Ed.D. Programs in New Mexico

Earning a Doctor of Education Degree in New Mexico

Choices for New Mexico doctoral programs in education come down to the state’s public heavyweights: NMSU and UNM. NMSU’s School of Teacher Preparation, Administration, and Leadership (TPAL) has connections to many research initiatives (e.g. Alliance for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning). But UNM’s College of Education is equally active, especially when it comes to indigenous concerns. The Indigenous Education Research Conference and Institute for American Indian Education (IAIE) are just two examples.

You’ll find all of their Ed.D. offerings in our school listings, alongside links to curricula and costs. Feel free to match them against the section on doctoral funding opportunities. This guide also contains a rundown of requirements for New Mexico’s Educational Administration License and a substantial career section.

Here you can examine administrative job & salary data for NM school districts and universities, connect to state-specific job boards, and decide whether you want to join any educational leadership organizations. NMCEL is the obvious pick for networking, but we’ve included notes on other associations, as well as ideas for conferences & training programs.

Doctoral Education Funding in New Mexico

Internal Scholarships, Fellowships & Awards

To save you time, we’ve highlighted as many institutional aid opportunities as we could find. UNM is the clear winner in the scholarship stakes. You can supplement these sources with external aid (e.g. federal & private loans). The Office of Financial Aid and the Graduate School will have advice on aid procedures. You can also ask the Ed.D. program coordinator how most doctoral students in the program are funded.

New Mexico State University-Main Campus

The College of Education has a list of COE Scholarships; you can also search for general awards in the NSMU Scholarships database. The Graduate School has a helpful section on Funding Opportunities, with info on assistantships and fellowships. Doctoral students can apply for assistantships. If you live over any border, we recommend you talk to the Ed.D. program coordinator about the possibility of Graduate Out-of-State Tuition Discounts.

University of New Mexico-Main Campus

The College of Education (COE) has a long list of COE Scholarships, including a number of doctoral awards and individual fellowships. Some COE scholarships are especially for Native American Graduate Students.

The Office of Graduate Studies also has a huge section on Funding for Graduate Students at UNM, with info on scholarships, assistantships, graduate fellowships, research & travel grants, employment opportunities, and more. Be sure to explore all the sections—UNM is a well-endowed school.

Note: If a university name is missing from the list, we didn’t find specific examples of Ed.D. funding beyond private & federal loans and external aid.

School Administration Licensure Requirements in New Mexico

Educational Administration License

The New Mexico Public Education Department (NM PED) handles licensure for educational leaders in New Mexico school districts. The main license for school administrators is the Educational Administration (PreK-12) License. However, NM PED also issues licenses for School Business Official (SBO) and specialty areas (e.g. special education). See the section on Apply/Renew/Reciprocate License for more info.

For the Education Administration License, you start by earning an Initial License—we’ve outlined the general requirements below. If you already have 6+ years of administrative experience at the postsecondary level, you can also look into the Alternative Administrator License (PreK-12).

Note: NM PED’s section on the the Educational Administration (PreK-12) License contains instructions for out-of-state applicants who want to apply for a reciprocal license.

Initial License in Educational Administration (PreK-12)

To earn the Initial License in Educational Administration, you must:

• Hold a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree from a regionally accredited institution.
• Complete a state-approved educational administration program; the NM PED has a specific list of requirements for what this program must cover, including coursework and apprenticeships/internships.
• Hold a current level 2 or level 3A teacher’s license or a current level 2 or level 3 instructional support provider license.
• Receive a passing score on the New Mexico Teacher Assessment (NMTA): Educational Administrator.

NM PED has further advice on obtaining a Renewal License.

Educational Leadership Jobs in New Mexico

Educational Leadership Career Outlook

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) monitors employment & salary data for elementary & secondary school education administrators and postsecondary education administrators in every state. Scroll through their employment & wage maps to see how New Mexico is faring compared to its neighbors. Exact job numbers are posted in State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates for New Mexico.

Generally speaking, there aren’t a huge number of jobs for New Mexico K-12 administrators. The state has trouble competing with Texas and Arizona in terms of school populations. You’ll discover more nuanced statistics in the NM PED’s section on School Data. This contains District Report Cards and accountability reports. You can also consult the latest Stat Book to review budgets & personnel numbers in each school (e.g. teacher & administrator headcounts).

The job story is even tougher for New Mexico postsecondary education administrators. The state simply does not have enough colleges & universities to generate massive employment. If you’d like more specifics, the New Mexico Higher Education Department (NMHED) publishes all kinds of Data Reports. We like the Annual Reports, which provide a useful summary of each institution, with enrollment, revenue, and faculty numbers. As you might expect, UNM and NMSU are big employers of higher education professionals.

Educational Leadership Salaries

Annual mean wages for New Mexico education administrators are listed in the BLS’s State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates for New Mexico. You’ll see a category for preschool & childcare administrators, as well as elementary & secondary and postsecondary.

