St. Thomas University
St. Thomas University appears in our ranking of 10 Most Affordable Doctorate in Organizational Leadership Online.
St. Thomas University originated in 1961 as Biscayne College after its Augustinian founder, Father Edward McCarthy, was liberated from a Havana prison. Modeled after the Universidad de Santo Tomas de Villanueva, it initially only prepared Roman Catholic men for service. By 1984, the Archdiocese of Miami pushed for its Florida Legislature charter for four-year, coed schooling. Name soon changed, St. Thomas University conferred its first doctoral degree, the Juris Doctor, in February 1995. During Monsignor Casale's 2000s tenure, the Graduate School launched online programs, including the Ed.D. in Leadership and Innovation. Budgeting $55 million, STU now extends beyond its 130-acre Wynwood Art District campus near Downtown to serve 6,257 Bobcats anywhere. Linked to 10,429 LinkedIn graduates, St. Thomas University has trained leaders Miguel DÃaz, David Gettleman, Ana Navarro, and Georgina Picos.
The U.S. News & World Report ranked St. Thomas the 85th best Southern college with 67 percent retention. On Niche, STU boasts America's 72nd best Catholic education, 196th most diversity, 266th best small classes, and 351st most qualified faculty. The Princeton Review placed St. Thomas University third nationally for minority students in 2015. Similarly, Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education magazine named STU first for Latino/a lawyers. Money magazine deemed St. Thomas the 620th best value overall. PayScale recorded a median mid-career income of $81,600 for St. Thomas University alumni. Washington Monthly picked STU 608th among master's institutions with the 285th most service. The Economist honored St. Thomas University for the 220th most value-added teaching. College Values Online also positioned STU 31st among the country's Doctor of Education degrees.
St. Thomas University Accreditation Details
In 2013, St. Thomas University upheld its institutional commitment to student achievement by passing the 10-year reaffirmation review process with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to keep Level VI accreditation under its 10th president, Dr. David Armstrong, a Rhodes Scholar. Based 662 miles north via Interstate 75 in Decatur, this credible 11-state Lower Atlantic accreditor is recognized by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) to check the academic astuteness of STU's 30 baccalaureate, 24 master's, and five doctoral offerings. The Christian university was accredited by the Association of Theological Schools (ATS) through 2019. Please note that St. Thomas doesn't hold approval from the Council on Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) though.
St. Thomas University Application Requirements
Logging into St. Thomas University is labeled "moderately difficult" by Peterson's because only 1,040 of the 2,538 Fall 2017 applicants were admitted for selective 40 percent acceptance. Post-grad Bobcats prowling for the Online Ed.D. in Leadership and Innovation must already hold an accredited master's. At least 30 credits beyond the baccalaureate are required, but up to 18 credits can transfer. Each course should be graded "C" or better for a minimum 2.6 GPA. Having Florida or out-of-state teaching licensure and experience may be preferred. Sitting for the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) or its MAT equivalent is wholly optional. If taken, scores are generally above 146 for Verbal and 145 for Quantitative. International candidates to the Graduate School must be English proficient and meet the 79 TOEFL iBT, 6.0 IELTS, or 50 PTE mark. Non-U.S. citizens also need to provide a passport copy and financial guarantee form.
St. Thomas University has multiple start dates for interested Online Doctor of Education students roughly every two months. Therefore, the application deadlines are currently August 13th for Fall I, October 8th for Fall II, December 24th for Spring I, February 18th for Spring II, April 15th for Summer I, and June 18th for Summer II. Document deadlines are usually 10 days after these dates. The Graduate School Application is easily submitted online for $60 with digital transcripts by EScrip. If needed, official forms can be mailed to Mimi Dooner Hall at 16401 NW 37th Avenue in Miami Gardens, FL 33054. Doctoral candidates traditionally attach test scores, two recommendations, their résumé, and a typed purpose statement. Please contact (305) 474-6073 or [email protected] for further admission questions.
Tuition and Financial Aid
For 2017-18, St. Thomas University reported average traditional full-time graduate tuition of $14,076 yearly. Added expenses included the $180 supplemental health plan fee, $250 international student fee, $105 laboratory fee, and $631 audit course fee. Living at the Broward County campus' single-suite graduate housing like Villanova Hall cost $7,000. That's before the $2,912 transportation and $850 textbook estimates were integrated. Annual STU attendance in Miami can top $34,972 by year. However, the Graduate School cuts several of these prices with 100 percent online study. The Ed.D. in Leadership and Innovation presently bills $816 per credit or $2,450 for each three-credit course. Over three years, the doctoral total equals $49,000.
According to the NCES College Navigator, the Financial Aid Office helps 100 percent of starting, full-time STU Bobcats prey on median assistance offers of $18,336 each for $13.27 million combined. University funds include the Honor Scholarship, International Student Award, Deans Scholarship, Catholic School Scholarship, Academy of Finance Scholarship, and Miami-Dade Transfer Scholarship. All Online Doctor of Education students qualify for a one-time $5,000 scholarship that reduces tuition to $733 per credit. The Miami Foundation offers programs like the Jose Antonio Ortega Sr. Scholarship and Judge Sidney Aronovitz Scholarship. Submitting FAFSA applications coded 001468 after October 1st can provide Federal Unsubsidized or Graduate Plus loans. The Florida Pre-Paid College Program might have leftover savings. Sunshine State natives might pursue the Minority Teachers Education Scholarship with minimum 2.5 GPAs. External doctoral options, such as the Phi Delta Kappa Scholarships, Education Pioneers Fellowship, or Finis Engleman Scholarship, can apply too.
Online Degree(s) Available
At St. Thomas University, the Graduate School utilizes Blackboard to navigate accelerated, eight-week courses for one bachelor's, 10 master's, and one doctoral degree online. Though virtual, the learning community fosters close connections between students and mentors at an 11:1 ratio to develop "Leaders for Life." Other online benefits include the OIT tech services, University Library access, Dissertation Bootcamp, Open House, Catholic identity, CONTACT newsletter, and Career Services department. Post-master's students could pursue the following:
Ed.D. in Leadership and Innovation
Chaired by Dr. Delois Maxwell, a Web Initiative in Teaching Faculty Award winner, St. Thomas' Ed.D. in Leadership and Innovation develops versatile administrative skills for helping organizations reach performance goals. The 60-credit, SACS-accredited major spans 36 months online to train results-focused managers for executive jobs growing 8 percent through 2026. Required courses like Cross-Cultural Relations, Public Policy, Qualitative Research, and Accountability have 24/7 access to accommodate schedules, even during the dissertation.