Purpose of the Degree

The purpose of the M.S. degree in Higher Education is to train entry level professionals for a broad array of student services positions in higher education.

The Higher Education program is housed within the Department of Educational Leadership, Curriculum, and Special Education. The program is designed to be consistent with the curriculum and training guidelines developed by the American College Personnel Association and approved by the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS).

Program Admission Procedures

1. Applicants should go to online admissions
2. Submit application materials online, including:
   1. Completed Graduate Admissions application form with specified application fee, and official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate work from all colleges and universities attended.
3. Application file is reviewed by Graduate Admissions.
4. All materials in the complete admissions application file will be reviewed to determine the applicant’s eligibility for the program, to determine whether or not the applicant will be admitted, to establish conditions of admission if needed, and to assign an advisor to admitted students
5. Admission application materials will be the basis for admission of the applicant. For applicants who are admitted, admission notification will include identification of the academic advisor and conditions of admission if any.

Program Admission Requirements

To be considered for admission to the M.S. degree program in Higher Education, applicants must hold an earned bachelor’s or master’s degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education, and present evidence of personal qualities consistent with those required for effective practice in student affairs. The indicated grade point averages reflect minimum criteria for consideration of an applicant. A student who is not admitted to the program may appeal the admissions decision to the program director.

Previous academic work will provide the primary information used by admissions committee members in forming their judgment of an applicant’s academic ability. Based upon past academic performance, applicants who are admitted can be admitted on either an unconditional or a conditional basis.

Unconditional Admission Status: Applicants who are admitted will be placed in the unconditional admission status if they meet one of the following:

1. A minimum undergraduate cumulative grade point average of 2.75 (or 3.00 on the last 60 hours), or
2. A minimum undergraduate cumulative grade point average of 3.00 (or 3.25 on the last 60 hours), or
3. A minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.00 on at least 12 hours of previous graduate work with no more than one course grade of “C” and no course grade below a “C.”

Conditional Admission Status: Applicants who are admitted will be placed in the conditional admission status if they meet one of the following:

1. A minimum undergraduate cumulative grade point average of 2.50 (or 2.75 on the last 60 hours), or
2. A minimum undergraduate cumulative grade point average of 3.00 on the last 60 hours of undergraduate work, or
3. A minimum cumulative grade point average of at least 3.00 on at least 6 hours of previous graduate work with no more than one grade of “C” or below, or
4. A minimum cumulative undergraduate grade point average of 2.70, continuous employment (full or part-time) for at least the previous 12 months in a student affairs position at a regionally accredited institution of higher education, and submission of a letter from the Chief Student Affairs Officer of the employing institution attesting that the applicant has shown considerable promise for college student personnel work.

Eligibility to Continue in the Higher Education Program

To remove conditional status students must earn a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.00 on their next 12 hours of required courses, and must have no more than one course with a grade of “C.” Students who fail to remove conditional status in this manner after their first 12 hours of required courses will be dropped from the program.

Retention checkpoints for students admitted to the Higher Education program include the following:

1. Semi-Annual Review: All students admitted to the program will be subject to semiannual reviews conducted by the degree program committee during the last three weeks of every fall and spring semester. The committee will assess current evidence of a student’s relevant personal qualities and his or her academic progress. Any student having earned more than one grade of “C” will come under close scrutiny. As an out come of the review, the committee will approve the student for continuation in the program without conditions, continuation in the program with specified conditions, suspension from the program with conditions for readmission, or removal from the program.
2. Eligibility for Graduation: Students who have completed all courses in the Higher Education program with a 3.00 cumulative grade point average, have a cumulative grade point average of 3.00 on all graduate work, will be eligible for conferral of the degree.

Academic Credit

Credit will not be given for any course completed more than six years prior to completion of the degree. Any course completed more than six years ago will not be applied to the degree requirements at the time of graduation.

Consistent with the Graduate Programs residence requirement, students may transfer no more than nine (9) hours of course credit toward the M.S. in Higher Education. Students who want to present work experience in place of practicum may do so, by submitting in writing to the program director.