phd education oxford

Department of

Department of Education

World-class research. Rigorous academic programmes. Unrivalled teacher training. A tireless dedication to excellence that has shaped education in the UK and beyond for more than 100 years. An intellectually stimulating and uniquely inclusive environment that has nurtured the finest minds in the field. We set the standard. We define the debate. Welcome to the Department of Education.

Find out more

World-class research

In an outstanding Research Excellence Framework assessment, our work was rated world-leading in terms of originality, significance and rigour. 69% of our submission was scored at 4*, the highest mark available, putting us top in the UK.

Study With Us

From our renowned MSc and doctoral programmes to an ‘outstanding’ PGCE and innovative part-time options, we have a pathway for you. Find out how we combine intellectual excellence with a unique culture of inclusion and equality.

Latest News

From research successes to student achievements, there is always lots going on within our busy and thriving department. Take a look at our latest news and keep abreast of all the latest exciting developments.

Discover Our Research

A commitment to excellence and collaboration lies at the heart of our world-class research. Covering all aspects of learning across the lifespan, our work is powerful and transformative, putting us at the forefront of the educational debate.

WATCH: An introduction to our Department

Find out more about our Department from our fantastic students and staff.

DPhil programmes

Oxford's Department for Continuing Education offers part-time DPhil programmes in the following disciplines:

• Archaeology
• Architectural History
• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
• English Local History
• Evidence-Based Health Care
• Literature and Arts
• Sustainable Urban Development

What is a DPhil?

The term 'DPhil' stands for 'Doctor of Philosophy', sometimes referred to as a 'doctorate' or 'PhD'. This is an advanced research degree awarded on the basis of a thesis and an oral examination called the viva voce. The thesis must be a significant and substantial piece of research, make an original contribution to its field, and be presented in a lucid and scholarly manner. In the viva, the candidate is required to defend their thesis and to demonstrate a good general knowledge of their field of study.

A DPhil is the highest level of a degree that a student can achieve.

Level and demands

All DPhil applications are considered on their academic merits. 

As guidance, you should have achieved at least 2.1 honours, 3.5 GPA, or equivalent in an undergraduate degree. On some programmes, successful applicants have also normally achieved a distinction in a master’s degree. More information about entry requirements can be found on each individual programme page.

DPhil students are not required to be resident in Oxford, but will normally be required to attend for at least 30 days per year and to meet their supervisors at least once per term.

College affiliation

All students studying for a degree (including DPhil) must be a member of a college. There is single application process to the DPhil programme within which you can specify a college choice. Your choice of college is up to you, and does not affect the academic viability of your application to the DPhil itself.  A number of Oxford colleges accept applications from part-time postgraduates, whereas others do not: please consult the graduate prospectus or enquire with  individual colleges . (Even if you are accepted onto the degree, please note that you are not guaranteed a place at your first choice of college).

Applicants may wish to note that the majority of students on part-time degree programmes are members of Kellogg College and most of the tutors and lecturers are Fellows of the College. Kellogg is dedicated to graduate part-time students and has developed a unique expertise in attending to the intellectual, social, IT and welfare needs of part-time, mature graduate students. The College is based a short distance from the Department on the Banbury Road.

Libraries and computing facilities

Registered students receive an Oxford University card, valid for one year at a time, which acts as a library card for the Departmental Library at Rewley House and provides access to the unrivalled facilities of the Bodleian Libraries which include the central Bodleian, major research libraries such as the Sackler Library, Taylorian Institution Library, Bodleian Social Science Library, and faculty libraries such as English and History. Students also have access to a wide range of electronic resources including electronic journals, many of which can be accessed from home. Students on the course are entitled to use the Library at Rewley House for reference and private study and to borrow books. More information about the Continuing Education Library can be found at the  Bodleian website . 

The University card also provides access to facilities at Oxford University Computing Service (OUCS), 13 Banbury Road, Oxford. Computing facilities are available to students in the Students' Computing Facility in Rewley House and at Ewert House.

Graduate School

The Graduate School facilitates a stimulating and enriching learning and research environment for all of the Department’s diverse range of graduate students.

Student spotlights

Discover how others have used their Oxford DPhil for further study, career progression or personal enrichment. 

Katherine Maxwell

Shaun morley, anne jensen, steve edwards, rosemary yallop, further information.

Doctor of Education

Find a course, start dates.

September 2024 / September 2025

Course length

Part time: Normally five years: two years on the taught phase and three years writing the thesis. Maximum length of study: six years

School of Education, Humanities and Languages

Attend an open day or webinar

Ask a question

Order a prospectus

On this course, you’ll gain a deep understanding and awareness of what it means to be a professional in an educational setting.

You'll have the opportunity to engage with educational research, focussing on the areas that interest you.

You'll build advanced specialist research skills and critical analysis skills. You'll also have the space and time to reflect on your academic writing. You will be able to make use of academic support and guidance to advance your writing with a view to publishing academic articles.

You'll also become an independent, reflective and effective educational researcher. You'll carry out relevant research, creating new knowledge that will contribute to the field of education.

We are based within the School of Education, Humanities and Languages, a vibrant and inclusive research community with strong international links to schools and other educational organisations. We currently supervise over 70 research students in Education, including on the EdD, all of whom have access to a wide range of training and other events.

How to apply

Entry requirements, specific entry requirements.

You should normally have

• at least two years’ experience in a relevant professional area
• a good Master's degree (usually merit or distinction) from a recognised university

You will need to provide

• a dissertation extract or an equally substantial piece of academic writing
• a possible research area for your thesis. This should indicate the area of enquiry (e.g. early years assessment practices). We don’t expect you to specify a defined question
• research methods or approaches that you would be interested in employing (or of which you have prior experience)
• theoretical or conceptual perspectives on educational research that you would like to explore
• why you want to join the programme
• how you feel that it will enhance your professional development.

Please also see the University's general entry requirements .

Selection process

Successful applicants will be invited to interview.

Successful applicant interviews will be held on the last Wednesday of each month from January 2024 to July 2024 and on two dates in August 2024, dates to be confirmed.

English language requirements

An IELTS score of 7 is required for those students whose first language is not English and who have not studied for their undergraduate or postgraduate degrees in English.

Please also see the University's  standard English language requirements .

