Skip to content Skip to navigation

Higher Education Degree Programs

The prominence of higher education in public discourse and policy discussions continues to grow around the world. Domestically and abroad, issues of equitable access, institutional performance and accountability, and the evolving relationship between higher education, government, and society continues to challenge the field with demands for better knowledge, technology, and leadership.

Stanford GSE offers both doctoral and master’s programs focusing on higher education. 

The Doctoral (PhD) Program in Higher Education is designed for students pursuing careers as academic faculty, administrators, policy analysts, and educational researchers. Since the PhD is a scholarly degree, the core objective of our program is to prepare professionals to conduct research of exceptional quality.

The Joint MA in Education/MBA - Higher Education Concentration prepares students to manage in a variety of educational settings in the public, private and non-profit sectors through a two year program offered by both the Stanford Graduate School of Business and the Stanford Graduate School of Education. The program draws upon an interdisciplinary knowledge base that emphasizes the organizational and policy contexts of education and the knowledge needed to lead within them.

The Policy, Organization & Leadership Studies Program (POLS) - Higher Education Concentration prepares students to act as successful change agents in a range of educational organizations, including higher education. Through a carefully thought out, yet flexible curriculum this one year program encompasses the cross section of policy, organizational leadership and teaching and learning.

Back to the Top