Higher Education Administration - Educational Leadership and Policy Studies

HIGHER EDUCATION

ADMINISTRATION

The mission of the Higher Education Administration PhD program is to offer advanced graduate study to those students aspiring to enhance their leadership knowledge and skill for service in their current positions; to establish knowledge and skill bases for more responsible and executive leadership appointment; and to build the capacity and inclination for active participation in policy for service in administrative, faculty, and policy scholar roles.

Program Assumptions

The program builds on three assumptions about leadership: Leadership is a conceptual, moral, and performing art form based on (a) the power of theory and ideas, (b) the influence of thoughtfully considered values, and (c) the development of skill that derives from the traffic between theory and practice.

Leadership is as much a matter of passion as position. Those who do not care for the promise of those entrusted to their care and who do not care for principles of excellence and integrity will not lead.

Leadership in college and university settings requires: (a) an awareness of heritage and distinction in the complex mission of colleges and universities and (b) appreciation of the mission tension reflected in the call to simultaneously conserve heritage, critique current policy and practice, and create the future through the unimpeded pursuit and application of truth.

If you should have any questions, please feel free to contact us here. We also welcome personal visits from interested students and would be pleased to arrange opportunities for you to meet the faculty and other students and to see the community of the university and Knoxville.

Bogue Lecture Series

Please Note: We anticipate at least one opening for a Graduate Research Assistantship (GRA) in the department that will provide tuition and a stipend for a full-time student. Students are admitted to the program prior to any assistantship offers being made. If you are interested in being considered for a GRA position, please indicate this in your application. The priority deadline Fall 2026 deadline for GRA consideration is October 15, but the program will continue to accept applications for Fall 2026 through March 15.