Executive Ed.D. in Higher Education Leadership

Empowering Equity-Minded and Entrepreneurial Leaders

The Executive Ed.D. is a doctoral program in Higher Education Leadership launched in 2019 explicitly designed for working professionals aspiring to high-level administrative and executive roles in higher education. We develop students who will lead dynamic organizations in an increasingly complex world. Our courses are taught by renowned faculty and higher education administrators with years of experience in advancing the values of equity, diversity, and inclusion. Courses are offered on the UT Austin campus, with some online components.

Program Features

Practitioner-focused curriculum
Flexible schedule designed for current and aspiring executives
Real-world, real-time application
Cohort model: team collaboration, networking, shared learning
Designed for completion in 30-36 months
Face-to-face contact with renowned faculty, combined with eLearning

Key Competencies You Will Gain

Social justice, inclusion, and equity foundations
Assessment, evaluation, and research
Law, policy, and governance
Organization and human resources
Leadership
Student success and learning
Technology in education

This program starts in the summer semester only. You must select the “summer” semester in the ApplyTexas application. If you apply to the wrong semester or incorrect program track in the Educational Leadership and Policy department in the ApplyTexas application, you could be subject to additional application fees.

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About Our Program

Current Students

Faculty

Juan Gonzalez

Professor of Practice

Expertise in student affairs leadership and administration, improving the college student experience, and expanding access to higher education for first-generation college students.

Michael Nava

Associate Professor of Practice, Faculty Director

Works in support of first-generation, low-income and underserved populations in the areas of student development, retention, academic support, assessment and advising.

Pedro Reyes

Ashbel Smith Professor of Education Policy

Focuses on school conditions that foster high academic success for children of poverty, stratification of learning opportunities for children of color, and on state policy that facilitates student success across the education pipeline.

Victor B. Sáenz

Professor, Chair

W. K. Kellogg Professor of Community College Leadership

Leads the Project MALES (Mentoring to Achieve Latino Educational Success Initiative focused on Latino males in education; seeks to advance research-informed policy solutions that enhance educational outcomes for underserved students in secondary and post-secondary education.

Patricia Somers

Associate Professor

Serves as a faculty affiliate in Women’s and Gender Studies and Lozano Long Institute for Latin American Studies. Researches topics such as campus safety, higher education law, academic freedom, and higher education in Brazil.

Luis Urrieta, Jr.

Professor, Program Coordinator

Charles H. Spence, Sr. Centennial Professor in Education

Follows trends around cultural and racial identities, agency, migration, and social movements in education.

Joe Wilcox

Specialist, Program Director

Expertise in Title IV policy and administration and higher education fundraising. Focuses on issues of college affordability, under-represented student recruitment, and donor relations.

Faculty in Residence

Gerardo De Los Santos Senior Fellow, Civitas Learning	Martha Ellis President, Mellis LLC Professor of Practice
David Gardner Adjunct Professor Interests include higher education policy and planning focused on expanding participation in higher education, improving graduation rates, and ensuring success in the workforce.	Molly Beth Malcolm Executive Vice President of Campus Operations and Public Affairs, Austin Community College (ACC)
Emma Mancha-Sumners Adjunct Assistant Professor	Mark Milliron Vice-President and Executive Dean of WGU Teachers College
Gage E. Paine Professor of Practice A former Vice President for Student Affairs at UT Austin who focuses on leadership development for individuals and teams as founder of Gage Paine Consulting, LLC.	Colette Pierce Burnette President, Huston-Tillotson University
Richard Rhodes President/ CEO, Austin Community College (ACC)	Ericka Roland Assistant Professor of Practice Focuses on critical teaching and learning with an emphasis on leadership development, relationships, and curriculum and pedagogy.
Justin T. Samuel Assistant Professor of Practice Focuses research on South Asian American college students, diversity training efficacy for student leaders, and work/life integration for student affairs administrators.