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Online Doctor of Management Community College Policy & Administration

Management: Community College Policy & Administration
Doctor of Management
DEGREE AT A GLANCE
  • 54 credits
  • No transfer credits accepted
  • All courses available online
  • Program restrictions apply
  • On-site residency required
TUITION RATES
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Become a scholar-practitioner and transform your potential to lead change in higher education.

Designed for college faculty and administrators who aspire to lead effectively and advance in administrative careers, the Doctor of Management in community college policy and administration at University of Maryland Global Campus offers exceptional scholarship, intimate cohorts, online courses, short residencies, distinguished faculty, and dissertation support in a program that can be completed within three years.

You'll work together in the same group of about 15–20 students throughout the entire program and build a virtual community developed and led by current and former community college presidents and senior executives.

With a highly respected credential, sophisticated knowledge, and an accomplished dissertation, you'll emerge from the program with the tools to transform student achievement and successfully guide community colleges into the essential role they will play in the future of higher education.

Important Information

  • New cohorts begin in the fall term only.
  • The application deadlines for the upcoming fall 2025 term are as follows:
    • Early application deadline: February 28, 2025
    • Regular application deadline: June 30, 2025
  • Email Monica Graham if you have any questions about the program.
 

Total Credits Required: 54

Core Courses

  • (3 Credits, CCPA 810A)
  • (3 Credits, CCPA 810B)
  • (3 Credits, CCPA 800A)
  • (3 Credits, CCPA 800B)
  • (3 Credits, CCPA 830A)
  • (3 Credits, CCPA 830B)
  • (3 Credits, CCPA 821A)
  • (3 Credits, CCPA 821B)
  • (3 Credits, CCPA 841A)
  • (3 Credits, CCPA 841B)
  • (3 Credits, CCPA 851A)
  • (3 Credits, CCPA 851B)
  • (3 Credits, CCPA 861A)
  • (3 Credits, CCPA 861B)
  • (3 Credits, CCPA 890)
  • (3 Credits, CCPA 891)
  • (3 Credits, CCPA 892)
  • (3 Credits, CCPA 893)

  • All required core courses must be completed.
  • All non-dissertation courses are scheduled in two parts, A and B, which are 3 credits each.
  • Students will progress through this program as a cohort, taking 6 credits in the fall, 6 credits in the spring, and 6 credits in the summer.
  • Courses will be scheduled as required for cohort progression.
  • The courses in this program must be successfully completed within a maximum of seven years.

Through the Doctor of Management in Community College Policy and Administration, you'll learn how to conduct and use evidence-based research to make data-informed decisions for management challenges in higher education. Your dissertation will include a systematic review of a complex issue or problem in the community college environment. Most students choose to apply the results of their dissertation research to their home institutions.

Recent dissertation topics have included:

  • Neil Soriano Bagadiong: "Leadership Development for Aspiring Community College Presidents"
  • Catharine D. Almquist: "Time-Compressed Courses and Student Success: Evidence and Application in the Community College"
  • Paul C. Jackson: "Improving Practitioners' Effectiveness as Adjunct Educators Through Comprehensive Training and Development"
  • Jocelyn Eager Sirkis: "A Theoretical Model for Designing an In-House Community College Department Chair Professional Development Program"
 

Search Course Catalog

These requirements are for students who enroll in the 2024–2025 academic year. For prior year requirements, visit our catalog archive.

View Schedule of Classes

Review the online schedule of classes to see a full list of courses and their timings, instructors, and locations.

Program Highlights

Develop skills and gain knowledge through coursework that draws from the expertise and experience of our respected faculty.

Industry Snapshot

This program is designed to develop community college faculty and administrators and other professionals who are interested in becoming transformational leaders and advancing in senior-level careers in community colleges, state or federal agencies, or related not-for-profit organizations.

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Current Program
Management: Community College Policy & Administration
Doctor of Management

Additional Program Information

Admission to the program is competitive and is based on a combination of all requirements. Meeting the eligibility requirements does not guarantee admission.

Please note: New cohorts begin in the fall term only.

All applicants will be pre-screened by DMCCPA faculty/staff based on the qualifications in the bulleted list below. Applicants who pass the pre-screen process will be required to interview (30 minutes; via phone or teleconference) with the DMCCPA admissions committee, which will use a common interview guide and will be comprised of faculty members, a staff member, and the program director. Final admissions recommendations will be based upon evaluation of written submissions and interview recommendations from faculty.

You must submit the following materials:

How to Submit Your Application Documents

  • Email your resume and writing prompt responses to admissions@umgc.edu.
  • If your previous institution needs to send transcripts electronically, please follow our guidance on submitting transcripts
  • If you are mailing your transcripts by U.S. Postal Mail, UPS, FedEx, or DHL, please use the following address:
    • UMGC Admissions Services
      3501 University Blvd. East
      Adelphi, MD 20783

All materials for the fall term start are due by the doctoral program application deadlines:

  • Early Application Deadline: February 28, 2025
  • Regular Application Deadline: June 30, 2025

Please write 300–500 words per prompt. Use one page per response.

  1. Explain your interest in pursuing a doctoral degree in community college leadership. How would this degree aid in your career plans?
  2. What evidence can you provide that demonstrates your potential for a senior leadership position in a community college? Please include specific examples.
  3. What do you see as the greatest opportunities and challenges for community colleges in the coming years? Please include specific examples.
  • This program is not available to residents of Maryland. However, this program has an on-site component that meets in Maryland once per term.

Attendance at a two-day residency on-site at a UMGC location each term is mandatory for the doctoral programs. These residencies are normally scheduled on Fridays and Saturdays and consist of two days of instruction.

You can complete six courses and the residencies within a calendar year. Courses in the doctoral programs are offered in the spring, summer, and fall terms.

  • We recommend you have work and prior management experience in a community college or other higher education institution, government agency, or business. 
  • You will need doctoral-level academic reading and writing skills before entering this writing-intensive program. We recommend UCSP 605 for students who want to improve their writing skills.
  • UMGC is pleased to offer a 25 percent doctoral tuition discount to full-time employees and staff members of American Association of Community Colleges member institutions.
  • The discount is only available to students who are enrolled in UMGC's doctoral programs and have not been awarded a UMGC scholarship.
  • The discount does not apply to our doctoral prerequisite and post-doctorate courses: DMG 600, (3 Credits, DBA 600), and DMGT 899.
  • To verify your employment, you must submit your most recent paystub from an eligible AACC institution for each semester you are enrolled within 10 days of the start of the term; the paystub may be submitted to Monica Graham, academic specialist, via email at monica.graham@umgc.edu.
  • When you apply to UMGC, please select "Employee – CC Alliance Institute" as your special program on the electronic application; if you have completed your application and neglected to select CCAI, please email the New Student Advising Office at newgrad@umgc.edu to request that your application be coded accordingly.

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