

Program Overview

The Doctor of Management (DM) in Community College Policy and Administration is a program designed for college faculty and administrators who aspire to lead effectively, progress and advance in administrative careers. Students progress sequentially to complete a doctorate within a three-year period, including dissertation.

Program Description

Designed for busy working professionals, the interactive DM in Community College Policy and Administration program offers maximum flexibility and convenience as well as the practical knowledge and application necessary to excel in today's community college environment. A hybrid program, the DM in Community College Policy and Administration is predominantly distance learning with nine on-site residencies, which typically last two to three days, one during each semester of study.

The program includes an Executive Leadership Development (ELD) program. The ELD program will span the entire three years and have three components: a battery of leadership and cultural assessments, team-based executive coaching and two, three-day residencies.

Program Highlights

By combining an exceptional curriculum with student accessibility and a distinguished faculty, UMUC's DM in Community College Policy and Administration helps students to progress promptly to the completion of their doctoral degree and to the enhanced job opportunities that holding the degree will provide.

Students of the program benefit from:

  • Cohort Program. In the DM in Community College Policy and Administration program, students work together in the same group throughout the entire program and build a virtual community.
  • Integrated Program. Courses are taken in a specific order to build consistency across the program. What is learned in one seminar gives a solid foundation for what is learned in the next one.
  • Hybrid approach. Each course is taught in an online environment with a two- to three-day residency requirement during each semester.
  • Competencies. The program includes leadership assessment and executive coaching to help tailor the program to individual student needs.
  • Outstanding Faculty. Led by Dr. Charlene Nunley, our faculty all have extensive experience in senior level leadership in community college environments, possess doctoral degrees and have authored many articles dealing with higher education and community college leadership.
  • Class Size. Each cohort has no more than 25 students and usually fewer than that.
  • Practitioner Dissertation.The program's dissertation process focuses on students linking the scholarship of management research and practice to applied issues in community colleges. The dissertation is directly relevant to the student's day-to-day work and helps to prepare the student for leadership advancement.
  • Three-Year Degree. This program can be completed in three years, including dissertation.
  • Substantial and Significant Scholarship Support. The first 25 students fully admitted to the program who submit a statement of why a scholarship will be important to their enrollment, retention and progression in the program will receive a three-year $27,500 scholarship award. Continuous enrollment is required each semester to retain access to the scholarship.

Program Admission Requirements

  • A master's degree (or higher) from a regionally accredited university (transcript required)
  • Completion of the Doctor of Management in Community College Policy and Administration Application for Admission
  • A current and up-to-date resume
  • Two letters of reference, one professional and one academic
  • A personal statement outlining goals and reasons for enrollment in the program
  • The initial 3-credit DMGT 600 course may be waived upon review of personal statement for applicants with five or more years of experience as a college administrator or for applicants who already have another doctoral degree
  • Non-resident of Maryland: University of Maryland University College is accredited by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. The Maryland Higher Education Commission has fully approved this program without qualification for out-of-state students.
  • Maryland residents: The program's application for acceptance in the State of Maryland is pending. Maryland residents may not currently apply for the program.

Doctor of Management in Community College Policy and Administration - Course Requirements

UCSP 611D Introduction to Graduate Library Research Skills (0), to be taken within the first 6 credits of study

Prerequisite Course

Required Courses

  • DMGT 810 Leadership, Enterprise Change and Virtual Management (6)
  • DMGT 800 Foundations of Management Theory and Strategic Thinking (6)
  • DMGT 890 Dissertation Part I (4)
  • DMCC 821 Higher Education Policy (6)
  • DMGT 830 Research Methods I (6)
  • DMGT 891 Dissertation Part II (4)
  • DMCC 841 Institutional Assessment in the Community College Environment (6)
  • DMCC 851 Community College Advocacy and Accountability (6)
  • DMGT 892 Dissertation Part III (4)

Residencies

While the majority of coursework is completed online, students must also participate in some mandatory residencies (on-site course meetings).  For the convenience of students, these residencies, or in-person meetings, are generally scheduled on Fridays and Saturdays.