Sul Ross State University will soon become a doctoral-granting institution for the first time in its 110-year history after the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board approved the university’s request to offer a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership.
The inaugural cohort is scheduled to begin in Fall 2026, with final implementation still pending approval from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
University leaders said the program is designed to prepare scholar-practitioners to lead improvement and innovation, with a focus on the needs of rural and borderland communities. The Ed.D. will use a hybrid format intended to support working professionals and will incorporate dissertation work from the first course through a dissertation-in-practice tied to real workplace challenges.
Sul Ross said initial enrollment will be limited to support strong mentorship and cohort development. More information is available at http://www.sulross.edu/educational-leadership/#doctoral or by emailing john.decman@sulross.edu.