International applications

International students must attend face-to-face taught sessions in Years 1 and 2, which will be at weekends. As the course is only available in part-time mode it may not be possible for some international students to meet visa requirements which normally stipulate full-time study. International fee levels may apply.

Terms and Conditions of Enrolment

When you accept our offer, you agree to the  Terms and Conditions of Enrolment . You should therefore read those conditions before accepting the offer.

Application process

The application deadline for this Doctorate is 31 July 2024 .

Tuition fees

Questions about fees.

Contact Student Finance on:

+44 (0)1865 534400

[email protected]

Fees quoted are for the first year only. If you are studying a course that lasts longer than one year, your fees will increase each year.

The following factors will be taken into account by the University when it is setting the annual fees: inflationary measures such as the retail price indices, projected increases in University costs, changes in the level of funding received from Government sources, admissions statistics and access considerations including the availability of student support.

How and when to pay

Tuition fee instalments for the semester are due by the Monday of week 1 of each semester. Students are not liable for full fees for that semester if they leave before week 4. If the leaving date is after week 4, full fees for the semester are payable.

• For information on payment methods please see our Make a Payment page.
• For information about refunds please visit our Refund policy  page

Additional costs

Please be aware that some courses will involve some additional costs that are not covered by your fees. Specific additional costs for this course are detailed below.

Compulsory costs

Optional costs, funding your studies, financial support and scholarships.

Featured funding opportunities available for this course.

All financial support and scholarships

View all funding opportunities for this course

Learning and assessment

On the course you'll develop a critical understanding of social research. You'll advance your academic writing and build the skills to become an independent researcher.

In your first year you'll build your knowledge of educational theories and research. You'll have the support and guidance to write at a doctoral level. You'll also start to focus your expertise and prepare for your research project.

In your second year you'll focus on developing your research skills and using the knowledge and experience you've gained so far to develop the proposal for your thesis.

Throughout the course you'll work with fellow students and the academic team. You'll develop relationships through your research project with stakeholders and participants.

Over the final years of the course you'll work on your thesis focussing on a specialist area that interests you. You'll have support and guidance from your two supervisors. Your thesis will make a valuable contribution to knowledge in the field of education.

Study modules

You'll take 160 Masters level credits and 380 Doctorate level credits to achieve the award of EdD

Years 3, 4 and 5

Compulsory modules.

Writing for Academic Practice

You'll have the support and guidance to establish your writing skills at a doctoral level. 

You'll investigate:

Aspects of doctoral discourse 

How to write a  literature review.

You’ll gain academic editing and reviewing skills, and then apply your knowledge to move towards academic publication.

Educational Theory, Professionalism and Practice

You'll examine educational theories and theoretical frameworks and their use in doctoral research. You'll start to consider the contribution of your thesis to professional practice. 

You'll also have guidance and support to critique selected theoretical approaches. And you'll clarify your research aims, identifying research frameworks for your thesis.

You'll develop your field of expertise, building a sense of your voice as you emerge as a scholar.

Preparing your Research Proposal

In this module, you'll collate the knowledge and experience you gain from the taught modules and relate these to the development of your thesis proposal. 

You will then move theoretical ideas into practice and gain insights into developing the research project that will inform your thesis. 

You'll have the opportunity to reflect on and consider the issues you may face when devising educational research with a range of participants and stakeholders.

Exploring Paradigms, Methodologies and Research Methods

On this module you'll:

• Develop a critical understanding of educational research.
• Review research paradigms for enquiries into educational practice.
• Progress specialist research skills.

You'll have the opportunity to create, trial and use research tools, learning how successful they are in addressing your research questions. And you'll also assess what you've learnt for your thesis.

You'll gain an advanced critical understanding of research paradigms, methodologies and methods.

You'll have two supervisors to support and guide you as you undertake your research and write your thesis. 

Your thesis will be about 60,000 words in length and will focus on a specialist area of your choice. When writing your thesis you'll have regular support from your supervisors and also through thesis workshops with other EdD students.

Your thesis will involve professionally relevant research which creates new knowledge and contributes to professional knowledge in the educational field.

Learning and teaching

Through the course you'll become an active and independent researcher and academic writer.

Your learning will include:

• face-to-face lectures
• online conferencing
• student-led learning
• individual tutorials
• supervised sessions.

During the EdD you’ll gain the skills for intellectual autonomy.

You'll attend seven teaching days spaced across the academic year and a one day colloquium. These will all take place on Saturdays 09.30 until 16.00.

Once you've successfully completed the taught modules, you'll start your thesis. This will involve regular meetings with your supervision team and optional workshops with other EdD students three times a year.

You will also have access to the Faculty’s and University’s training programmes for doctoral students.

Children and Young People

Applied Linguistics and Language in Education

Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM)

Professional Learning and Leadership

Higher Education and Lifelong Learning.

Assessment methods used on this course

Your assessment in the taught modules will be through:

• assignments
• online discussions
• peer reviews
• presentations
• oral assessment

The assessment of the thesis is through a viva.

Through your assessments you'll gain experience of academic activities - such as conference presentations and writing for publication. You'll also build the skills and knowledge you need for your thesis.

Our research groups include:

• inclusion and wellbeing
• policy, partnership and leadership
• STEAM pedagogy and learning
• humanistic perspectives on education
• early years
• applied linguistics

We also have the following research conferences:

• the school of education research conference
• the EdD colloquium

Research is published in leading peer-reviewed journals. Emeritus, Honorary and Visiting Research Fellows contribute to our research programmes and outputs.

All students are invited to attend the annual research seminar series.

Members of the School engage in a variety of funded and unfunded research projects, including the Fulbright-Peabody scholarship. Funded research studentships are offered to doctoral applicants, when feasible.

We strongly recommend that prior to submitting a full application you identify and make contact directly with a potential Director of Studies. Please look at our staff profiles to help you identify appropriate individuals who could supervise your research.

After you graduate

Career prospects.

EdD students are typically experienced professionals in education, healthcare and related fields. During the programme and after graduation many will go on to promoted posts in these areas.

As a doctoral qualification, the EdD also provides opportunities for those seeking employment and promotion in the higher education sector.

Related courses

Programme changes : On rare occasions we may need to make changes to our course programmes after they have been published on the website. For more information, please visit our changes to programmes page.

Back to top

Cookie statement

DPhil in Theology and Religion

A DPhil — our name for a PhD — commands worldwide recognition. It will prepare and enable you to make an original contribution to your field.

