Southern Methodist University

Our graduate degrees in higher education provides students with a holistic understanding of how universities and colleges function. Students in our programs benefit from our exceptional faculty and field-based adjuncts who provide individualized support for our students.


The MEd in higher education program has an emphasis on research and data analytics, providing students with practical skills necessary in higher education institutions, which increasingly use data to inform decision-making across all aspects of the organization. The use of advanced analytics, database systems, and research tools— once almost exclusively the purview of an institutional research office—is now part of units as diverse as academic affairs, business and finance, student affairs, and athletics. This program offers courses to help ground students in an understanding of how colleges and universities work, while also developing their skills with research, statistics, data visualization, and other analytical tools to help move the field forward.


The EdD in higher education emphasizes the practical application of research to address real-world challenges in educational settings. It provides practitioner-scholars with advanced coursework in research and analysis, governance and administration, student development, and leadership equipping them with the knowledge and skills to solve contemporary problems in their organizations and beyond. The program also provides structured support for the applied dissertation through dissertation-focused coursework and individualized support in order to accelerate progress. The three-year program is structured in a executive format so that students can advance their career while working full time.