EdD in Higher Education

Are you a working professional in higher education looking to move up to an administrative position?

Whether you’re working in student affairs or academic affairs — or any division, UCF’s Higher Education track in the EdD in Educational Leadership program is designed to equip you with the tools and knowledge to lead with vision and purpose.

Grounded in applied research and organizational strategy, the curriculum explores key topics such as higher education law, public policy, curriculum and instruction, strategic planning, student success and access in postsecondary systems. You'll engage in critical inquiry while strengthening your ability to respond to shifting demographics, economic pressures and innovations in teaching and learning.

What sets UCF apart is our commitment to scholar-practitioner leadership. You’ll learn alongside experienced faculty who bring both academic expertise and real-world insight — faculty who have led in student affairs, academic affairs, enrollment and higher ed policy. Through mentorship, collaborative research and practitioner-focused coursework, you’ll bridge theory with practice and cultivate solutions that reflect your institutional context and leadership goals.

Our Higher Education track is designed with working professionals in mind, offering a flexible schedule that helps you balance your career and doctoral study. And through your applied dissertation, you’ll address a pressing issue in your field — and emerge not only with a degree, but with the capacity to make a lasting impact.

Because at UCF, we don’t just prepare leaders for higher education. We help shape the ones who will redefine it.