Length of study

Completing a DPhil requires at least three years of full-time research, although this period can be extended if you chose to study part time. For many of our students it is the beginning of an exciting academic career.

Supervision

Our large and committed faculty of world-renowned scholars will guarantee that your work receives expert supervision and we actively ensure that you benefit from a high level of interaction with all of our staff.

Find out more about our supervisors.

Course content

You will begin research as soon as you arrive at Oxford with formal submissions of work-in-progress normally made at the end of your first and second years. Your completed thesis will be examined orally and there is no additional written examination.

There is no taught component of the programme but all of our students choose to take advantage of our extensive selection of seminars, lectures and reading groups in order to broaden and enhance their knowledge of both their area and the wider field.

If you are interested in joining our community find out how to apply and take a look at the University’s fees and funding page.

You may also be interested in reading our handbooks for Postgraduate Research Students.

Useful Links

• 1-800-933-6188 ☎
• Apply Now ☑

Earn an Advanced Degree to Lead Social Change Through Research

• Academic Catalog
• Course and Instructor Evaluations
• Institutional Services Assessment
• Virtual Financial Aid Office
• Voter Registration
• NC-SARA Student Complaints
• Privacy Policy
• Library Services and Resources
• Library Databases
• Online Library Catalog
• Library Tutorials

Oxford as a Model for Christian Education

Understanding the historical and intellectual significance of Oxford as a model of Christian education is an enriching journey that offers valuable insights into the intersection of faith and scholarship. With its centuries-old tradition of academic excellence, Oxford has been a center of higher learning and a crucible for integrating Christian faith with the pursuit of knowledge. This explores how the University of Oxford has shaped Christian education, leaving an indelible mark on theological discourse and the broader world of academia. Oxford’s role as a model of Christian education, where faith and reason coexist, and tradition and innovation have blended to create a legacy that continues to inspire and inform contemporary Christian scholars and educators.

This summarizes an entry in the Encyclopedia of Christian Education by OGS Distinguished Faculty Member Dr. David Ward (2015).

A Historical Perspective

The University of Oxford, whose origins date back to the thirteenth century, has played an important role in shaping Christian education. From its early days as a center of European learning, Oxford contributed a distinctly English flavor to Christian education. Merton College, the first Oxford college, was established to educate individuals for church and state, reflecting a broader focus on leadership development beyond the clergy.

Faith Versus Reason

Throughout its history, Oxford grappled with tensions between faith and reason, theology and science, and the freedom of thought versus adherence to Christian orthodoxy. These tensions provided the backdrop for the evolution of Christian education at Oxford.

Influential Scholars

Oxford produced influential scholars who left their mark on both theology and academia. Figures like Robert Grosseteste, Duns Scotus, and William of Ockham contributed to the scholastic movement of medieval theology, making Oxford internationally significant. John Wycliffe’s early critique of Roman Catholic dogmas foreshadowed the Reformation, while the sixteenth century marked the transition towards Anglicanism and Puritanism.

Puritan Leaders

The seventeenth century saw the emergence of Puritan leaders like John Owen, who provided leadership during Oliver Cromwell’s Civil Wars. Richard Hooker, an Anglican divine, emphasized the primacy of Scripture, paving the way for the Methodist revival led by John Wesley in the eighteenth century.

Evangelical Revival

Oxford was the birthplace of the evangelical revival movement, with John Wesley and others leading the charge. Wesley’s theological method, known as the “Wesleyan quadrilateral,” integrated Scripture, tradition, reason, and experience, reflecting a commitment to practical religion and social impact.

Nineteenth Century Reforms

In the nineteenth century, John Keble led a protest against declining doctrine and discipline, resulting in the Oxford Movement. Inspired by his time at Oxford, John Henry Newman wrote “The Idea of a University,” emphasizing faith-learning integration and the tutorial system’s role in spiritual formation.

Contemporary Status

While Christianity’s influence at Oxford waned in the twentieth century due to societal changes, pockets of Christian faith persisted. Notable figures like C.S. Lewis, a prominent apologist and author, upheld Christian orthodoxy and the integration of faith and reason.

Oxford’s Enduring Legacy

Oxford’s enduring legacy in Christian education is reflected in contemporary scholars like Alister McGrath, whose scientific theology bridges the gap between science and theology. The tension between faith and freedom of inquiry allows for true interdisciplinary faith-learning integration at Oxford.

Twenty-First Century Faith

In the twenty-first century, Oxford continues to thrive as a hub of Christian thought, with institutions like the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics and the Oxford Christian Mind Programme contributing to Christian education and formation.

Influence on American Education

Oxford’s influence extends beyond the UK, with institutions like Oxford Graduate School and Drew University drawing inspiration from Oxford’s educational methods and traditions.

A Distinctive Place in Christian Education

In conclusion, the University of Oxford is distinctive in the history of Christian education. Its rich Christian history and commitment to integrating faith and scholarship continue to shape education and faith worldwide.

Omega Graduate School: Embracing the Oxford Tutorial Method

Omega Graduate School’s commitment to the Oxford tutorial method sets its degree programs apart in American higher education. By adopting this centuries-old learning approach, OGS strongly emphasizes personalized, one-on-one instruction, creating a unique and highly effective educational experience. This method allows students to engage deeply with their subjects, fostering critical thinking and intellectual independence. OGS’s dedication to faith-learning integration within the framework of the Oxford tutorial method ensures that graduates are academically prepared and spiritually equipped for their chosen fields. This distinctive approach makes OGS a trailblazer in American higher education. It offers a transformative and holistic learning experience that empowers students to excel academically and make a meaningful impact in their communities and professions.

– Cameron, Euan. (1999). Early Modern Europe: An Oxford History. Oxford University Press. – Cross, F. L., and E. A. Livingstone, ed. (2005). The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 3rd Revised. Oxford University Press, USA. – Harrison, Brian Howard. (1984-2000). The History of Oxford University, Volumes 1-8. Oxford University Press. – Evans, G. R. (2010). The University of Oxford: A New History. I. B. Tauris. – McGrath, Alitster E. (2001-2003). A Scientific Theology, Volumes 1-3. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.