Compensation for New Mexico K-12 administrators isn’t spectacular. However, the state is often in the same wage bracket as Texas and it sometimes beats out Arizona. NM PED’s Stat Books contain up-to-date reports on K-12 personnel salaries, including salary data for principals, superintendents, and associate superintendents & finance/business managers in each NM school or district.

Just like Arizona, mean wages for New Mexico postsecondary education administrators are usually among the lowest in the country. Use the Chronicle Data website to find staff salaries in New Mexico colleges & universities. Individual schools also publish salary data. For example, UNM maintains a Salary Book where you can search by employee name or job title. And NMSU has a section on Salary Tables & Compensation Information.

Educational Leadership Job Boards

Popular job sites (e.g. LinkedIn, SchoolSpring, HigherEdJobs, etc.) will have postings for New Mexico educational leaders & school administrators. But there are also state-specific job boards with a bit more focus.

• NMCEL posts Employment Opportunities in New Mexico for all kinds of K-12 educational leaders, including principals, superintendents, directors, business managers, and more.
• NMREAP lists Job Openings for teaching, administrative, and educationally related service positions in New Mexico.
• NMASBO has a Career Center for New Mexico school business officials. You can Search for Openings by using a number of criteria.
• NMSBA conducts Superintendent Searches and advertises current vacancies for New Mexico superintendents.
• New Mexico Coalition for Charter Schools publishes Employment Opportunities for teachers & administrators.

Educational Leadership Organizations in New Mexico

Educational Leadership Associations

• National Education Association of New Mexico (NEA-NM): NEA-NM is the state’s teachers’ union. It has ~8,500 members and it’s a state affiliate of the NEA.
• New Mexico Association of Financial Aid Administrators (NMASFAA): NMASFAA represents the concerns of financial aid administrators who work with New Mexico college students.
• New Mexico Coalition of Educational Leaders (NMCEL): NMCEL is the largest organization of school administrators in New Mexico, with ~1,500 individual members. It has a large number of affiliates (see below).
• New Mexico School Boards Association (NMSBA): NMSBA is the member organization for New Mexico local school boards.

NMCEL Statewide Affiliates

• New Mexico Association of Elementary School Principals (NMAESP): NMAESP exists to promote the improvement of elementary & middle school education in New Mexico. It’s a state affiliate of NAESP.
• New Mexico Association of School Business Officials (NMASBO): NMASBO is a non-profit professional association that offers support and professional development opportunities to individuals providing business management services in New Mexico schools. It’s a state affiliate of ASBO International and offers a discount on SFO Certification.
• New Mexico Association of Secondary School Principals (NMASSP): NMASSP represents New Mexico principals, assistant principals, and other educational leaders interested in middle level & high school. It’s a state affiliate of NASSP.
• New Mexico School Personnel Association (NMSPA): NMSPA is a coalition of New Mexico school HR administrators and professionals who provide information, services and professional development related to personnel issues within the education profession.
• New Mexico School Superintendents’ Association (NMSSA): NMSSA membership is composed of New Mexico’s 89 public school district superintendents.
• New Mexico Society of Technology in Education (NMSTE): NMSTE is a non-profit organization that seeks to improve teaching, learning, and school leadership by advancing the effective use of technology in PK-16 and teacher education. It’s an affiliate of ISTE.

Note: Remember that state and national educator organizations often have funds and scholarships available for continuing education (e.g. Ed.D.). Check the website and ask about opportunities.

Educational Leadership Events in New Mexico

Educational Leadership Conferences

• NMASBO Conferences: There are two major conferences for New Mexico school business officials—the Fall Conference in September and the Winter Conference in February. Both address current business management issues.
• NMASFAA Conferences: NMASFAA organizes a number of events for financial aid administrators, including a three-day Spring Conference in April, a Fall Boot Camp, and a Federal Student Aid Conference.
• NMCEL Annual Summer Conference: NMCEL’s flagship event for New Mexico school administrators takes place over four days in July. The agenda includes pre-conference workshops, NMCEL affiliate meetings, keynote sessions, and more.
• NMSBA Conferences: NMSBA hosts a variety of events for school board leaders and district-level administrators, including a two-day Leadership Retreat in July, a three-day Annual Convention in December, and a two-day School Law Conference in late June.
• NMSPA Annual Conference: This focused conference for New Mexico school personnel professionals is held over two days in February. The program includes break-out sessions, networking socials, and exhibits.

Educational Leadership Training

• NMAESP/NMASSP New and Aspiring Principals Workshop: This workshop is held every summer, in conjunction with the NMCEL Annual Conference.
• NMASBO Workshops & Boot Camps: NMASBO runs a Spring Budget Workshop in April and an intensive, one-week Boot Camp in October. Boot Camp attendees can earn licensure credit for the Business Official License.
• NMCEL Workshops & Seminars: NMCEL often offers educational leadership seminars and workshops that focus on specific needs (e.g. strategic planning, collective bargaining, technology training, etc.).
• NMSSA Superintendent Training: NMSSA’s New Superintendents Institute (NSI) is designed to mentor and serve newly appointed superintendents. It has also implemented an Aspiring Superintendents Academy.