Specializations · Florida
Higher Education Administration Pathways in Florida
Florida does not license college presidents or deans. The Board of Governors oversees the State University System, the Florida College System sits under a separate Department of Education structure, and the Commission for Independent Education authorizes many private institutions. Campus jobs remain institutional HR decisions. Evaluate graduate programs against the sector that will hire you—SUS, Florida College System, or independent—plus accreditation and the posted search criteria, not against a K–12 educational-leadership exam list.
Higher education administration prepares educators and professionals for leadership roles in colleges and universities. It is related to educational leadership but is not a K–12 principal credential. State teaching or administrator licenses usually do not govern college roles the same way public-school building licenses do.
Reviewed by Brittnie Vargas, School principal, M.Ed.Editorial processHow higher-ed administration works in Florida
Florida does not license college presidents or deans. The Board of Governors oversees the State University System, the Florida College System sits under a separate Department of Education structure, and the Commission for Independent Education authorizes many private institutions. Campus jobs remain institutional HR decisions. Evaluate graduate programs against the sector that will hire you—SUS, Florida College System, or independent—plus accreditation and the posted search criteria, not against a K–12 educational-leadership exam list.
Florida’s three-way map is the whole story. The Board of Governors is a constitutional body for the State University System; it is not the employer of every postsecondary administrator in the state. Florida College System institutions have their own boards and a Department of Education policy home. Private institutions that fall under the Commission for Independent Education are a third labor market. Candidates who pick a graduate program because “Florida has a lot of higher-ed jobs” without choosing a sector waste internships that will not translate.
SUS campuses in this inventory include the University of Florida, Florida State University, Florida International University, and the University of North Florida. Those searches still differ: a Gainesville academic-administration opening and a Miami-Dade student-affairs opening will not share a single minimum-qualification memo. Collective-bargaining units, performance-funding metrics, and presidential search customs are system-influenced but campus-executed. The Board of Governors will not mail you a dean’s certificate when you finish the degree.
Independent Florida is large. Nova Southeastern, Miami, Barry, Saint Leo, St. Thomas, and Keiser report completions and hire through their own HR offices. Mid-level roles commonly list a master’s in higher education or student affairs; cabinet and dean roles more often list a doctorate plus a record that matches a private or regional-comprehensive culture. Those titles are not reciprocal with a Florida educational-leadership certificate, and CIE authorization of the institution is not a personal license for you.
What to verify before you enroll
Use the Board of Governors for the State University System only
The Florida Board of Governors oversees the twelve-university State University System and sets system-level policy. It does not license individuals to be deans, and it does not hire most student-affairs professionals. Read flbog.edu for SUS structure, then read the campus HR site for the job.
Source: flbog.edu
Keep the Florida College System and CIE on a separate map
The Florida College System is coordinated through the Department of Education, not the Board of Governors. The Commission for Independent Education authorizes many private institutions. A graduate program that is common in an SUS search may be irrelevant to a college or independent-campus posting.
Source: fldoe.org
Check independent providers against CIE and accreditation
Nova Southeastern University, the University of Miami, Barry University, Saint Leo University, St. Thomas University, and Keiser University-Ft Lauderdale report higher-education administration completions. Confirm the provider’s authorization and accreditor status, then read that employer’s search criteria.
Source: fldoe.org
Read SUS campus postings for degree and experience bars
University of Florida, Florida State University, Florida International University, and the University of North Florida appear in this inventory. Searches typically ask for a master’s or doctorate plus functional experience. There is no Board of Governors personal exam for those titles.
Source: flbog.edu
Do not treat IPEDS rows as a statewide license roster
Completions describe where awards were conferred. They do not create Board of Governors eligibility to be a president or dean, and they do not substitute for a Florida Department of Education K–12 educational-leadership certificate.
Source: nces.ed.gov
Institutions with higher-education administration programs in Florida
Rows come from IPEDS awards in higher-education administration CIP codes. This extract reported no completion counts, so none are shown. An award conferred is not a state license and is not proof that a campus job requires that degree.
| Institution | CIP | Award level |
|---|---|---|
| Barry University (Miami, FL) | 13.0406 Higher Education/Higher Education Administration | Master’s |
| Florida International University (Miami, FL) | 13.0406 Higher Education/Higher Education Administration | Doctorate (research) |
| Florida International University (Miami, FL) | 13.0406 Higher Education/Higher Education Administration | Master’s |
| Florida State University (Tallahassee, FL) | 13.0406 Higher Education/Higher Education Administration | Doctorate (research) |
| Florida State University (Tallahassee, FL) | 13.0406 Higher Education/Higher Education Administration | Master’s |
| Keiser University-Ft Lauderdale (Fort Lauderdale, FL) | 13.0406 Higher Education/Higher Education Administration | Master’s |
| Keiser University-Ft Lauderdale (Fort Lauderdale, FL) | 13.0406 Higher Education/Higher Education Administration | Post-master’s / EdS |
| Nova Southeastern University (Fort Lauderdale, FL) | 13.0406 Higher Education/Higher Education Administration | Master’s |
| Saint Leo University (Saint Leo, FL) | 13.0406 Higher Education/Higher Education Administration | Master’s |
| St. Thomas University (Miami Gardens, FL) | 13.0406 Higher Education/Higher Education Administration | Master’s |
| University of Florida (Gainesville, FL) | 13.0406 Higher Education/Higher Education Administration | Doctorate (research) |
| University of Miami (Coral Gables, FL) | 13.0406 Higher Education/Higher Education Administration | Doctorate (research) |
| University of Miami (Coral Gables, FL) | 13.0406 Higher Education/Higher Education Administration | Master’s |
| University of Miami (Coral Gables, FL) | 13.0406 Higher Education/Higher Education Administration | Post-master’s / EdS |
| University of North Florida (Jacksonville, FL) | 13.0406 Higher Education/Higher Education Administration | Master’s |
Frequently asked questions
Does the Florida Board of Governors license university deans?
No. The Board oversees the State University System. Individual campus officers are appointed by boards of trustees and campus administrators, not issued a personal state license.
Are Florida College System administrator jobs posted by the Board of Governors?
No. The college system is a separate sector. Read the college’s HR site and Department of Education college-system materials.
Will a higher-education administration degree satisfy Florida principal licensure?
Not by default. K–12 educational-leadership certificates are a Florida Department of Education process with approved preparation programs and exams.