• International edition
• Australia edition
• Europe edition

UK universities brace for impact of sanctions against Russia

Most academics back research boycott but ‘there is a case for maintaining ties’, says Oxford professor

• Russia-Ukraine war: live news

Researchers at UK universities are bracing themselves for sanctions affecting science partnerships with Russia, including in climate science and space research, as the government seeks to isolate Vladimir Putin over the invasion of Ukraine.

Simon Marginson, a professor of higher education at the University of Oxford, said most academics would support a research boycott with heavy hearts and concerns for Russian colleagues.

“All the Russian academics I know oppose the war. The internal situation in Russia will get nastier and they will need solidarity, so there is a case for maintaining ties,” he said.

Germany announced that all collaboration with Russia on education and research was being halted immediately. Its ministry of education said Russia had “turned its back on the international community” by invading Ukraine and was committing a “grave breach of international law” with no justification.

This week George Freeman, the UK science minister, said he had ordered “a rapid review” of all Russian beneficiaries of UK science and technology funding.

Experts say possible sanctions could include a ban on British academics collaborating with Russian scientists, the freezing of any joint funding, and the exclusion of Russian scientists from reading or publishing in international scientific journals.

Prof Colin Riordan, the vice-chancellor of Cardiff University, a member of the prestigious Russell Group, said some Cardiff academics had withdrawn from events in Russia of their own accord. If the government were to tell his university to cut ties with Russia, it would do so because of the “bigger things at stake”.

But he said the government should be careful about any blanket ruling banning all collaboration with Russian academics. “We need to distinguish between the government and citizens of Russia who find themselves in an extremely difficult position,” he said.

Prof Steve West, the president of the vice-chancellors’ group Universities UK, told the Guardian: “I think we have to expect science sanctions. The position of universities is always that scientific collaboration and research are a vital global endeavour. However, what is happening is a challenge on democracy and the safety and stability of the free world.”

Academics in Russia, thousands of whom have signed open letters opposing the war, say their international relationships are fracturing. They say academics from across Europe are cancelling trips and pulling out of partnerships.

Almost 4,000 academics, students and graduates of the prestigious Moscow State University, Russia’s oldest university, have signed a letter saying they “categorically condemn the war that our country unleashed in Ukraine”.

The letter says: “There is no room for euphemisms or excuses. War is violence, cruelty, death, loss of loved ones, powerlessness and fear that cannot be justified by any goal.”

Another condemnatory open letter on Thursday had been signed by more than 15,000 Russian academics and students.

A senior Russian scientist, who asked not to be named for fear of reprisals, said some science leaders had been accused of “betraying the motherland” by speaking out against the war. Many were afraid to sign the letters because of a “culture of fear”.

“People in the west do not fully understand the pain we feel,” he said. “It is like England invading Scotland. Many of us have relatives in Ukraine or were born there.”

He said he knew academics in Russia who had written privately to research partners in the UK and other countries, stressing that they did not support the invasion of Ukraine, and expressing hope that they might find a way of continuing to work together.

A Russian scientist in St Petersburg, who said he had been chased by riot police this week, tweeted: “I’m so disgusted with rejection letters, invitation cancellations, grant withdrawals against Russian scholars from Western academics who fight Putinism by attacking those who have suffered from it for decades.”

A Russian climate scientist based at a leading Russell Group university in the UK, speaking on condition of anonymity, said his field work, which was based in Russia and involved Russian scientists in different disciplines, looked likely to grind to a halt. A joint expedition he had been planning with colleagues in Moscow has been cancelled. “Russia is such a huge territory and we will lose so much empirical data. This will be a really big blow for climate science.”

The scientist, who said he was “appalled and devastated” by the invasion of Ukraine, added: “The majority of academics in Russia are not fans of the current regime, and of course sanctions will strike right at them.”

Paul Nightingale, a professor of strategy at Sussex’s University’s science policy research unit, said measures should be adopted that would “be brutal and would achieve the aim of turning more people against Putin”.

In addition to curbs on collaboration and publishing, Britain and the US could consider offering five-year working visas to every Russian with a PhD, he said, to prompt a brain drain from the country, although he added that this could damage hopes of Russia becoming a more liberal society in the future.

Three ways you can help the people of Ukraine from the UK

Support local charities

There are several Ukrainian charities working on the ground.  Sunflower of Peace  is a charity that helps paramedics and doctors, and has been fundraising for supplies, which includes first aid medical tactical backpacks.

United Help Ukraine  focuses on providing medical supplies and humanitarian aid, and raising awareness of the conflict.

Voices of Children  aims to help children affected by the war in eastern Ukraine, providing support through art therapy, psychologists, video storytelling and a number of other methods.

The  British Red Cross  has launched an emergency appeal to help Ukraine. The charity will be updating its webpage with news on the work its team is doing, and how support will be used to help people.

Support local journalism

English-language news outlets based in the country, such as  Kyiv Independent  and the  New Voice of Ukraine , are covering developments on the ground as the conflict unfolds, using local journalists. The Kyiv Independent says it was created by journalists in order to defend editorial independence. This  site on Twitter  covers many local journalists in Ukraine.

Write to your local MP

This can be a way to lobby the British government to place further sanctions on the Russian government and its associates. You can get in touch with your local MP via email or post to their constituency address. Instructions on how to get in touch can be found on  parliament.uk.

Nightingale, formerly a director of special projects at the UK government’s Economic and Social Research Council, said he was in favour of sanctions to isolate Putin in the coming weeks, but they must be imposed carefully to avoid killing the possibility of useful academic diplomacy.

“Even during the worst of the cold war, American, European and Russian scientists would work together on important problems,” he said. “Those social networks provided really important back channels for communication.

“Unfortunately the people we would be hurting most in trying to damage Putin would be our friends.”

Isak Froumin, professor of higher education at the Higher School of Economics in Moscow, said global science had been very important to Putin’s regime. Until 2018 the Russian government was pushing universities hard to play more of a role in global science by collaborating with researchers abroad and publishing in international journals, he said. “International collaboration in science was considered absolutely necessary and prestigious.”

He added: “The idea that might be all broken is a great shock to scientists.”

Prof James Wilsdon, the director of the Research on Research Institute, based at Sheffield University, said the UK government was likely to focus sanctions on areas with strategic security implications for Russia, including climate science in the arctic and space research.

He warned that in the longer term ministers must be careful not to “choke off the good”. “Links in science are a very important part of maintaining what spark of freedom there is in Russia,” he said.

