Evolve Your Leadership Skills Into a Fulfilling Career
Leveraging dynamic online learning tools and forward-thinking course design, the online Doctorate of Education (EdD) in Leadership and Higher Education at St. Edward’s equips current and aspiring leaders with the skills they need to thrive in the rapidly changing world of postsecondary education.
Throughout this program, you’ll gain the knowledge and abilities to identify and address critical issues challenging all aspects of postsecondary adult education, anywhere postsecondary education takes place, including colleges and universities, businesses, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations.
You’ll complete a series of Core, Research and Concentration courses in an accelerated format, and you’ll be able to conduct practice-based dissertation research while completing your coursework. Inspired by the university’s Holy Cross mission, the program’s unique curriculum prepares you to make the world a better place through content-related courses and independent research.
Why earn your EdD in Higher Education at St. Edward’s?
St. Edward’s offers small, interactive classes and convenient schedules, a highly accomplished faculty, a prime location in Austin, and relationships with employers who seek out our graduates. Our impeccable academic standards and personalized approach prepare you to take on a whole new level of success.
Take advantage of flexibility
Offered 100% online, this 60-credit-hour program is ideal for full-time working professionals and can be completed in as little as 39 months. Courses are offered in a 7-week accelerated format and are taken one at a time, with two courses taken per semester.
Learn from experts
Our outstanding faculty members are practicing professionals and consultants in the field who teach from real-life cases and the latest insights. They’ll get to know you and become trusted advisors during and after your time on the hilltop.
Broaden your professional network
Learn and network in interactive, discussion-based classes with colleagues and professors who are well-connected in the workplace and driven to create a more just world. Collaborate on tackling solutions that directly apply to your profession.
Customize your degree
Design a doctor of education degree program that suits your unique needs and interests. Choose from a selection of more than 10 concentration courses focused in two areas: Higher Education, and Organizational Leadership and Change.
Reap the Rewards of Austin
Austin is one of the fastest-growing cities in the U.S., and home to nearly 100 Fortune 500 firms. Our Austin location, partnerships and connections allow you to immerse yourself in the city’s vibrant academic, business, government and nonprofit environments.
What do our graduates do?
Graduates of the Doctorate in Education program excel in a variety of careers after earning their degree at St. Edward’s. Our EdD alumni are making an impact across numerous organizations, sharing their expertise through teaching and training.
Their employers include:
- The University of Texas at Austin
- The University of Texas at Dallas
- Concordia University Texas
- Holy Cross College
- Texas Southern University
- American Association for Adult & Continuing Education
- City of Houston
- Houston ISD
- City of Austin
- Austin ISD
- Pflugerville ISD
- Bridgemont International School
- Sandy Spring Friends School
- SaulPaul Foundation
- Obsidian Solutions Group
- Defense Language Institute
- Experian Consumer Services
Explore Details About the EdD in Higher Education
The Doctorate of Education in Leadership and Higher Education prepares the next generation of leaders for the constantly evolving field of postsecondary education. Program Director Tom Sechrest explains how this St. Edward’s University program uniquely prepares graduates for future success and impact.
Learning Goals:
Upon completion of the online Doctorate of Education in Leadership and Higher Education program, you’ll be able to:
- Critically examine innovative ways to lead within the context of post-secondary education
- Use data analytics in a leadership capacity to inform the resolution of complex issues facing organizations
- Demonstrate capacity to lead complex adaptive systems in a constantly changing world
- Provide theoretically informed recommendations for complex organizational issues through the lens of social justice
- Develop strategies that address real-world issues through practice-based research
- Demonstrate both oral and written communication skills sufficient to be recognized as a competent leader in organizations
Career Outcomes:
The career outlook for postsecondary education administrators is strong, with a national median salary of $115,180 (BLS, 2024).
The EdD degree allows higher education administrators, change management experts, training professionals, nonprofit executives, and all those who straddle the worlds of teaching and training to specialize in Leadership and Higher Education to broaden their knowledge, increase the scope of their skills, and expand their professional network.
The online Doctorate of Education in Leadership and Higher Education is a 60-credit hour program designed to be completed in 39 months while taking two accelerated courses per semester. Courses are offered in a 7-week accelerated online format, with two 7-week terms roughly equaling the length of a traditional semester. This allows students to focus deeply on content while only taking one course at a time. Students can start their studies in the fall or spring semesters.
Curriculum and Concentrations
The program curriculum includes 8 core courses (24 credit hours), 7 research courses (21 credit hours) and 5 concentration courses (15 credit hours). Students select one of two concentrations:
- Higher Education, for those interested in leading at institutions of higher education
- Organizational Leadership and Change, for those interested in leading in non-institutional contexts.
Concentrations allow students to target their attention to the distinctive requirements of 21st-century educational issues in those environments.
Dissertation Research
Students complete a culminating research project involving an issue of practice in their area of interest, written up in a dissertation. The research courses that support the refinement of practice-based research skills allow students to complete their dissertation research while taking coursework, a unique aspect of this EdD curriculum.
Core Courses
- Leadership in the 21st Century: Current Trends, Emerging Possibilities
- Demystifying Doctoral Research and Writing
- Introduction to Digital Learning Environments
- Discerning the Past and Leading the Future of Education
- Ethical Decision-making: Global Issues, Frameworks and Approaches
- Managing Resources: Economic and Financial Issues
- Socially-Conscious Leadership
- Predictive Analytics in Higher Education and Leadership
Research Courses
- Research Methods I: Introduction to Practice-based Research
- Research Methods II: Literature Review
- Research Methods III: Introduction to Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Research
- Research Methods IV: Introduction to Analysis and Interpretation
- Dissertation Writing Seminar I: Final Methodology Overview
- Dissertation Writing Seminar II: Crafting the Analysis, Interpretation, and Findings
- Dissertation Research: Final Defense
Higher Education Concentration Courses
- Design Thinking: Creativity and Innovation
- Leading Strategically in Higher Education
- Systemic Inquiry: Leading in Crisis and Complexity
- The Legal, Ethical and Moral Responsibilities of Higher Education Institutions
- Conflict Analysis and Resolution
- Special Topics (when need or opportunity arises)
Organizational Leadership and Change Concentration Courses
- Design Thinking: Creativity and Innovation
- Principles and Practices of Organizational Change
- Systemic Inquiry: Leading in Crisis and Complexity
- Mentoring and Coaching for Leadership Success
- Conflict Analysis and Resolution
- Special Topics (when need or opportunity arises)
For detailed degree requirements and course descriptions, please see the Graduate Bulletin or request more information.
At $55,920, the Doctorate of Education (EdD) in Leadership and Higher Education degree is a smart investment. The knowledge and skills acquired in this program prepare you for career advancement opportunities and rewarding work within the postsecondary education field.
Tuition* includes all course fees but does not include books, comprehensive fees, or other course materials. Once accepted to the program, you are required to submit a $500 non-refundable tuition deposit. Deposits are applied toward tuition and secure your place in the upcoming class.
*Tuition is subject to change at the discretion of the St. Edward’s University Board of Trustees.
Financial Aid
The St. Edward’s University Financial Aid Office provides information about financial aid opportunities available to doctoral students. Please visit our Financial Aid page or call us at (512) 387-3110 if you are interested in additional details.
To apply for the online Doctorate of Education (EdD) in Leadership and Higher Education program, applicants are required to have a master’s degree from an accredited university. Review application steps and requirements for the program as well as key dates: Application Deadlines and Checklist
Take the Next Step
Are you interested in knowing more about our online Doctorate of Education program? Fill out our Request Information form or call 512-326-7501 to take the next step.