• Universities
• Higher education
• Science (Education)

Most viewed

• Utility Menu

Keutsch Research Group

Harvard university.

12 Oxford Street Cambridge, MA 02138

Alex Zaytsev

Contact Information

PhD in Higher Education – Educational Leadership Degree Shaping Organizations for Success

Credit Hours

View Courses

100% online, 8-week courses

Transfer in up to 50% of the degree total

Become an Authority in Academia with Liberty’s Online PhD in Higher Education Administration – Educational Leadership Degree Online

If you’re interested in pursuing a research-based career or opportunities in academia, Liberty University’s 100% online Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Higher Education Administration – Educational Leadership may be a great fit for you. Our higher education PhD online has been designed with your success in mind. Whether you’d like to become a department chair, the dean of a school, provost, or university president, our online doctorate in higher education administration can help you reach your career goals.

As of October 2020, 61.8% of high school graduates between the ages of 16 and 24 were enrolled at a college or university.* This statistic speaks to the importance of qualified higher education administrators. Millions of young Americans attend college in hopes of earning an education, boosting their earning potential, increasing their employability, and forging lifelong connections.

As a higher education administrator, you’ll play a crucial role in building and maintaining a university setting that students want to attend. The role of a university administrator isn’t just about negotiating with accrediting partners or providing feedback to department chairs — it’s about ensuring that the future of the world is in good hands.

*Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, at College Enrollment and Work Activity of Recent High School and College Graduates Summary (viewed online Dec. 2, 2022).

Ranked in the Top 10% of Niche.com’s Best Online Schools in America

• What Sets Us Apart?
• 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

Why Choose Liberty’s PhD in Higher Education Administration Degree – Educational Leadership?

Maybe you’ve always wanted to work in an academic setting, or perhaps you already do. Either way, there are numerous job opportunities available in academia. Liberty’s educational leadership and higher education PhD online could be your ticket to a well-paying career in student services, academics, faculty research, or higher education administration.

We recognize that your personal responsibilities don’t stop when you enroll in a degree program, which is why our doctorate in higher education online is offered 100% online in mostly 8-week courses with no required intensives. That way, you won’t have to worry about traveling to campus for classes or spend time away from your job, family, or community.

What Will You Study in Our PhD in Higher Education – Educational Leadership Degree Online?

In our PhD in Higher Education Administration – Educational Leadership, you can learn about teaching the college student, college and university administration, historical perspectives of higher education, and the economic impact of higher education. You will also study the specifics of accreditation.

In the educational leadership specialization, you’ll study issues and trends in technology and learning as well as policy analysis. You’ll also be able to choose between two courses: organizational analysis and problem-solving for educators, or conflict resolution. Our educational leadership cognate is rounded out by an elective course, which allows you to study a topic you’re most passionate about.

Upon completion of your core courses, you’ll begin to venture into dissertation preparation. The research courses in our online doctor of higher education include advanced educational statistics, quantitative and qualitative methods of research, and a dissertation literature review. You will also study research concepts and methodology as part of your research courses.

And finally, the dissertation portion of your degree will consist of multiple courses. Through these courses, you will choose a topic, research your topic, and present your findings to our School of Education faculty.

Potential Career Opportunities

• College/university administrator
• Curriculum specialist
• Educational consultant
• Program coordinator
• Student affairs director

Featured Courses

• EDUC 758 – Teaching the College Student
• EDUC 759 – College and University Administration
• EDUC 782 – Historical Perspectives of Higher Education
• EDUC 784 – Assessment and Accreditation

Degree Information

• This program falls under the School of Education .
• View the Graduate Education Course Guides (login required) .
• View the Doctoral Advising Guide .
• Most of our PhD courses are offered in an 8-week format; however, the dissertation courses are full-semester in length.

Degree Completion Plan (PDF)

Not sure what to choose?

Speak to one of our admissions specialists to help you choose the program that best fits your needs.

• Tuition & Aid

Your success is our success, which is why we are committed to providing quality academics at an affordable tuition rate. While other colleges are increasing their tuition, we have frozen tuition rates for the majority of our undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs for the past 9 years – and counting.

Eligible current and former military service members and their spouses may qualify for a special rate of $300/credit hour ( learn more ) .

All Tuition & Fees

Financial Aid & Scholarships

Financial Aid Forms & Eligibility

Scholarship Opportunities

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

Admission requirements.

• 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 .

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.

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 [email protected] .

Admissions Office Contact Information

(800) 424-9596

(888) 301-3577

Email for Questions

[email protected]

Email for Documents

[email protected]

Liberty University Online Admissions Verification

1971 University Blvd.

Lynchburg, VA 24515

Ready to Apply?

Submit your application online or over the phone.

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

Military Tuition Discount

We want to help you find the doctoral degree you want – at a price you’ve earned. As a thank-you for your military service, Liberty University offers eligible current and former service members like you or your spouse multiple pathways to earn a doctoral degree for only $300/credit hour . Find out how you can take advantage of this unique opportunity as you work toward your goal of reaching the pinnacle of your profession – for less.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the career potential look like for this field.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), postsecondary education administrators earned an average salary of $97,500 in 2020.** Demand for this career is expected to grow by 8% between 2020 and 2030, and the BLS projects that about 14,500 new postsecondary education administration positions will become available each year during the same time frame. If you’re interested in becoming a college administrator, our doctor of higher education is an excellent choice.

**Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, at Postsecondary Education Administrators (viewed online Sept. 29, 2021). Cited projections may not reflect local and/or short-term economic or job conditions and do not guarantee actual job growth.

What accreditation does Liberty University have?

Liberty University is accredited by SACSCOC , the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

What title can I use once I have earned this degree?

Upon successful completion of this degree program, you will have earned the title of “Doctor” – a title that commands respect in academic and business communities alike.

Inner Navigation

• Why Choose Liberty?
• What Will You Study?
• Admission Information

Have questions?

Are you ready to change your future?

Apply FREE This Week*

Request Information

*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.

Request Information About a Program

Request info about liberty university online, what program are you interested in, choose a program level.

Choose a program level

Bachelor’s

Master’s

Certificate

Select a Field of Study

Select a field of study

Select a Program

Select a program

Next: Contact Info

Legal full name.

Enter legal full name

Legal Last Name

Enter legal last name

Enter an email address

Enter a phone number

Full Address

Enter an address

Apt., P.O. Box, or can’t find your address? Enter it manually instead .

Select a Country

Street Address

Enter Street Address

Enter State

ZIP/Postal Code

Enter Zip Code

Back to automated address search

Start my application now for FREE

To please Putin, universities purge liberals and embrace patriots

Russian university leaders are imbuing the country’s education system with patriotism to favor Putin, quashing Western influences and dissent.

Two weeks before the start of his 25th year as Russia’s supreme political leader, Vladimir Putin made a sweeping proclamation: “Wars are won by teachers.”

The remark, which Putin repeated twice during his year-end news conference in December, shed light on a campaign he is waging that has received little attention outside wartime Russia: to imbue the country’s education system with patriotism, purge universities of Western influences, and quash any dissent among professors and students on campuses that are often hotbeds of political activism.

At St. Petersburg State University, this meant dismantling a prestigious humanities program called the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Sciences. For more than a decade, until May 2022, the faculty — or college — was led by Alexei Kudrin, a liberal economist and former finance minister who had been a close associate of Putin’s since the early 1990s, when they were deputy mayors together in St. Petersburg.

“We had many classes on U.S. history, American political life, democracy and political thought, as well as courses on Russian history and political science, history of U.S.-Russian relations, and even a course titled ‘The ABCs of War: Causes, Effects, Consequences,’” said a student at the faculty, also known as Smolny College. “They are all gone now,” the student said, speaking on the condition of anonymity for fear of retribution.

About this series

In a radical reshaping of Russia’s education system, curriculums are being redrawn to stress patriotism and textbooks rewritten to belittle Ukraine, glorify Russia and whitewash the totalitarian Soviet past. These changes — the most sweeping to schooling in Russia since the 1930s — are a core part of Putin’s effort to harness the war in Ukraine to remaster his country as a regressive, militarized state.

Since the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, leaders of Russian universities, which are overwhelmingly funded by the state, have zealously adopted the Kremlin’s intolerance of any dissent or self-organization, according to an extensive examination by The Washington Post of events on campuses across Russia, including interviews with students and professors both still in the country and in exile.

Professors who spoke out against the war, or allowed safe spaces for students to question it, have been fired. Students who picketed or posted on social media for peace were expelled.

Meanwhile, those who volunteer to fight in Ukraine have been celebrated in line with Putin’s promises that war heroes and their descendants will become the new Russian elite, with enhanced social benefits, including special preference for children seeking to enter top academic programs. Normally, such programs require near-perfect grades and high scores on competitive exams — uniform standards that applicants from all societal backgrounds have relied on for decades.

And the most fundamental precept of academic life — the freedom to think independently, to challenge conventional assumptions and pursue new, bold ideas — has been eroded by edicts that classrooms become echo chambers of the authoritarian nativism and historical distortions that Putin uses to justify his war and his will.

As a result, a system of higher learning that once was a beacon for students across the developing world is now shutting itself off from peer academies in the West, severing one of the few ties that had survived years of political turbulence. Freedom of thought is being trampled, if not eradicated. Eminent scholars have fled for positions abroad, while others said in interviews that they are planning to do so.

At the Russian State University for the Humanities in Moscow, officials last July created the Ivan Ilyin Higher Political School, which is now being led by Alexander Dugin, a fervent pro-Putin and Orthodox Christian ideologue who was tasked with “revising domestic scientific and educational paradigms and bringing them into line with our traditional Russian spiritual and moral values.”

“There has been a catastrophic degradation in Western humanitarian history,” Dugin said at a January seminar on transforming Russian humanities education. “This is evidenced by gender problems, postmodernism and ultraliberalism. We can study the West, but not as the ultimate universal truth. We need to focus on our own Russian development model.”

How we reported ‘Russia, Remastered’

Last month, students pushed an online petition to protest the naming of the school after Ilyin, a philosopher who defended Hitler and Mussolini in World War II and advocated for the return of czarist autocracy in Russia. In a statement to Tass, the state-controlled news service, the university denounced the petition as “part of the information war of the West and its supporters against Russia” and asserted, without providing evidence, that the group behind it had no connection to students at the school.

Programs specializing in the liberal arts and sciences are primary targets because they are viewed as breeding grounds for dissent. Major universities have cut the hours spent studying Western governments, human rights and international law, and even the English language.

“We were destroyed,” said Denis Skopin, a philosophy professor at Smolny College who was fired for criticizing the war. “Because the last thing people who run universities need are unreliable actors who do the ‘wrong’ thing, think in a different way, and teach their students to do the same.”

The demise of

Smolny College

The demise of Smolny College

St. Petersburg State University, commonly known as SPbU, has long been one of Russia’s premier academies of higher learning. It is the alma mater of both Putin, who graduated with a degree in law in 1975, and former president Dmitry Medvedev, who received his law degree 12 years later and now routinely threatens nuclear strikes on the West as deputy chairman of Russia’s national security council.

In many ways, the university has become the leader in reprisals against students and staff not loyal to the Kremlin, with one newspaper dubbing it the “repressions champion” of Russian education. Its halls have become a microcosm of modern Russia in which conservatives in power are pushing out the few remaining Western-oriented liberals.

Like other aspects of Putin’s remastering of Russia — such as patriotic mandates in the arts and the redrawing of the role of women to focus on childbearing — the shift in education started well before the invasion of Ukraine. In 2021, Russia ended a more than 20-year-old exchange program between Smolny College and Bard College in New York state by designating the private American liberal arts school an “undesirable” organization.

Jonathan Becker, Bard’s vice president for academic affairs and a professor of political studies, said the demise of Smolny was emblematic of a wider shift in Russia as well as a new intolerance of the West.

“A huge number of faculty have been let go, several departments closed, core liberal arts programs which focus on critical thinking have been eliminated,” Becker said. “All of that has happened, and it’s not just happened at Smolny — it has happened elsewhere. But we were doubly problematic because we both represent critical thinking and partnership with the West. And neither of those are acceptable in present-day Russia.”

In October 2022, in a scene captured on video and posted on social media, dozens of students gathered in a courtyard to bid a tearful goodbye to Skopin, Smolny’s cherished philosophy professor who was fired for an “immoral act” — protesting Putin’s announcement of a partial military mobilization to replenish his depleted forces in Ukraine.

The month before, according to court records and interviews, Skopin was arrested at an antiwar rally. He ended up sharing a jail cell with another professor, Artem Kalmykov, a young mathematician who had recently finished his PhD at the University of Zurich.

That fall, the university launched an overhaul that all but shut Smolny College and replaced the curriculum with a thoroughly revamped arts and humanities program.

The dismantling of Smolny marked the resolution of a years-long feud between Kudrin, the liberal-economist dean, and Nikolai Kropachev, the university rector, whom tutors and students described as a volatile character with a passion for building ties in the highest echelons of the government.

It’s hard to describe the insane level of anxiety the students felt at the start of the invasion, and I’d say 99 percent of them were against it.”

Denis Skopin

Former philosophy professor at Smolny College

It’s hard to describe the insane level of anxiety the students felt at the start of the invasion, and I’d say

99 percent of them were against it.”

It’s hard to describe the insane level

of anxiety the students felt at the start

of the invasion, and I’d say 99 percent

of them were against it.”

It’s hard to describe the insane level of anxiety

the students felt at the start of the invasion,

and I’d say 99 percent of them were against it.”

In February, Sergei Naryshkin, the head of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service, sent a heartfelt birthday message to Kropachev, thanking him for his “civic and political activity” and for “comprehensive assistance in replenishing personnel.”

One student described how Kropachev once interrupted a meeting with students and hinted that he needed to take a call from Putin, in what the student viewed as a boast of his direct access to the Russian leader. Both St. Petersburg State University and Moscow State University were assigned a special status in 2009, under which their rectors are appointed personally by the president.

Skopin, who earned his PhD in France, and his cellmate, Kalmykov, were perfect examples of the type of academic that Russia aspired to attract from the early 2000s to the mid-2010s — enticed after studying abroad to bring knowledge home amid booming investment in higher education. But by 2022, the system seemed to have no need for them.

Video of the gathering in the courtyard shows students erupting in sustained applause, and one student coming forward to hug Skopin.

“It’s hard to describe the insane level of anxiety the students felt at the start of the invasion, and I’d say 99 percent of them were against it,” Skopin said.

After his dismissal, some students tried to fight the administration’s plan to dismantle the Smolny program.

“At one point we found ourselves in a situation where out of 30 original faculty staff, we had just three tutors left,” said Polina Ulanovskaya, a sociology student and activist who led the student union. “And the quality of education definitely suffered, especially all of the politics-related classes.”

Ulanovskaya said that on the political science track, only two professors have stayed, and many classes were eliminated, including a human rights course. There are now just two courses offered in English, down from 21.

With every new professor, Ulanovskaya said, she felt a need to test the waters. Would the word “gender” trigger them? Could she say something opposition-leaning? What would be a red flag?

Ulanovskaya opted out of writing a thesis on her main research topic — Russian social movements, politicization of workers and historic-preservation activists — out of fear that it would be blacklisted. Instead, she wrote about Uruguay.

“The main problem at the faculty now is that there is no freedom and especially no sense of security,” she said. “I guess there is no such thing anywhere in Russia now ... you can’t trust anyone in any university.”

A few weeks after The Post interviewed Ulanovskaya last fall, she was expelled, formally for failing an exam, but she and Skopin said they believe it was retaliation for her activism.

Another student, Yelizaveta Antonova, was supposed to get her bachelor’s degree in journalism just days after legendary Novaya Gazeta newspaper reporter Yelena Milashina was brutally beaten in Chechnya, the small Muslim-majority republic in southern Russia under the dictatorial rule of Ramzan Kadyrov.

Antonova, who interned at Novaya Gazeta and looked up to Milashina, felt she could not accept her diploma without showing support for her colleague. She and a roommate printed a photo of Milashina, depicting the reporter’s shaved head and bandaged hands, to stage a demonstration at their graduation ceremony — much to the dismay of other classmates, who sought to block the protest.

“They essentially prevented us from going on stage,” Antonova said. “So we did it outside of the law school, and we felt it was extra symbolic because Putin and Medvedev studied in these halls.”

They held up the poster for about half an hour, until another student threatened them by saying riot police were on the way to arrest them. Antonova believes the protest cost her a spot in graduate school, where she hoped to continue her research comparing Russia’s media landscape before and after the invasion.

Eight months after the graduation ceremony, authorities launched a case against Antonova and her roommate for staging an unauthorized demonstration — an administrative offense that is punishable by a fine and puts people on law enforcement’s radar. Antonova left the country to continue her studies abroad.

Ideological divides

The history college at St. Petersburg State has long been a battleground for various ideologies, with cliques ranging from conservatives and Kremlin loyalists to unyielding opposition-minded liberals, according to interviews with students and professors.

The February 2022 invasion of Ukraine caused a deeper split. Some students and professors openly praised Putin’s “special military operation,” as the Kremlin called the war, while others joined rallies against it.

“The war gave them carte blanche,” said Michael Martin, 22, a former star at the college — to which he was automatically admitted after winning two nationwide academic competitions and where he earned straight A’s.

Martin was a leader of the student council, which on the day of the invasion issued an antiwar manifesto quickly drafted in a cafe.

Another history student, Fedor Solomonov, took the opposite view and praised the special military operation on social media. When Solomonov was called up as part of the mobilization, he declined to take a student deferral and went to fight. He died on the front on April 1, 2023.

Soon after Solomonov’s death, screenshots from internal chats where students often debated history and politics were leaked and went viral on pro-war Telegram channels. In some, Martin and other classmates expressed antiwar sentiments, while another showed a message — allegedly written by an assistant professor, Mikhail Belousov — vaguely describing events in Ukraine as “Rashism,” a wordplay combining “Russia” and “fascism.”

In an aggressive online campaign, pro-war activists demanded that Belousov, who denied writing the message, be fired and that the antiwar students, whom they labeled “a pro-Ukrainian organized crime group,” be expelled.

“A cell of anti-Russian students led by a Russophobe associate professor is operating at the history faculty,” read posts on Readovka, a radical outlet with 2.5 million followers. “They are rabid liberals who hate their country.” Belousov was dismissed and seven students, including Martin, were accused of desecrating Solomonov’s memory and expelled.

Belousov has gone underground and could not be reached for comment.

“They essentially tried to make me do the Sieg Heil,” Martin said, recalling the expulsion hearing, where he said the committee repeatedly asked leading questions trying to get him to say the war was justified. The committee also asked him repeatedly about Solomonov.

“I said he was for the war and I was against it — we could argue about that,” Martin said. “I didn’t find anything funny or interesting in this — I’m truly sorry for what happened to him, but at the same time, I don’t think that he did something good or great by going to war.”

Martin said that as the war raged on, the university began “glorifying death” and praising alumni who had joined the military.

This narrative also warped the curriculum.

A few weeks into the invasion, the school introduced a class on modern Ukrainian history, with a course description asserting that Ukrainian statehood is based “on a certain mythology.”

They essentially tried to make me do the Sieg Heil.”

Michael Martin

Former student at St. Petersburg State University

Belousov, the former assistant professor, criticized a course titled “The Great Patriotic War: No Statute of Limitations,” taught by an instructor with a degree in library science. The key message of the course is that the Soviet Union had no role in the start of World War II — a denial of Russia’s joint invasion of Poland with Nazi Germany in 1939.

According to a government document reviewed by The Post, Russia’s Higher Education Ministry plans to introduce this course at other universities to ensure the “civic-patriotic and spiritual-moral education of youth,” specifically future lawyers, teachers and historians, and to “correct false ideas.”

“These are obviously propaganda courses that are aimed at turning historians into court apologists,” Martin said.

Martin was expelled days before he was supposed to defend his thesis. He quickly left the country after warnings that he and his classmates could be charged with discrediting the army, a crime punishable by up to 15 years in prison. A criminal case was initiated against Belousov on charges of rehabilitating Nazism.

“This is all very reminiscent of the Stalinist 1930s purges,” Martin said. “The limit of tolerated protest now is to sit silently and say nothing. There is despair at the faculty and a feeling that they have crushed everything.”

New Russian elite

To lure more Russian men to fight in Ukraine, the government has promised their families various sweeteners, including cheap mortgages, large life insurance payments and education benefits for their children.

In 2022, Putin approved changes to education laws to grant children of soldiers who fought in Ukraine admissions preferences at Russia’s best universities — schools that normally accept only students with near-perfect exam scores and impressive high school records.

Now, at least 10 percent of all fully funded university spots must be allocated to students eligible for the military preference. Those whose fathers were killed or wounded do not need to pass entry exams.

The new law solidified a previous Putin decree that gave special preferences to soldiers and their children. In the 2023-24 academic year, about 8,500 students were enrolled based on these preferences, government officials said. According to an investigation by the Russian-language outlet Important Stories, nearly 900 students were admitted to 13 top universities through war quotas, with most failing to meet the normal exam score threshold.

In areas of Ukraine captured by Russian forces since February 2022, a different takeover of the education system is underway, with Moscow imposing its curriculum and standards just as it did after invading and illegally annexing Crimea in 2014.

For the 2023-24 academic year, according to the Russian prime minister’s office, more than 5 percent of fully state-financed tuition stipends — roughly 37,000 out of 626,000 — were allocated for students at universities in Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson or Zaporizhzhia, the four occupied or partly occupied areas of Ukraine that Putin has claimed to be annexed.

The relatively large allocation of tuition aid in occupied areas shows how financial assistance and education are central to Putin’s effort to seize lands in southeast Ukraine and absorb its population into Russia in violation of international law.

Deans of several leading Russian universities have made highly publicized trips to occupied Ukraine to urge students there to enroll into Russian schools, part of a multipronged effort to bring residents into Moscow’s orbit.

The Moscow-based Higher School of Economics, once considered Russia’s most liberal university, recently established patronage over universities in Luhansk, with Rector Nikita Anisimov often traveling there.

An inward turn

A few weeks after the invasion started, Moscow abandoned the Bologna Process , a pan-European effort to align higher education standards, as Russia’s deans and rectors strove to show they weren’t susceptible to foreign influence.

Higher Education Minister Valery Falkov said Russian universities would undergo significant changes in the next half-decade, overseen by the national program “Priority 2030,” which envisions curriculums that ensure “formation of a patriotic worldview in young people.”

Soon after Russia quit the Bologna Process, Smolny College was targeted for overhaul.

“The decision was an expected but distinct shift from the more liberal model of Russian higher education policy that emerged after the collapse of the Soviet Union,” said Victoria Pardini, a program associate at the Kennan Institute, a Washington think tank focused on Russia.

Another prestigious school, the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, canceled its liberal arts program in 2022 after authorities accused it of “destroying national values.”

In mid-October 2023, the Higher Education Ministry ordered universities to avoid open discussion of “negative political, economic and social trends,” according to a publicly disclosed report by British intelligence. “In the longer term, this will likely further the trend of Russian policymaking taking place in an echo-chamber,” the report concluded.

Russia’s position among

countries by number of

scholarly papers published

Source: Institute for Statistical Studies and Economics

of Knowledge

Russia’s position among countries by

number of scholarly papers published

Source: Institute for Statistical Studies and Economics of Knowledge

Russia’s position among countries by number of

Many international exchange programs have been canceled — some because Russian students now have difficulty obtaining visas. Still, a heavy brain drain is underway. “All those who could — they left the country,” Skopin said of his students. “Those who can’t are thrashing around as if they are in a cage.”

Martin is among those who got out — he was recently accepted into a prestigious master’s program abroad and plans to continue his research into 19th-century Australian federalism.

Skopin now teaches in Berlin and is a member of Smolny Beyond Borders, an education program that seeks funding to cover the tuition of students who leave Russia because of their political views. As of late 2023, an estimated 700 students were enrolled.

Fees and funding

Graduate study at Oxford is a rewarding experience, but also a significant investment. We seek applications from students of the very highest calibre, irrespective of background or personal circumstances. 

This section provides information about the wide variety of funding opportunities available at Oxford and helps you to calculate your living costs.

Oxford funding

Find out more about scholarships, Research Council funding and studentships. 

External funding

Guidance on the external funding and resources that might be available to you.

Information about UK master’s loans, US loans and other loan schemes.

Fees and other charges

Detailed information on course fees and other fees.

Living costs

Calculate how much it will cost to live in Oxford.

Financial Declaration

Information on Oxford’s Financial Declaration process.

Funding opportunities for graduate students

There are many opportunities to fund your study at Oxford, many of which also offer further benefits and opportunities to enrich your experience of graduate life.

Can't find what you're looking for?

If you have a query about graduate admissions at Oxford, we're here to help:

Ask a question